Aiyappan Pillai Madhavan Nair (1905–1990), also known as Nair-
san, was closely involved with
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
in the
Indian independence movement
The Indian independence movement was a series of historic events with the ultimate aim of ending British Raj, British rule in India. It lasted from 1857 to 1947.
The first nationalistic revolutionary movement for Indian independence emerged ...
at
1920s
File:1920s decade montage.png, From left, clockwise: Third Tipperary Brigade Flying Column No. 2 under Seán Hogan during the Irish War of Independence; Prohibition agents destroying barrels of alcohol in accordance to the 18th amendment, whic ...
-
1940s
File:1940s decade montage.png, Above title bar: events during World War II (1939–1945): From left to right: Troops in an LCVP landing craft approaching Omaha Beach on D-Day; Adolf Hitler visits Paris, soon after the Battle of France; The Holoca ...
.
History
Nair did his basic schooling in southern India. Nair had to leave Kerala at 18 as he led protests against some administrative steps taken by Education authorities in Travancore. At that time he had also spoken against the British.
He studied engineering in Japan at
Kyoto University
, mottoeng = Freedom of academic culture
, established =
, type = National university, Public (National)
, endowment = ¥ 316 billion (2.4 1000000000 (number), billion USD)
, faculty = 3,480 (Teaching Staff)
, administrative_staff ...
.
After a short stint as an engineer he entered India's Freedom Struggle in his own individual capacity and soon teamed up with
Rash Behari Bose
Rash Behari Bose (; 25 May 1886 – 21 January 1945) was an Indian revolutionary leader against the British Raj. He was one of the key organisers of the Ghadar Mutiny and founded the First Indian National Army during World War 2. The Indian N ...
.
When Japan joined the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, Nair helped in setting up the
Indian Independence League
The Indian Independence League (also known as IIL) was a political organisation operated from the 1920s to the 1940s to organise those living outside India into seeking the removal of British colonial rule over India. Founded by Indian national ...
in Japan under
Rash Behari Bose
Rash Behari Bose (; 25 May 1886 – 21 January 1945) was an Indian revolutionary leader against the British Raj. He was one of the key organisers of the Ghadar Mutiny and founded the First Indian National Army during World War 2. The Indian N ...
and later he and Rashbehari Bose advised Japan Government to bring Subhas Chandra Bose to Japan. When Subhas came he helped him in various ways.
In 1949, Nair founded an Indian restaurant in
Ginza
Ginza ( ; ja, 銀座 ) is a district of Chūō, Tokyo, located south of Yaesu and Kyōbashi, west of Tsukiji, east of Yūrakuchō and Uchisaiwaichō, and north of Shinbashi. It is a popular upscale shopping area of Tokyo, with numerous intern ...
, Tokyo.
He wrote his Autobiography in 1982. It is called ''An Indian freedom fighter in Japan: Memoirs of A.M. Nair'' (1982) Sole distributorship, Ashok Uma Publications
Last years
Nair was given the
Order of the Sacred Treasure
The is a Japanese order, established on 4 January 1888 by Emperor Meiji as the Order of Meiji. Originally awarded in eight classes (from 8th to 1st, in ascending order of importance), since 2003 it has been awarded in six classes, the lowest ...
(Kun zuihosho) by Emperor
Hirohito
Emperor , commonly known in English-speaking countries by his personal name , was the 124th emperor of Japan, ruling from 25 December 1926 until his death in 1989. Hirohito and his wife, Empress Kōjun, had two sons and five daughters; he was ...
in November 1984. He died on 22 April 1990.
Film
A film titled ''
Nair-san'' starring
Mohanlal
Mohanlal Viswanathan (born 21 May 1960), known mononymously as Mohanlal, is an Indian actor, film producer, playback singer, film distributor, and director who predominantly works in Malayalam cinema besides also having sporadically appeare ...
and
Jackie Chan
Fang Shilong (born 7 April 1954), known professionally in English as Jackie Chan and in Chinese as Cheng Long ( zh, c=成龍, j=Sing4 Lung4; "becoming the dragon"), is a Hong Kong actor, filmmaker, martial artist, and stuntman known for ...
has been planned based on his life, directed by
Alberrt Antoni
Alberrt Antoni is an Indian film director. His debut film as a director is critically acclaimed ''Kanne Madanguka'' (2005). He is the director of '' Nairsan'', a forthcoming Indo-Japanese historical film, based on the legendary Indian freedom fi ...
.
[ ]
Autobiography
*''An Indian freedom fighter in Japan: Memoirs of A.M. Nair'' (1982) Sole distributorship, Ashok Uma Publications
References
External links
GINZA NAIR'S RESTAURANT, founded by A. M. Nair in 1949
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nair, A. M.
1905 births
1990 deaths
Indian expatriates in Japan
Kyoto University alumni
People from Thiruvananthapuram
Indian independence activists from Kerala
Indian revolutionaries