IMPORTANT PERSONALITIES

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

CHANDRASEKHAR,RAJEEV
Father: M. K. Chandrasekhar,Retired Air Commodore of the Indian Air Force.
Mother: Shrimati Valli Chandrasekhar (Anandavalli Amma)

Rajeev Chandrasekhar Menon is an Indian political leader and technology expert born on May 31, 1964, in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, residing in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. A member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), he serves as the State President of the BJP in Kerala. He has held numerous national public offices, including Union Minister of State for various portfolios and a three-term Rajya Sabha MP for Karnataka. His education includes a Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering from Manipal Institute of Technology, a Master’s in Computer Science from Illinois Institute of Technology, and an Advanced Management Program from Harvard University. Before his political career, he worked at Intel and founded BPL Mobile Communications and Jupiter Capital. His policy interests cover digital governance, cybersecurity, startup development, and citizen rights. He is also active in social causes, supporting military families and promoting civic engagement in Bengaluru.
Spouse: Anju Chandrasekhar
Children: Two (a son and a daughter)

E.CHANDRASEKHARAN NAIR
Born on 2nd December 1928
Father: E.Easwara Pillai
E. Chandrasekharan Nair, one of the senior most leaders of CPI, Minister of Kerala, Lawyer, author and a strong advocate of co-operative movement. Having entered active politics at a young age, he had joined Students Congress while at Annamalai University, then joined Indian Socialist Party (ISP) and subsequently the Communist Party in 1952. He was an advocate and practiced till 1970. Chandrasekharan Nair elected to the Kerala Legislative Assembly for 6 times and served as the Minister for Food, Civil Supplies, Housing, Law, Animal Husbandry & Dairy Development, and Tourism etc. "Maveli Stores", established with a view to make essential commodities available at fair price to the people is one of his unique initiatives. He was the President of Kollam District Co-operative Bank for more than 29 years and had the rare opportunity of getting elected as the Chairman of All India State Co-operative Bank Federation and the Vice-President of National Co-operative Union and member of the Central Committee of the International Co-operative Alliance and member of Agriculture Credit Board of RBI. He had written books such as Kerala Vikasana Mathrukayum Prathisandiyum Parihara Margangalum, Hindu Matham Hinduthwam, Chithariya Ormakal, and Marakatha Ormakal. The book on Hinduism won him the Kerala Sahitya Akademi award. He won R. Sankara Narayanan Thampi award for best Parliamentarian instituted by the Kerala Legislative Assembly. He passed away on 29 November 2017

 




CHANDU MENON.O.

Born on January 9, 1817 at Thalassery. Father: Chandu Nair. Mother: Chittezhath Parvathy Amma. Full Name is Oyyarathu Chandu Menon. O.Chandu Menon is the founder of Malayalam novel cult. He was the author of the Malayalam novel "Indu Lekha", which is termed as the first of its kind having specific standards. Indulekha was a strong critique of the existing social situation of the time. Through the novel, he criticised the conservatism of Namboothiri community, the feudal system and the Sambandham system of marriage, which was prevailing at that time. The second novel of Chandu Menon, Sarada, published in 1892, was an incomplete one due to his death, which was completed by several other authors. He was the Sub Judge of Malabar. He passed away on 7th September 1899.




CHEMBAI VAIDYANATHA BHAGAVATHAR

Born in 1895 at Chembai village near Palakkad town. Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar was the king who ruled the kingdom of music for about 70 long years without any rival. Chembai was a genius and an authority of Carnatic music. Several musicians like veteran playback singer Sri. K.J. Yesudas are his disciples. He was the President of Madras Music Academy for several years. Chembai was an ardent devotee of Guruvayoorappan (Lord Sri Krishna of Guruvayoor temple). One day while he was performing a music concert at Guruvayur he developed certain problems to his voice and he could not continue the concert. Chembai then decided to spend the rest of his life in front of Guruvayuoorappan and he started his silent meditation at Guruvayoor. Vaidyamatom Namboothiri, a famous ayruveda physician who accidentally met Chembai at Guruvayoor, treated and recovered from his illness. Chembai believed that it was none other than the Lord Guruvayoorappan who sent Vaidyamatom Namboothiri to him. Chembai, who regained his voice conducted musical concert in front of Guruvayoorappan. Still Chembai Musical Concert is being conducted at Guruvayoor at Ekadashy. He departed us in October 1974.

