Talk:Nair/List of Notable Nairs

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

1 List of Notable Nairs

[edit] List of Notable Nairs

The following is not a list of famous Nairs but rather a list of eminent members derived from the Nair community. It does not attempt to have every notable member of the Nair community on it. But rather a glimpse of prominent people from this particular community.

[edit] Administration and diplomacy

Velu Thampi Dalava — Diwan of Travancore; leader of one of the earliest uprisings against British Rule
V. P. Menon — united Indian princeley states (with Sardar Patel) in 1947
PGN Unnithan — last Diwan of Travancore
Shashi Tharoor — former Under-Secretary General of the United Nations, and author
Vijay Nambiar UN Under-Secretary-General chief of staff [1]
Lt.General K. P. Candeth -GOC-in-C Western Command (Indo-Pak war hero), Chairman Sir Chettur Sankaran Nair Foundation
Lt. General P. E. Menon - North Eastern Army Commander[2]
T. P. Sreenivasan - India's Ambassador to the United Nations, and Governor for India, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna [3]
K. Sankaran Nair - Former Head of Research and Analysis Wing (India's spy agency)[4]
M K Narayanan - India's National Secuity Advisor (2005-present) Responsible for starting and finalising the Indo-Us Civilian nuclear deal
N. R. Pillai - India's first Cabinet Secretary (1950-53)[5]
K.S.Menon - Additional Deputy Controller & Auditor General of India[6]
Lt.General Satish Nambiar - Deputy chief of army staff & Head of UN Forces in Eastern Europe[7]
V. K. Krishna Menon - India's first defence minister and former high commissioner to London, also noted for giving the longest speech (8 hours) at the United Nations Security Council
Sanjeevi Pillai - The first director of the Indian Intelligence Bureau and also partially responsible for the creation of R.A.W[8]

[edit] Arts

O.N.V. Kurup - Acknowledged as one of India's greatest living poets. Awarded the Padma Shree award
Balachandran Chullikkadu — poet
Kamala Das (Kamala Surayya) — poet, writer writing in English
Balamani Amma — poet
Vengayil Kunhiraman Nayanar — barrister and novelist; wrote first short story in Malayalam
G Sankara Kurup — Malayalam poet
Guru Gopinath — dancer
Changampuzha Krishna Pillai — Keralan poet
Irayimman Thampi — Malayalam poet
Kavalam Narayana Panicker — dramatist and folk arts exponent
Kesari Balakrishna Pillai — journalist and freedom fighter
M.T.Vasudevan_Nair — novelist awarded the Padma Shree award
Shankar — cartoonist and founder of the Children's Book Trust
Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai — novelist
Vallathol Narayana Menon — Malayalam poet and founder of the Kerala Kala Mandalam
Vasudevan Nair M T — novelist
Villayil Raman Gopala Pillai — Singaporean Malayalam novelist
Anita Nair — novelist and poet writing in English
Chandran Nair — Singaporean poet writing in English
Guru balachandran Nair - Kalaripayattu legend and one of the last few surviving Masters in the Art[9]
Guru Kunchu Kurup - The first artist to be awarded the Indian national award for Kathakali. Was also awarded the Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan (The highest award for an artist in India)
Almost all the famous and award winning Kathakali artists were derived from the Nair community [10][11]

[edit] Science

Dr M. Krishnan Nair- Responsible for establishing one of the largest cancer care centres in India. Director General of the World Health Organisation and served as the President of the association of Radiation Oncologists. Also awarded the Padma Shri award.
Dr R. Kesavan Nair- Kerala's first civil surgeon & the first superintendent for Trivandrum Medical College
G. Madhavan Nair- Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization ( responsible for sending many of India's satellites into space )
Dr. C. G. Krishnadas Nair - ex Chairman - Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Bangalore, President Aeronautical Society of India[12]
M. G. K. Menon- Multiple award winning Scientist, chairman of the board of governors for IIT, has been president of all 3 science academies in India. President of the International Council of scientific Unions, Chairman of Bharat Electronics, and former union minister. Awarded the highly sought after award for "overall contribution to the development of science" award[13]
K.P.P Nambiar - Founded Tata Electronic Research and Development Labs. Also the founder and general managing director of Keltron (developed India's first micro-processor chip controlled traffic signals) also took electronics to Indian villages. [14][15]
Dr M. S. Valiathan- first Director of the Sri Chitra Thirunal Medical Centre and famous for research in the field of Medicine

