Chettur Sankaran Nair, a name that resonates with courage and conviction, is often relegated to the footnotes of Indian history despite his monumental contributions to the freedom movement. Born in 1857 in Mankara village, Kerala, Nair was a trailblazing lawyer, nationalist, and social reformer who fearlessly took on both the British colonial regime and his own political contemporaries, including the Indian National Congress, of which he was a president as well.
His legacy, however, remains overshadowed by the dominant narratives of India’s independence struggle. With Akshay Kumar playing his character in the upcoming film, Kesari 2, Nair — or rather his absence of sorts from history — has become a topic of discussion on social media.
Who Was C Sankaran Nair?
Nair’s ascent in Indian politics was quite impactful. In 1897, he became the first Malayali to serve as president of the Indian National Congress (INC), a position that placed him at the forefront of India’s nationalist discourse. Unlike many leaders of his time who leaned towards populism, Nair championed constitutionalism and civil rights. His leadership reflected a commitment to self-determination through reasoned dissent rather than revolutionary rhetoric.
However, his relationship with the Congress was far from harmonious. Nair’s sharp critiques of party policies and his independent stance often put him at odds with the INC leadership. He believed in holding both allies and adversaries accountable — a trait that made him a problem for Congress leaders who preferred unity over dissent. Although Congress leaders saw him as an inconvenience, he believed in the party’s ideals and saw it as a “representation of the masses“.
Jallianwala Bagh Massacre: A Turning Point
The Jallianwala Bagh massacre of 1919 marked a defining moment in Nair’s life. As a member of the Viceroy’s Executive Council — the highest position an Indian could hold under British rule — he was deeply disturbed by the atrocities committed under Brigadier General Reginald Dyer and Punjab Lieutenant Governor Michael O’Dwyer. While many leaders condemned Dyer alone, Nair went further, holding O’Dwyer equally responsible for the massacre.
Unable to tolerate the British government’s refusal to acknowledge its wrongdoing, Nair resigned from his post — a bold move that shocked both the colonial administration and fellow nationalists like Motilal Nehru, who had urged him to stay on. His resignation was followed by a tumultuous welcome back in Madras, where he decided to focus on writing. His book, ‘Gandhi and Anarchy‘, slammed Gandhi’s non-cooperation movement as unconstitutional and potentially destabilising — a stance that further alienated him from Congress.
A Legal Battle That Shook An Empire
Nair’s pursuit of justice extended to the courtroom as well. In response to his accusations against O’Dwyer in ‘Gandhi and Anarchy‘, O’Dwyer filed a libel suit against him in London. Rather than retract his statements, Nair fought the case on principle, becoming one of the few Indians to challenge the British authority within its own legal framework. His defiance sent ripples across India and Britain, sparking an unprecedented resistance against imperial injustice.
It has been documented that the judge hearing the case appeared to show prejudice against Nair. At the end of the five-week hearing, while the jury was reportedly not unanimous in its verdict, Nair was ordered to either tender an apology to O’Dwyer, or pay a fine of 500 pounds. Nair opted to pay the fine. It is this O’Dwyer Vs Nair courtroom drama that Kesari 2 seeks to bring to life on the silver screen.
Nair also played a pivotal role in critiquing Lord Chelmsford’s Montagu-Chelmsford reforms, which he deemed inadequate for Indian self-governance. In his “Minute of Dissent“, he argued against discriminatory clauses that undermined Indian representation in legislative councils and executive bodies. His advocacy for dismantling British hierarchies showcased his vision for constitutional reforms rooted in equality and justice.
Khilafat, Moplah Massacre, And A Footnote In Congress History
Despite his contributions, Nair’s legacy has been allegedly largely sidelined by the Congress. Nair opposed Gandhi’s support to the ‘Khilafat Movement’. He warned that this would lead to the politicisation of religion, and he was right.
Nair had warned that backing the Islamic Khilafat Movement would have consequences. The chain of events eventually led to the Moplah massacre, in which more than 600 Hindus were killed and over 2,500 converted to Islam. This further alienated him from the Congress.
According to a 1975 paper by Conrad Wood, School of Oriental and African Studies, all the victims (except 2) of the 29 Moplah rebellions were Hindus. He wrote: “There can be no doubt that the local Muslim population here willingly participated in the attempt to establish Moplah rule in the face of the power both of the Raj and the jenmi [landlords]. This was, indeed, the same area in which the riot by Khilafat Moplahs at Kizhakkot had been staged against local Hindus in 1921.”
According to many writers, Muslims were being instigated from Arabia to turn India into an Islamic nation. In a 2021 article, BJP leader Ram Madhav wrote: “While in Turkey, the Ottoman Khalifa was deposed by secular leaders like Mustafa Kemal Pasha, what the Congress got in Malabar was not Swarajya but a Khilafat. The British came down heavily on the Moplahs. The Moplahs turned their anger against the minority Hindus. The ensuing four months became a living hell for the Hindus of Malabar.”
Many argue that figures like Nair have been overshadowed by the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty’s dominance in historical narratives. This erasure has sparked debates on whether the Congress chose to systematically minimise the role of leaders who challenged its internal dynamics.
Even today, Sankaran’s profile among the list of Congress presidents on the party’s website does not mention his opposition to Gandhi’s support of the Khilafat movement, nor does it mention the historic case after the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
Senior Congress leader and Parliamentarian Shashi Tharoor has also called for greater recognition of Nair’s contributions, describing him as a “fearless patriot”. “His legacy deserves much greater recognition in modern Indian history,” Tharoor said.
Thrilled to learn that “Kesari Chapter 2” will bring the story of C. Sankaran Nair to the big screen!
A fearless patriot & the first Malayali President of @incIndia who took on the British after Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
His legacy deserves much greater recognition in modern… https://t.co/zTSrRPTOta
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) April 11, 2025
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