 

CHEMBAKARAMAN PILLAI (Dr.)
Born on September 15, 1891. Father: Chinnaswamy Pillai. Mother:Nagammal.

He was a revolutionary who fought for India's independence. Inspired by the national movement during his high school years, he left India with the help of a German spy and went to Italy. There, he continued his education and earned a Ph.D. in Politics and Economics. Pillai founded the International Pro-Indian Committee to oppose British rule. During World War I, he joined the German Navy and served as the Vice-Captain of the submarine Emden, which was feared by the Allied forces. He also established a temporary Indian Government in Kabul with Raja Mahendra Singh as President. In 1919, he formed the League of Oppressed Nations.

After the war, he sought to improve relations between India and Germany. Pillai had a close friendship with Adolf Hitler, but their relationship later soured. It is believed that the Nazis administered slow poison to him, leading to his death in a Prussian hospital on May 20, 1934. With the onset of World War I in 1914, Pillai intensified his efforts against British colonial rule. He founded the International Pro-India Committee in Zurich in September 1914 and later became involved with the Berlin Committee (Deutscher Indischer Ausschuss), which coordinated Indian revolutionary activities in Europe with German support. He participated in the broader Hindu-German Conspiracy during World War I, which aimed to weaken British authority in India through international alliances and revolutionary planning. In 1915, he served as Foreign Minister in the Provisional Government of India established in Kabul under Raja Mahendra Pratap, representing Indian nationalist interests abroad. Chembakaraman Pillai is widely credited with coining the patriotic slogan "Jai Hind" (meaning "Victory to India") around 1907. The phrase was later adopted as the official greeting and battle cry of the Indian National Army under Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and became a lasting national slogan of independent India. In his personal life, he married Lakshmi Bai from Manipur in 1931 and continued to live in Berlin, Germany, maintaining connections with Indian nationalists in Europe.

Pillai passed away on May 26, 1934, in Berlin, Germany. Two decades later, his ashes were brought to India and immersed at Cape Comorin.

 



CHERUSSERY

Cherussery Namboothiiri is believed to have been lived between 1375 and 1475 AD. He was born in Kaanathoor village in Kolathunadu in Kannur District. Cherussery is the name of his ancestral home. Historians believe that he is the Punathil Sankaran Namboothiri. It is believed that Cherussry was a court poet of Udayavarma Raja of Kolathunadu. His masterpiece is Krishna Gadha. Cherussery is the designer of the Gaadha style of poetry in Malayalam. Krishna Gadha is the first Mahaakaavyam of Malayalam. Krishna Gadha is also considered as a landmark in the development of Malayalam literature. Krishna Gatha, describes the story of Lord Krishna based on the Srimad Bhaagavatham. Cherussry was inspired by a lullaby sung by a mother and he followed the same pattern for the composition of Krishna Gadha. Some scholars opined that he also wrote Cherussery Bhaaratham.





CHINNAMMA.K.


Born in Dhanu 1059 (ME). Father: Velayudahan Pillai. Mother: Kalyani Amma. A devoted mother who spent her days for the welfare of the society, for the uplift of women and provide shelter to the poor. She rendered selfless sacrifices for the freedom of women and for their educational progress. She was the Assistant Inspector for Schools. It was she who established the Mahilamandiram at Thiruvananthapuram. She passed away on 12 Midhunam 1106 (ME) (1931).


CHITHRA.K.S.

Born on July 27, 1963 at Thiruvananthapuram. Father: Krishnan Nair. Mother: Santhakumari. K.S. Chitra is the one and only play back singer who has emerged as the beloved of the whole South India. She has also made successful ventures into Hindi films. Veteren Music Director (Late) Sri. M G Radhakrishman introduced Chitra to Malayalam film music field. She had sung and recorded more than 12000 songs in various languages, more than 4000 non-film songs and released a few pop albums. She won many state and Central awards for the best female play back singer. Government of India awarded her Padmasree and she happens to be the first South Indian female singer being conferred Padmasree. She also won Kalaimani title from the Tamil Nadu Government. She also won National Excellenc Award of Limca Book of Records, IMMIES award and Film Fare award. She performed concert programmes all over India and many foreign countries. She is the first Indian singer who performed concert in the British Parliament (House of Commons).