Nair Service Society (History & Founders)

Logo of Nair Service Society

The Special meeting of Nair Bhrithya Jana Sangham held at Mannathu Bhavan, Perunna, Chaganacherry on Midhunam 27, 1090 (M.E.)  decided to change the name as “Nair Service Society”.  

On Midhunam 17, 1100 the Nair Service Society was registered under the Travancore Company Act. The proclaimed aim of the Nair Service Society is the unification of all Hindus along with the active coordination of Nair community so as to ensure harmony of all communities & thereby progress in all walks of life.  This aim is in consonance with the famous gospel of the Hindu culture “Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavanthu” (Let the whole world be happy for ever).

In the beginning there was provision for two types of membership viz., permanent members & life members. The annual membership fee was Rs.12/-. At time of registration, society had 5 permanent members & 21 life members making the total to 26. In 1101 a separate organizational branch was formed & Sri. M.N. Nair was appointed as the first Secretary. By 1104 the society became more active & passed the statute relating to various Unions & Karayogams. The post of Karayogam Registrar was also created for this purpose.

First Karayogam -The 1st Karayogam was registered at Thatta in Pandalam East Village of old Mavelikkara Taluk. The 2nd Karayogamwas also registered at Thatta.

Karayogams are foundation stones of the NSS. Each Karayogam is an autonomous self-sufficient unit. Mannathu Padmanabhan has rightly remarked that if Nair Service Society can be compared to a giant tree, Karayogams are its roots.

The first effort of the NSS was to do away with the evils & superstitions prevailed in the society. NSS has also undertaken the task of uniting all the sub-castes under the Nair community & for bringing them under one umbrella.  It also aims at the establishment of educational institutions to cater the cultural progress of people belong to all walks of life. 

Nair Service Society (NSS) had a three-tier organizational set up viz 

1. Karoyogam (At base level)
2. Taluk Karayogam (At intermediate level)  
3. Central Headquaters operation from Perunna @ Changanaserry. 

Altogether 4,958 Karayogam's were registered so far. 57 Taluk Unions are functioning. 3,057 Nos. of Women Samajams & 1,547 Mannam Bala Samajams were also functioning under the above units. Various activities of NSS were handled by separate units like General Administration, Survey & Land Records Wing, Planning & Development Unit, College Unit, School Unit, Agricultural Unit, Health Service, Organization Wing, Public Works Wing, Accounts & Audit Department, Dewaswam-Ashramam Unit & Department of Law.

Founding Leaders of NSS (Nair Service Society)

Mannathu Padmanabhan (January 2, 1878 - February 25, 1970)

    Born          : 2nd January 1878, Perunna, Channganaserry, Kerala, India
    Death        : 25th February 1970, Perunna, Channganaserry, Kerala, India
    Birth Place : Perunna, Channganaserry, Kerala, India
    Spouse       : Mechettu Kalyani Amma
    Father       : Sri Easwaran Namboothiri of Nilamana Illam
    Mother      : Smt Chiramuttathu Parvathy Amma

He was a social reformer & a freedom fighter from the State of Kerala, India. He is recognized as the founder of Nair Service Society, which claims to represent the Nair community that constitutes almost 14.50% of the population of the state. Sri Padmanabhan is considered as a visionary reformer who organised the Nair community under the NSS.

Sri Mannathu Padmanathan Nair was born in Perunna village in Changanacherry, Travancore, British India on 2nd January 1878 to Eswaran Namboothiri of Nilavana Illam & Mannathu Parvathy Amma. He began his career as a teacher in 1893 in a Kanjirapally Government Primary School at the age of 16. After a few years, from 1905 he changed his profession & started practicing law in the Magistrates Courts & soon became an established member of the bar.

In 1914, he with the help of few others established the Nair Service Society, his main ambition was to uplift the Nair's & to regain the lost power of this former ruling sect. From 1915, he gave up the lucrative practice & became full time secretary of the NSS.