[edit] Business

P. N. C. Menon - Billionaire worth over 1.3 billion. Also built India's largest most expensive shopping mall and numerous other projects [16] [17]
Dileep Nair —Former managing director of DBS Bank, Singapore, and Under-Secretary General for the United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services
E. Sreedharan — Managing Director, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation. Responsible for completing the Delhi Metro Rail project and is also a Padma Shri award recipient
Balakrishna Menon - Former Chairman Thorn EMI - UK
Captain Krishnan Nair - Founder of the Leela Group of hotels (named India's finest 5 star hotels and palaces)[18]
T. P. G. Nambiar - Founder of the BPL group[19]
K. Shasikumar - Founder Asianet TV Channel[20]
G. A. Menon - Founder Toons India Animation and former Chairman Venture Industries Singapore

[edit] Business Leadership - Executives

M. K. Kumar - Former Chairman - Best & Co. Ltd, India
P. C. D. Nambiar - Former Chairman - State Bank of India
M. P. Nair - Chairman, Bank of Baroda Ltd
Vijay Bhaskar Menon - Chairman and Managing Director Thorn EMI Music Group
Prasad R. Menon - Chairman Tata Chemicals
R. R. Nair - Former Chairman - Steel Authority of India
K. P. Padmakumar - ex Chairman - Federal Bank Limited
Rajiv Nair - Former President, Microsoft India[21]
K. Jayaram - Director, Kotak Mahindra Limited
Raghu Pillai - President - Food World - India's first retail chain
K Unnikrishnan - former Chairman, Binny Limited
V Rajakrishnan - CEO, Royal Wolf Group India

[edit] Film

Adoor Gopalakrishnan — Multiple national award winning film-maker and Padma Shri recipient
Ambika — film actor of the 1960s
Ambika — film actor of the 1980s
Bharathan — film director, sculptor, and painter
G Aravindan — film-maker
Dileep (b. Gopalakrishnan) — Malayalam film actor
Indrajit — film actor
Jagadish — film actor
Jayan (b. Krishnan Nair) — film actor,
Kalpana — Malayalam film actor
Kalaranjini — Malayalam film actor
Kaviyoor Ponnamma — film actor
Mohanlal — Multiple national award winning Malayalam film actor and Padma Shri recipient
Madhu — Malayalam film actor
Murali — Malayalam film actor
Navya Nair — actress
Muthukulam Raghavan Pillai — comedian
Nedumudi Venu — National award winning actor
Oduvil Unnikrishnan — film actor
Padmini — film actor of the 1960s
Parvathi — film actor
Prithviraj — Malayalam film actor
Renuka Menon — Malayalam film actor
Revathi Menon — film director and actor, and leader of Women Empowerment
Seema (b. Shanthi) — film actor
Siraj Venjarammuudu — Comedian, film actor
Shobhana — Multiple national award winning actress and dancer, Padma Shri awardee
Unni Menon-- multiple Tamil State Award winning playback Singer
Sukumaran — Malayalam actor
Sukumari — actress
Suresh Gopi — Malayalam film actor
Vineeth — Malayalam film actor
Urvashi — Malayalam film actor
K. S. Chitra - Multiple award winning Playback Singer and Padma Shri recipient

[edit] India's freedom struggle

Captain Lakshmi Sehgal — former member of the INA and lieutenant of Netaji Bose
K. Madhavan Nair - Freedom fighter, Home Rule League leader and founding member of Mathrubhumi newspaper
G. Ramachandran- Fought for India's independence and founded Gandhi Sevagram, Madurai
K. P. Madhavan Nair- Former General Secratary of the Indian National Congress[22]
Sir Chettur Sankaran Nair- President of the Indian National Congress (1897-1898)
Amsi Narayana Pillai - Freedom fighter Wrote the famous patriotic song "Varika Varika Sahajare...". "Mahatma" was a news paper published by Amsi Narayana Pillai.

