Cultural activist Krishnan Nair felicitated

Thrissur: People from various walks of life gathered at a function held here on Sunday to felicitate noted writer, cultural activist, orator and teacher Prof P V Krishnan Nair, on his 80th birthday.Prof Nair, who taught at Sree Kerala Varma College and Kalady Sree Sankara University, was the secretary of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi and Sangeetha Nataka Akademi.Prof Nair, who is among the few surviving intellectual disciples of eminent thinker and writer late M Govindan, has also carved a space for himself in the literary field as a critic, translator and editor. Sukumar Azhikode, Prof M K Sanu and M Leelavathy have also influenced his intellectual growth.Those who gathered to facilitate him were indicative of the wide range of friendships he has been able to maintain. They included Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala, ministers K Rajan, K Radhakrishnan and R Bindu, BJP leader Gopalakrishnan, former minister K P Rajendran, writers Satchidanandan, M N Karassery, Thomas Mathew, KC Narayan, Karivellur Murali, and educationist P Chithran Namboothirippad.Thrissur archbishop and KCBC president Mar Andrews Thazhath released the book Sree Ramakrishna Paramahamsa translated by Prof Nair. The vice chancellor of the Kerala University of Health Sciences Dr Mohanan Kunnummal received a copy of the book Aatmeeyathayude Adiverukal from T N Prathapan, MP, while writer N Rajan received the copy of Bharatheeya Sahithya Chinthayude Adiverukal’ from Karassery. Minister Bindu released a collection of articles on Prof Nair by giving a copy to former Speaker Therambil Ramakrishnan.Chennithala described Prof Nair as a ‘souhridangalude thampuran’, while Satchidanandan said the teaching model that Nair internalised has been a guiding principle throughout his life.Bindu said she has seen very few people who interact with others with utmost humility even despite the high level of scholarships they have achieved.