In 1924, he took part in the Vaikom temple & Guruvayoor temple entry & anti-untouchability agitation. He even opened his family temple to everyone irrespective of any caste distinction. He became member of the Indian National Congress in 1947 & took part in the Travancore State Congress agitation against Sir Chetpet Pattabhiraman  Ramaswamy Iyer's administration in Travancore.

In 1949, he became a member of the Travancore Legislative Assembly. In 1959, he led a united opposition against the state communist ministry. This struggle is called Vimochana Samaram, which means liberation struggle. He was travelling all over Kerala in a chariot pulled by Bishop's, priests of different Christian factions & other prominent members of different communities. The immediate cause of the outbreak of the Vimochana Samaram was the introduction of an education bill by the Minister of Education Sri Joseph Mundasarry. Vimochana Samaram resulted in the dismissal of the Communist Government with Chief Minister Sri Elamkulam Manakkal Sankaran Namboodiripad (EMS)  on 31st July 1959 & the beginning of President's rule in the state under Article 356 of the Indian Constitution. One notable feature of the movement was its massive student participation led by students leaders like Sri Arackaparambil Kurien Antony & Sri Ommen Chandy etc.

He was involved with Nair Service Society as its Secretary for 31 long years & as its President 3 years. He was honored with the title "Bharata Kesari" by then President of India Dr. Rajendra Prasad in 1959. He was also honored with Padma Bhushan in 1966.

On his birthday of 2nd January each year in the state of Kerala, Mannam Jayanthi is a regional Indian holiday. This holiday commemorates an important Indian social reformer on the anniversary of his birth in 1878.

Koyapalli Kelappan Nair (August 24, 1889 - October 7, 1971)

    Born           : 24th August 1889, Muchukunnu, Calicut, Kerala, India
    Death         : 7th October 1971, Calicut, Kerala, India
    Birth Place : Muchukunnu, Calicut, Kerala, India
    Spouse       : T P Lakshmi Amma
    Children    : T P K Kidav
    Father       : Sri Kanaran Nair
    Mother      : Smt Kunjamma Amma

He was a founding member and president of Nair Service Society, a reformer, an Indian freedom fighter, educationist & journalist. He is also known as Kerala Gandhi. Post-independence he held various seats in Gandhian organizations.

Koyapalli Kelappan Nair was born in the small village of Muchukunnu in Calicut in Kerala. He studied in Calicut, Madras & graduated from the University of Madras. He began his career as a teacher at in St. Berchmans High School, Changanassery & was the founding President of the Nair Service Society. Later he became the Principal of a school run by the society.

He joined studies in Law at Bombay which he gave up to join the Non-Cooperation movement led by Mahatma Gandhi & joined the Freedom movement. During Malabar rebellion, he faced a group of rebels who came to loot the Ponnani Treasury & persuaded them to retreat by appealing to their good sense. He gave the lead to Payyannur & Calicut salt Satyagraha & was chosen as the first Satyagrahi from Kerala in the individual satyagraha movement launched by Gandhiji. He played a dominant role in the famous Vaikom Satyagraha & was the leader of the Guruvayur Satyagraha in 1932. It was at Gandhiji's request that he ended his fast at Guruvayur.

He was jailed by several times during the Indian freedom movement including the Quit India Movement. He was in the forefront of Swadeshi Movement & did his best to build up a base of Khadi & village industries. After independence he left the Congress Party & joined the Kisan Mazdoor Praja Party & was elected to Parliament from Ponnani Lok Sabha seat in 1952. At the end of his term, he left active politics & became a Sarvodaya worker & was actively associated with Bhoodan Movement in Kerala. He was the President of almost all major Gandhian organisations like Kerala Sarvodaya Sangh, Kerala Gandhi Samarak Nidhi, Kerala Sarvodaya Mandal & Gandhi Peace Foundation, Calicut.

He was an educationist as well as an accomplished & forceful journalist. He helped in starting 'Mathrubhoomi' & was its editor for a number of years. He worked for unification of Kerala into a new linguistic state. He never aspired for power or position. His whole life was a saga of selfless service to the nation. Since the people of Kerala came to understand Gandhiji & his programmes essentially through Kelappan, he was popularly known as Kerala Gandhi.

