K. P. Kesava Menon | |
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.jpg) Menon in 1937 | |
| Born | (1886-09-01)1 September 1886 |
| Died | 9 November 1978(1978-11-09) (aged 92) |
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| Spouse | Laxmi Nethyaramma |
| Children | 5 |
| Relatives | K. P. Udayabhanu (nephew) |
Kizhakke Potta Kesava Menon (1 September 1886 – 9 November 1978) was an Indian nationalist,idealist andIndian independence activist.[1][2] Menon was the founder ofMathrubhumi, a popular daily newspaper which earned the second place in circulation inKerala. In 1924, he led theVaikom Satyagraha in Travancore. He was awarded the third highest civilian honour,Padma Bhushan, by theGovernment of India in 1966.[3] He was conferred with anhonorary doctorate (D.Litt) posthumously byUniversity of Calicut in 1987.[4] He was also the secondKerala Pradesh Congress Committee president and activist of INC.
He was born in Tharoor, a village near Palakkad, in what was then Malabar District of the Madras Presidency, now the state of Kerala, as the son of Naduviledathil Bheemanachan and Meenakshi Amma. He earned graduation in Arts fromMadras University and obtained Bar-at-law fromMiddle Temple.[5]
After his education, he became the secretary of Malabar Home rule League. In 1915 he joined theIndian National Congress. He served as the secretary of the Home Rule League's Malabar branch after starting practicing in Calicut. He was a part of the Home Rule League under the leadership ofAnnie Besant which presented a memorandum to the Secretary of State in London in 1917. He also wrote a dozen of books and collections of essays. In 1919, in Madras he organised sweepers and rikshaw drivers. He was among the earliest in Kerala to argue for abolition of 'untouchability'.[6][7]
Kesava Menon established the Malayalam language newspaper,Mathrubhumi in 1923. He was its Chief Editor from the beginning till his death, except for a brief interregnum he moved out of Kerala and went to practice law in Malaysia and Singapore. There also he was actively involved in nationalist movements. His autobiography, with the Malayalm title "Kazhinya Kaalam" and the English translation, "Bygone Days" has been published by Mathrubhumi Books.
Kesava Menon married Akathethara Malikalmaladom Laxmi Nethyaramma.[7] Palakkatsseri Valiyaraja Malikalmaladom Shekhari (M.S.) Varma (the former Maharajah of Palghat) was the second of his five children (Since the first and second Rajas are residing outside India, it was the third Raja, KK Itti Pangi Achan who performed the religious duties on their behalf). The other four children are: Chellamma, Thankam, Padmini and Leela.[7] The noted Malayalam film playback singerK. P. Udayabhanu was his nephew, being the son of his sister Ammu Nethyaramma.
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