2402:3A80:90D:C706:0:5A:ED16:7F01 at 09:37, 17 November 2021

2021-11-17T09:37:35Z

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{{Short description|Indian politician}}
[[File:C Krishnan Nair.png|thumb|C Krishnan Nair during the 1950s]]
'''C Krishnan Nair''' (1902–1986) was an Indian politician of the [[Indian National Congress]], an Indian Independence activist, a [[Gandhism|Gandhian]] who participated in the [[Salt March]] of 1930 and a [[Member of the Indian Parliament]] of the First and Second Lok Sabha. He was popularly known as Delhi Gandhi or Nairji.<ref name="powerpolitics_feb2019"/><ref name="2nd_loksabha_members"/>

== Early life and political career ==

Krishnan Nair was born in 1902 at [[Neyyattinkara]] in Travancore state of British India (present day [[Kerala]] state) as the son of Shri Padmanathan. He received his elementary education at Neyyattinkara High School and [[SMV High School, Thiruvananthapuram|Sri Moola Vilasam High School, Trivandrum]].
He also received further education at Jamia Milla Islamia, Aligarh and Delhi.<ref name="2nd_loksabha_members"/>

After giving up his studies, he joined the Independence movement led by [[Mahatma Gandhi]].
He had also worked as a teacher at the [[Indraprastha Gurukul]], [[Faridabad]] and as a clerk at the Lakshmi Insurance Company.
During 1928 to 1930, he was a member of the Satyagraha Ashram at [[Sabarmati]].
In 1930, Krishnan Nair was selected as a member of the first batch of 90 volunteers for the Dandi March, that later came to be known as the Salt Satyagraha of 1930.
After the Dandi March, he stayed at the [[Sevagram|Wardha ashram]](later renamed as Sevagram).
In 1942, he participated in the [[Quit India Movement|Quit India]] movement.
Since 1943, he served as the Vice-President and Chief Public Relations Officer of the [[Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee]] (DPCC) and as its President in 1952. <ref name="2nd_loksabha_members">{{cite web |title=Second Lok Sabha, Members Bioprofile |url=http://loksabhaph.nic.in/writereaddata/biodata_1_12/881.htm |website=loksabhaph.nic.in |publisher=Lok Sabha |accessdate=17 March 2020}}</ref><ref name="powerpolitics_feb2019">{{cite journal |last1=S |first1=Sivadas |title=How we have forgotten Nairji ! |website=www.powerpolitics.in |date=February 2019 |issue=February 2019 |page=71 |url=http://www.powerpolitics.in/Issues/Feb2019/page71.php |accessdate=17 March 2020}}</ref><ref name="ajp_indian_currents_2017"/> <ref name="jstor_1971">{{cite journal |last1=Saini |first1=Mahender Kumar |last2=Andersen |first2=Walter |title=The Congress Split in Delhi: The Effect of Factionalism on Organizational Performance and System Level Interactions |journal=Asian Survey |date=1971 |volume=11 |issue=11 |pages=1084–1100 |doi=10.2307/2642891 |jstor=2642891 |issn=0004-4687}}</ref>

In 1952, when [[Delhi]] became a [[Part C State]] of India, Prime Minister [[Jawaharlal Nehru]] invited Krishnan Nair to become the first [[List of chief ministers of Delhi|Chief Minister of Delhi]] as he was the senior leader of DPCC.
However, he refused and instead proposed the young leader [[Brahm_Prakash_(politician)|Chaudhary Brahm Prakash]], who was only 34 years old at the time, to become the first chief minister of Delhi.
<ref name="2nd_loksabha_members"/> <ref name="loksabha_members_list">{{cite web |title=Members : Lok Sabha |url=https://loksabha.nic.in/Members/lokaralpha.aspx?lsno=1&search=N |website=loksabha.nic.in |accessdate=17 March 2020}}</ref><ref name="outlook_2020_jan">{{Cite news |last=Shukla |first=Vivek |url=https://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/only-one-bengali-one-malayali-elected-to-assembly--delhi-partial-to-north-indians-comment/1719771 |title=Only one Bengali, one Malayali elected to assembly -- Delhi partial to north Indians (Comment) |date=28 Jan 2020 |work=Outlook India |access-date=2020-03-17}}</ref> <ref name="ajp_indian_currents_2017"/> <ref name="powerpolitics_feb2019"/>