Kontoor Krishna Pillai 

Birth Place       : Thrikodithanam, Kottayam, Kerala, India

He was a top personality who tiled hard for the progress & upliftment of Nair Service Society. He was one of the founding leaders of NSS who performed his duties in a remarkable way as the General Secretary of NSS. He was an advocate, writer & orator.

Poduvadathu Padmanabha Pillai

Birth Place       : Vazhapally, Changanassery Muncipality, Kottayam, Kerala, India

He had a decisive role in the development of the society. He was the Municipal Chairman of Changanassery Municipal town and an ardent social worker. He also served as the Manager of ‘Service’ magazine.

Valparambil Velayudhan Pillai (Born 1878)

Birth Place       : Vazhapally, Changanassery Muncipality, Kottayam, Kerala, India

Through the tireless efforts & courage Valparambil Velayudhan Pillai rose to the heights in different fields. The hostel attached to the Perunna NSS School was his donation. He was an early worker of Nair Service Society.

Thaliyil Madhavan Pillai (Born 1876)

Birth Place       : Vazhapally, Changanassery Muncipality, Kottayam, Kerala, India

He was an advocate, a learned cultural & spiritual leader. He was also served as a member of Sreemulam Praja Sabha, Judge of Panchayat Court. He was a veteran freedom fighter. 

Kottanattil Padmanabha Pillai (Born 1879 to 1939)  

Birth Place       : Puzhavathu, Changanassery Muncipality, Kottayam, Kerala, India

He was a teacher by profession. He suffered a lot for the cause of the society & thereby won the love and affection of all. He was also a writer. He was the General Secretary of NSS for a short period. He died in 1939.

Padinjare Nenmeli Krishna Pillai (Born 1881 to 1964)  
Birth Place       : Perunna, Changanassery Muncipality, Kottayam, Kerala, India

He was a selfless public worker who worked for the welfare of the Nair community till his last breath. He was one of the persons who worked hard for the establishment of NSS School at Perunna. He died in 1964.

Elikuzha Kesava Pillai 

He was a significant personality who played vital role for the development of Nair community along with Mannam.  He was a Tahsildar. He worked for the upliftment of Nair Service Society despite of his official duties.

Panakkat Parameswara Kurup 

Birth Place       : Vezhapra, Alapuzha, Kerala, India

He was a soldier in the independence struggle & a disciple of Mahatma Gandhi. He played a vital role in propagating khadi. Being a progressive farmer of Kuttanad, he formed & implemented many action plans for the progress of the locality. He spent his whole life for the development of society, particularly for Nair community.

Nagavallil Kochukunju Kurup (Born 1879) 

Birth Place       : Ramankary, Kuttanad Area, Alapuzha, Kerala, India

He was a member of Sri Mulam Praja Sabha. He was also an active worker in the national movement. He was one of the leaders in the early stages of Nair Service Society who worked hard for collecting funds for the Society.

Panagotu Kesava Panicker (Born 1889)
Birth Place       : Mutar, Near Thiruvalla, Alapuzha, Kerala, India

He was the treasurer of the NSS for quite a long period. He was one of the leaders who fight against the evil rituals such as ‘Kettukalyanan’, which were prevailing in the society. He was also a promoter of cultural activities.

Kakkanatu Narayana Panicker 

Birth Place       : Veliyanadu, Mutar, Kanayannoor Taluk, Eranakulam, Kerala, India

He was a model social worker and organiser who devoted his life for the development of the community in particular and society as a whole. He was a veteran freedom fighter & treasurer of NSS. 

Nynadathu Thrivikrama Kaimal 

Birth Place       : Ninadathu, Eranakulam, Kerala, India

He was a life member of the Board of Directors of the NSS till his last days. He was also the bank manager of the NSS. He was the Senior Judge of Changanassery Munsiff Court, Municipal Chairman & a Member of Sri Mulam Praja Sabha.