WinifredMontero at 14:47, 10 May 2025

2025-05-10T14:47:17Z

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{{Short description|Indian politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2015}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2015}}
{{more footnotes needed|date=November 2010}}

{{Infobox officeholder
| name = M. N. Govindan Nair
| image =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1910|12|10}}
| birth_place = [[Pandalam, Pathanamthitta, Kerala]], India
| residence =
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1984|11|27|1910|12|10|df=y}}
| death_place =
| office = Member of parliament for [[Thiruvananthapuram (Lok Sabha constituency)|Thiruvananthapuram]]
| term_start = 1977
| term_end = 1979
| predecessor =
[[V. K. Krishna Menon]]
| successor = [[Neelalohithadasan Nadar]]
| constituency =
| office1 = Minister for Transport & Electricity
| term_start1 = 25 September 1971
| term_end1 = 25 March 1977
| predecessor1 = [[K. M. George (politician)|K. M. George]]
| successor1 = [[P. K. Vasudevan Nair]]

| office2 = Minister for Agriculture & Electricity
| term_start2 = 6 March 1967
| term_end2 = 21 October 1969
| predecessor2 = [[E. P. Poulose]]
| successor2 = O. Koran

| office3 = Member of the [[Kerala Legislative Assembly]]
| term_start3 = 1970
| term_end3 = 1977
| predecessor3 = D. D. Potti
| successor3 = [[E. Chandrasekharan Nair]]
| constituency3 = [[Chadayamangalam (State Assembly constituency)|Chadayamangalam]]

| term_start4 = 1967
| term_end4 = 1970
| constituency4 = [[Punalur (State Assembly constituency)|Punalur]]
| predecessor4 = K. Krishna Pillai
| successor4 = K. Krishna Pillai

| office5 = [[Member of Parliament]] of [[Rajya Sabha]]
| term_start5 = 1962
| term_end5 = 1967
| predecessor5 =
| successor5 =
| constituency5 = [[Kerala]]
| office6 = Secretary of the [[Communist Party of India]], Kerala State Council
| term_start6 = 1970
| term_end6 = 1971
| predecessor6 = [[S. Kumaran]]
| successor6 = [[N. E. Balaram]]
| term_start7 = 1956
| term_end7 = 1959
| predecessor7 = [[C. Achutha Menon]]
| successor7 = [[E. M. S. Namboodiripad]]

| office8 = Member of [[Travancore-Cochin]] Legislative Assembly
| term_start8 = 1952
| term_end8 = 1954
| party = [[Communist Party of India]]
| spouse = Devaki
| children = 1 Son, 1 Daughter
| footnotes =
| date =
| year =
| source = http://www.niyamasabha.org/codes/members/m206.htm
}}
'''M. N. Govindan Nair''' (10 December 1910 – 27 November 1984), popularly known as '''MN''', was an Indian communist politician born in [[Pandalam]], in [[Pathanamthitta district]], India. He is known as '''''"Kerala [[Nikita Khrushchev|Khrushchev]]"'''''.

==Political life==
[[File:MN_Govindan_Nair_Statue_Pattom_2021_April.jpg|thumb|Statue in Pattom, Thiruvananthapuram]]

M.N. began his public life by involving himself in anti-caste struggles taking place in the locality. He was also associated with [[Nair Service Society]] in his early days.

M.N's political life got a fillip when he visited [[Sevagram|Wardha]], and met with many national leaders including [[Jawaharlal Nehru]]. Later he joined the communist movement in Kerala. He was one of the foremost leaders of the [[Communist Party of India]] (CPI).

He was the General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (CPI), and it was under his secretaryship that [[Communist Party of India|CPI]] came to power in the 1957 General Elections in [[Kerala]] which made the path for the [[E.M.S. Namboothiripad]] Ministry of 1957–1959. In [[1964 split in the Communist Party of India|1964 when Communist Party split]] he remained in the CPI. He was [[Member of Parliament]], and served as the Minister of Kerala. He was elected to the [[Kerala Legislative Assembly]] in the [[General Elections]] of 1967 from [[Punalur]] Constituency and re-elected to the Assembly from [[Chadayamangalam (Assembly constituency)|Chadayamangalam Constituency]] in 1971 General Election. He undertook portfolios like [[Minister of Agriculture|Minister for Agriculture]], Transport, Electricity and Housing in the Fourth [[Kerala Legislative Assembly]] in the [[C. Achutha Menon]] Government from 4 October 1970 to 25 March 1977.

== Major policies ==
He was instrumental in pushing lot of radical and progressive policies and legislations in Kerala.

M.N. was responsible for launching the '<nowiki/>''Laksham Veedu''' or One Lakh housing scheme project in 1972, aimed at providing housing for the under privileged. In his respect, the scheme is now named after him.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Assary |first=Gilveser |date=2016-12-25 |title=2016 Year of Change: House for all |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/in-other-news/251216/2016-year-of-change-house-for-all.html |access-date=2022-05-02 |website=Deccan Chronicle |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web| title=Synopsis of the thesis entitled: empowerment and development in the Laksham Veedu colonies of Kerala: a case study of Kottayam district | url=https://shodhgangotri.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/123456789/5192/2/2_synopsis.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210208103151/https://shodhgangotri.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/123456789/5192/2/2_synopsis.pdf | archive-date=2021-02-08}}</ref>

While being part of [[United Front (1970–1979, Kerala)]] he pushed legislations like ''Kerala Private Forests (Vesting and Assignment) Act, 1971'' which nationalised [[private forest]] in [[Malabar District|Malabar region]], Kerala Land Reforms (Amendment) Act, 1969 etc.<ref>{{Cite news |author=Staff Reporter |date=2010-12-17 |title=M.N. Govindan Nair remembered |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/M.N.-Govindan-Nair-remembered/article15596840.ece |access-date=2022-05-02 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{refbegin}}
*{{cite web |url=http://www.firstministry.kerala.gov.in/kerala_educationbill/pro_bill_procession.htm |title=Kerala's First Government : Pro-Bill Procession. Trivandrum, August 28. |publisher=Information and Public Relations department of Kerala |date= |accessdate=2010-12-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110423162632/http://www.firstministry.kerala.gov.in/kerala_educationbill/pro_bill_procession.htm |archive-date=23 April 2011 |url-status=dead }}
*{{cite web|url=http://www.prd.kerala.gov.in/ministers49_first.htm |title=Ministries Since 1957 (After the formation of Kerala State) |publisher=Information and Public Relations department of Kerala |accessdate=2010-12-04 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100108020129/http://www.prd.kerala.gov.in/ministers49_first.htm |archivedate=8 January 2010 }}
*{{cite web |url=http://niyamasabha.org/codes/mem_1_4.htm |title=Members of Previous Assembly > Fourth Kerala Legislative Assembly (1970 - 1977) |publisher=Kerala Legislature |date= |accessdate=2010-12-04}}
{{refend}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nair, M.N. Govindan}}
[[Category:1910 births]]
[[Category:1984 deaths]]
[[Category:Communist Party of India politicians from Kerala]]
[[Category:People from Pathanamthitta district]]
[[Category:India MPs 1977–1979]]
[[Category:Lok Sabha members from Kerala]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award]]
[[Category:Indian independence activists from Kerala]]
[[Category:Government Law College, Thiruvananthapuram alumni]]
[[Category:Prisoners and detainees of British India]]

M. N. Govindan Nair - Revision history

WinifredMontero at 14:47, 10 May 2025