Great personalities of Koyikkaleth family who made us proud by their significant contributions to the society
Shri. Chembakasseril V. Sankupillai
Shri. Chembakasseril V. Sankupillai (1900-1973), was a renowned personality who engraved his signature over various fields like social reformation, freedom fight, social service, politics, etc.
Personal Life & Education
Shri. Sankupillai was born in 1900 in Kodiyatt Tharavadu, an eminent family in south Kerala. His father Kodiyattu Paramu Pillai was a member (MLC) of Shri Moolam Praja Sabha & represented the Kollam district. Sankupillai lived in Parippelil (his maternal house) house during his childhood. His early education was under the tutelage of his uncle Karalil Velupillai at Sankaramangalam high school where he completed his primary education. Many dignitaries like Kumbalath Shankupillai, Nedumpurathu Ramanpillai, Kadathikkattu Nanupillai, etc. were his childhood friends.
He graduated from SB College Changanassery and Joined Madras Law college for pursuing a Bachelor of Law (BL). He was the first graduate of Karunagapally Thaluk and was one of the rare graduates of that time. After passing FL, he got influenced by the Freedom fighters of India and joined the freedom struggle.
Shri. Sankupillai’s close association with Chattambi Swami Thiruvady led him toward spiritual enlightenment. He was an ideal Vedanta scholar. He was the chief guest in many Vedanta camps conducted across Kerala and had spoken in those camps. He married Koikkaleth Sarojini Amma (2nd Eldest daughter of Cherukara Paramu Pillai) and settled in Chempakasseril Tharavadu in Karunagapally. Shri Sankupillai remained steadfast in the path of social service till the end of his life. The life of that sacrificing and selfless Karma Yogi ended in August 1973.
Social & Political Life
Shri. Sankupillai started his social life in his early college days. The close relationship with his childhood friend Mr. Kumbalathu Shankupillai greatly influenced his public life. When Panmana Panchayat was formed, he got elected as the first panchayat president. In those days positions were awarded based on the qualifications possessed by the individual. He remained the President of Panmana panchayat till the end of his life. He led many impactful welfare activities from the front line. He established a cooperative society ‘Putethu Multipurpose Co-operative Society’ which paved the way for the development of the industrial sector of the panchayat. His initiatives like paddy storage, leather products manufacturing, paper products manufacturing, etc created job opportunities for the weaker sector.
In his lifetime Shri. Sankupillai held many dignified positions like
- Lifetime President of Panmana Panchayat
- Block Development Committee Chairman of Karunagapally Taluk
- District Development Committee Member of the Kollam district
- Member of the board of directors of the Kollam District Cooperative Bank
- Member of the board of directors of the Kollam District Agricultural Development Bank
- Governing body member of The Shastamkota Devaswom Board College
During his tenure as President of the Panayannarkav Devaswam, he founded a school and handed it over to Dewaswom. When the country was facing a severe food shortage, Shri. Sankupillai led the collection and distribution of food items like dried tapioca, rice, etc., and addressed the issue of starvation. These initiatives later inspired many panchayats to come forward to fight against the food shortage by holding hands together.
In the caste-ridden society of Kerala, he stood apart by advocating for the equal rights of all human beings and initiating reform movements. Despite several social remonstrances, he conducted an Honoring ceremony for the first Harijan graduate of Karunagapally Taluk. This gesture encouraged the community to come forward on the path of reformation.
Another notable work was the establishment of “Mahila Sangam” an organization in Kerala that worked for the welfare of women. The office building of the Sangam was functioning on the land donated by Shri. Sankupillai. This story was featured in Akasavani.
Although he was not a member of any political party, many titles had knocked on his doors owing to the high standards of qualifications accomplished in that era.
K.G Padmanabha Pillai
Prof K. G. Padmanabha Pillai was the state president of the Kerala Private College Teachers Association (KPCTA) which is one of the frontal organizations in the higher education sphere in Kerala. He served as president for 5 terms. Other roles include
- chairman of the examinations improvement committee
- professor of English at Sree Sankara College, Kalady
- member of many university bodies including the board of studies of Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam
- edited many textbooks
As the Chairman of the college teachers united front(CTUF), he brought different teachers’ organizations under one umbrella that forced the government to implement UGC scales for college teachers in Kerala.
Prof. Mevila N.Bhaskara Pillai (Viswa-Bharti University , Shantiniketan)
Prof. Mevila N.Bhaskara Pillai (1925- 2010)was the grandson of Kuthiyotta kulapathi Meenathethil Keshava Pillai. He was a freedom fighter and actively participated in the freedom struggle during his student days.
During a protest march against the then Divan Sir C. P Ramaswamy Iyer, he was brutely beaten up by the police and hospitalized. A long list of political leaders visited him at the hospital including state Congress leaders Pattom Thanu Pillai and C. Kesavan. All this happened when he was contesting for the college chairman post. He has withdrawn his candidature as he didn’t want to win the election on account of the sympathy factor. This gesture was highly lauded by the Principal, teachers, and students of the college. He was also the voluntary captain of the Congress maha sammelanam held at Muthukulam.
Prof Pillai served as a professor of social work at Rabindranath Tagore‘s Vishvabharathi University, Shantiniketan from 1959 to 1990.
Dr Radhakrishnan
Gold medalist in Bachelor of Veterinary Science. `Invented two medicines and patented them in his name. These medicines are currently marketed by GSK plc.