Mannathu Padmanabhan was a social reformer and freedom fighter from the state of Kerala, India. He was one of the most influential leaders of the Nair community, and is considered to be the architect of modern Kerala through his numerous social and cultural reforms. He is the founder of Nair Service Society (NSS), an organization that works towards the upliftment of the Nair community and also to provide social services.
Padmanabhan was born in 1878 in the village of Perunna in the present-day state of Kerala. He was educated at the Travancore Maharaja’s College and the Trivandrum Law College, where he became involved in the Indian independence movement. He was arrested multiple times for his participation in the freedom struggle, and was also a close associate of leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru.
Padmanabhan is best known for his work with the Nair Service Society, which he founded in 1914. The organization works to improve the educational, social and economic status of the Nair community, and also undertakes various social service activities. He also successfully campaigned for the abolition of the matrilineal system and implemented progressive social reforms in the Nair community. He passed away in 1970 and is remembered as a pioneering leader who significantly contributed to the progress of Kerala.
