A. M. Nair

Ayappanpillai Madhavan Nair (1905 - 1990), also known as Nairsan, was a youth leader, technocrat, linguist, a freedom fighter, colonial Britain’s bête noire, advisor to the Indian diplomatic mission in Tokyo and eventually a business entrepreneur.

In recognition of his dedicated and sustained contribution to the strengthening of friendly and cordial relations between India and Japan, Nair was awarded the exalted decoration of the Order of the Sacred Treasure (Kun zuihosho) by emperor Hirohito in November 1984.

History

He did his basic schooling in Kerala. Nair had to leave his native land Kerala at the age of 18 as he campaigned among the students and led protests and marches against the social injustices of the British. He did his engineering in Japan from the Kyoto University.

After a short stint as an engineer he entered into Japanese politics in which he functioned sometime as a ronin. With this position he did not make any money but he got high influence.

Waging a most hazardous one-man crusade against the wool trade from Mongolia and Tibet to England, he successfully stopped the shipment of the goods to Manchester and Lancashire. During his Mongolian adventures which took him to regions some of which no other Indian has ever visited, he assumed many secret identities - a living Buddha, a camel caravan expert and a Muslim priest among them.

When Japan entered the Second World War, Nairsan joined the Indian Independence league in Japan and the south East Asian countries under the leadership of Rash Behari Bose. His fluency in Japanese, Chinese and Spanish languages lifted him above all other Indian freedom fighters in Japan such as Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Rash Behari Bose, Pratap Singh, Maulavi Barkatullah, etc.

In their forthright approach these memoirs constitute a valuable contribution to the history of India’s freedom struggle abroad.

1964 Japan Olympics

It was a thrilling moment for India when Indian Hockey Team won the Gold medal at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. But when the National anthem was being played at the medal distribution ceremony one among the crowd began shouting at the Japanese Government only because of the fact that instead of India’s National Anthem the authorities played Pakistani National Anthem. Even though there were many officials and great personalities from India who were witnessing the incident none raised their voice other than this great Indian.

Movie

A movie of A.M. Nair will be made in 2009 in Japanese. The movie is called Nairsan, with Malayalam Superstar Mohanlal doing the lead role as Nairsan and Action Hero Jackie Chan as the helper of Nairsan.

Facts

* A film will be made on him by the name of Nairsan in which Mohanlal will play the lead role.