West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose criticized the leadership of the Nair Service Society (NSS) in Kerala for allegedly preventing him from offering floral tributes at the Mannam Samadhi, the memorial of NSS founder Mannathu Padmanabhan, a few years ago. Bose, a former IAS officer from Kerala, raised concerns at an event in New Delhi, questioning if the community’s legacy had become the “monopoly” of a single individual. He expressed disappointment over an incident during a visit to the NSS headquarters in Changanassery’s Perunna in southern Kerala.
The Governor, identifying himself as a “Karayogam Nair,” emphasized that the Mannam Samadhi belongs to the entire community and not to any specific leader. He criticized the current administration of the NSS, stating, “I do not go to Perunna to meet gatekeepers.” The incident reportedly occurred in November 2022 when Bose visited the Mannam Samadhi before assuming office as the West Bengal Governor, with NSS general secretary G. Sukumaran Nair expressing unawareness of the incident.
Bose highlighted the “negligence” and “disrespect” he faced before assuming his constitutional office, describing the events at Perunna as “saddening” and contrary to the organization’s values. In a symbolic move challenging the Perunna-based leadership, Governor Bose announced plans to establish a memorial for Mannathu Padmanabhan in New Delhi, pledging to donate one month of his official salary to initiate the project. He emphasized the global celebration of Mannam’s legacy and the recognition of his social reform contributions at a higher level through a memorial in the national capital.
The NSS in Kerala, which claims to maintain an equal distance from all political parties, is often perceived as leaning towards the Congress. The public confrontation between the Bengal Governor and the NSS leadership signifies a rare clash involving a high-ranking constitutional dignitary and one of Kerala’s influential community organizations.
