NSS celebrates Mannam Jayanthi with pomp and deference

KOTTAYAM: An air of deference filled Perunna on Thursday, the birth anniversary of eminent social reformer Mannathu Padmanabhan. The Mannam Jayanti conference on Thursday was a show of strength of the Nair Service Society as thousands participated in the event.

Since morning, a beeline of community members and prominent people from political, social and cultural fields walked to the NSS headquarters in Perunna. Thousands participated in the hour-long floral offering. NSS General Secretary G. Sukumaran Nair, who described Mannath's social interventions in the subsequent conference, also cleared the air over the NSS stand on male devotees compelled to enter temple shrines without shirts.

The NSS General Secretary also sang paeans to former opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala. When his turn came up, Ramesh Chennithala returned the favour with high praise for G Sukumaran Nair. Chennithala praised the leadership of NSS and shared his pride in being able to participate in the function. Highlighting Mannam's contribution to the nation as a social reformer, Chennithala also recalled the vital role played by Sree Narayana Guru and TK Madhavan in Vaikom Satyagraha.

MPs Kodikunnil Suresh, MK Raghavan, NK Premachandran, Anto Antony, Jose K Mani, Dean Kuriakos, Govt Chief Whip Dr N. Jayaraj, MLA Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, P.C.Vishnu Nath, T. Siddique, and BJP leaders K. Surendran, PK Krishnadas, Kummanam Rajasekharan, AN Radhakrishnan, B. Radhakrishna Menon and others participated in the function.