In [[History of the Republic of India|independent India]], he served as the Member of Parliament (MP) representing [[Outer_Delhi_(Lok_Sabha_constituency)|Outer Delhi constituency]] in the [[1st_Lok_Sabha|First]] and [[2nd_Lok_Sabha|Second]] Lok Sabha. During his two terms as MP, he was instrumental in setting up the Delhi Development Authority, and was an active member of various working committees such as for the Delhi Municipal Corporation Bill of 1957 and the Delhi Master Plan 1962. <ref name="1957_delhi_mun_corp_bill">{{cite book |title=Consideration and passage of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Bill, 1957 by Parliament curing November-December, 1957 Session |date=1957 |publisher=National Archives of India |url=https://www.abhilekh-patal.in/jspui/handle/123456789/2748752 |accessdate=17 March 2020 |ref=national_archive_1957_delhi}}</ref><ref name="delhi_master_plan_1962">{{cite book |last1=Authority |first1=Delhi Development |title=Master Plan for Delhi |date=1 Sep 1962 |publisher=Delhi Development Authority |url=https://www.rgplan.org/delhi/MASTER-PLAN-FOR-DELHI_1962.pdf |accessdate=17 March 2020}}</ref><ref name="private_papers_cknair_archives">{{cite book |last1=Education |first1=Ministry of |title=C.K.Nair Papers:- Diary of one of the 78 Satyagrahi participated in the historical march of Gandhiji from Sabarmati to Dandi in 1930 (in microfilm) |date=1957 |publisher=National Archives of India |url=http://nationalarchives.nic.in/content/private-papers-0}}</ref>

When the Delhi legislative assembly was abolished in 1956 as per recommendations of the State Reorganisation Commission (SRC), he joined other key personalities of Delhi in strongly criticising the SRC. As the SRC effectively suggested to reduce the autonomy of the national capital to the level of a Municipal Corporation, he expressed his disappointment thus:
“But what we expected is a fair deal for Delhi just as every Part C State was added to Part A State, which means greater advantage and greater freedom for people of those areas. It is not so with regard to Delhi.” <ref name="orf_delhi_article_2018">{{cite web |last1=Sahoo |first1=Niranjan |title=Statehood for Delhi: Chasing a Chimera |url=https://www.orfonline.org/research/41571-statehood-for-delhi-chasing-a-chimera/ |website=ORF |publisher=Observer Research Foundation |accessdate=17 March 2020 |date=15 June 2018}}</ref>

As a senior Congress leader, he also mentored juniors such as [[Prem Singh (Delhi politician)|Prem Singh]] who rose to take up important roles both in the party and government. <ref name="ht_prem_singh_interview_2008">{{Cite web|title=Ch Prem Singh: Congress (Ambedkar Nagar) - Hindustan Times|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/newdelhi/ch-prem-singh-congress-ambedkar-nagar/article1-348330.aspx|date=2008-10-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131223034106/http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/newdelhi/ch-prem-singh-congress-ambedkar-nagar/article1-348330.aspx|access-date=2020-05-26|url-status=dead|archive-date=2013-12-23}}</ref>

During his active political life in Delhi, he mostly lived in the Gandhi Ashram and the Narela area. <ref name="powerpolitics_feb2019"/>

== Death and legacy ==

Krishnan Nair died  at RK Puram, New Delhi.<ref name="ajp_indian_currents_2017">{{cite journal |last1=Philip |first1=A.J. |title=Madrasi Syndrome |journal=Indian Currents (WWW.indiancurrents.org) |date=1 May 2017 |volume=XXIX |issue=18 |url=https://www.indiancurrents.org/detailedarticle.php?d=1578}}</ref>

The C.K. Nair Public School near Gandhi Ashram Road in Narela, Delhi is named after C. Krishnan Nair and was established in 1997.

== References ==
{{reflist|2}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nair, C. Krishnan}}
[[Category:Gandhians]]

[[Category:Indian_independence_activists_from_Delhi]]
[[Category:1902 births]]
[[Category:Year of death missing]]

C. Krishnan Nair - Revision history

2402:3A80:90D:C706:0:5A:ED16:7F01 at 09:37, 17 November 2021