[edit] Law

Vengayil Kunhiraman Nayanar — barrister who attempted to merge the Kasargod Taluk with the Malabar District
Panampalli Govinda Menon - Former union law minister
Justice V. Balakrishna Eradi - Former Justice of the supreme court of India and Chief justice of the Kerala High Court
A large percentage of the Judges and Chief of justices of Kerala have been from the Nair community [23]
Advocate. Venogopal K.K- Former president of the international association for Lawyers

[edit] Politics

MG Ramachandran — film actor and late Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu awarded the Padma Shri
K Karunakaran - Former Chief Minister of Kerala ,Former Union Industries Minister.
C Achutha Menon — Chief Minister of Kerala 1969–1970
A K Gopalan — Communist Party leader
CV Devan Nair — former President of Singapore
Erambala Krishnan Nayanar — Chief Minister of Kerala (1980–1981, 1987–1991, 1996–2001) and leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)
P.K. Vasudevan Nair — Former Chief Minister of Kerala and leader of the Communist Party of India
Pattom Thanu Pillai — Prime Minister of Thiru-Kochi (1948), Chief Minister of Thiru-Kochi (1954–1955) and Kerala (1960–1962)
Prakash Karat — General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)
Ramesh Chennithala — General Secretary of the All India Congress Committee
Paravur T.K Narayana Pillai — First Chief Minister of Travancore-Cochin State
Kodiyeri Balakrishnan — Kerala home minister
B. R. Nair - Former Chairman of Indian Railway Board
Paliath Achan- Former prime minister of the princely state of Kochi
P.Madhava Menon - Former Secretary Ministry of Labour and Director ILO (India)
Shankunthala Nair - ex Cabinet Minister of Uttar Pradesh
Leela Damodara Menon - Former President of the National Mahila Congress
Ramesh Chennithala - General Secratary of the AICC
K. Vasudeva Panicker - Resident AICC Secretary in New Delhi for two decades
O. Rajagopal - former BJP Vice President and General Secretary and Union Cabinet Minister
V. K. Krishna Menon- India's first Defence Minister
Paravur T. K. Narayana Pillai - First Chief Minister of Travancore-Cochin state
K.P Unnikrishnan - Former Union Cabinet Minister and Member of Congress Working Committee
O. Rajagopal - Former Union Minister of Indian Railways & BJP Leader
C. Sankaran Nair- former president of the Indian National Congress (The only Keralite to hold the post)
T.K.A. Nair- former chief secretary of Punjab currently principal secretary to the prime minister of India [24]
V P B Nair - former home minister of Andhra Pradesh
Pattom A. Thanu Pillai Freedom fighter who became the chief minister of Kerala in 1960
Thanu Pillai Pattom- State president of the congress party for 14 years socialist party chairman for 12 years

[edit] Religion

Chattambi Swamikal — Hindu spiritual guru
Swami Abhedananda — disciple of Chattambi Swamikal
Swami Chinmayananda — Hindu spiritual guru
Swami Ranganathananda — headed the Ramakrishna Mission 1988–2005
Swami Tapovan Maharaj — guru of Chinamayananda

[edit] Social Reform

Koickal Chellappan Nair- Gandhian and founder of the Gandhi Smaraka Grama Seva Kendram.
Kumbalathu Sanku Pillai - Social reformer, Travancore politician and founder of the Panmana Ashramam
C. Krishna Pillai
Mannathu Padmanabhan- Founder of the Nair Service Society
Shantiniketanam Krishnan Nair- Gandhiji's disciple and chairman of the All India Sarvodaya Sangh
P. Gopinathan Nair - Chairman of Kerala Gandhi Smaraka Nidhi

[edit] Sports

Sreeshanth — international cricketer