Shri M. K Raghavavan, Member of Parliament
Shri P.K. Kunhalilkutty, Member of Parliament
Prof. M.G.S. Narayanan,
Shri Abdul Samad Samadani, Ex M.P,
Shri Safa Alavi, President, CH Vichar Vedi,
Shri P Ismail, General Secretary, CH Vichar Vedi,
Shri Navas Poonoor, Managing Editor, Subrabatham Daily,
Shri Usman Koya, Vice-President, CH Vichar Vedi,
Adv Suresh Babu, Patron, CH Vichar Vedi,
Shri Kamal Varadoor, President, Press Club,
Friends in Media,
Sahodaree Sahodaranmare,
Ellaavarkkum Ente Namaskaaram.
It gives me great joy to address you after presenting the C.H. Muhammed Koya Award to Prof. M.G.S. Narayanan, one of the greatest historians of our time.
Let me at the outset, convey my appreciation for the efforts taken by C.H. Vichar Vedi in conducting programmes that reflect the values upheld by the Late Janab C.H. Muhammed Koya, who had adorned several positions including that of the Chief Minister of Kerala. I also commend the C.H.Vichar Vedi's decision to honor Prof. M.G.S Narayanan, whose contributions to the documentation and interpretation of our history have very few parallels.
A little while ago, I had attended a programme in Kozhikode, where I had mentioned about some extraordinary men and women who acquired the wealth of their knowledge more from the society than from academies of higher education. After their initial education, such extraordinary people would choose to learn from life, very valuable lessons in democracy, social justice and moral values. The Late
C.H. Muhammed Koya was one such person, who, in spite of not being enrolled in higher education, had a rare vision that led even to the establishment of a university for the Malabar region.
The mentoring he received from the Late Syed Abdur Rahman Bafaqi Thangal, his beginning as a councilor in the Kozhikode Municipality and his subsequent election to the Kerala legislature in 1957 are well known. Having received an opportunity to serve the State, he worked hard to offer his best services, first as Legislator, then as Speaker of the Legislative Assembly and as Minister for Education, Home, Tourism, Social Welfare etc. Very popular to be known simply as CH, he then went on to become the Deputy Chief Minister and finally, the Chief Minister, perhaps for the shortest span, but with a grand effect.
Kerala cannot forget his role as the Editor of Chandrika Daily through which he worked to popularize the habit of reading among the people especially the youth in the Muslim community. As a Parliamentarian, he also received an exposure to national politics, on which he had made some pertinent observations. What was remarkable about CH was what people called the C.H. touch in everything he did. A fine sense of humour always added a sparkle to the 'C H touch'. Though he passed away at a comparatively young age, we have been witnessing his humility and gentle behavior in his son, Dr. M.K. Muneer.
Undoubtedly, CH was a prominent figure who contributed in many ways to the making of modern Kerala. Educational progress was one of the most significant of his contributions and we are aware that Kerala's contemporary history owes a lot to the educational progress made by the State. Therefore, conferring an award in the name of the Late C.H. Muhammed Koya on a historian of great repute is truly an appropriate gesture. That this historian who is an authority in the history of Kerala and Malabar in particular, has been contributing to the study and teaching of history adds great value to this gesture.
I recall that I had an opportunity to share the dais with Prof. M.G.S. Narayanan a few months back, when he was honoured by the Kerala Council of Historical Research. What makes Prof. Narayanan truly special is that while he remained within a university system as one of the most respected teachers, he also earned a name outside the walls of his institution. We have seen how the insight and expertise of Prof. M.G.S. Narayanan, who is one of India's top authorities on ancient history, had benefited many of our institutions and those in Moscow, London and Tokyo. He is the only Malayali to have been the Chairman of the Indian Council for Historical Research.
As a scholar, many of Prof. Narayanan’s findings and informed interpretations have helped to establish the veracity of many events of the past and to bring to light historical episodes which had remained ignored. Honoring scholars like him would serves to remind of the significance of knowing our past and to renew our interest in the study of history. Our general concept of history also needs to be revisited, since we tend to ignore recent events in many of our texts. This may be because of a notion that an event or person qualifies to be part of history only after at least half a century. In the process, many people whose ideas helped to change the course of Kerala’s contemporary history, do not figure in our historical accounts. For instance, I have felt that the historical impact of smaller political parties in shaping the democratic fabric of Kerala has not been authentically recorded. So is the history of many institutions in our State.
We also need to consider the role our educational institutions can play in creating awareness about the importance of history. We need to begin from the school level, since the very concept of history is intertwined with myth and story in many of our school text books. Modern historical research compels us to see the unseen shades of the facts we learned and accepted as history. Thus, a student who reaches the college or university level has the task of unlearning some of the myths learned at the basic level.
Mahatma Gandhibelieved that the purpose of both history and human life should involve a search for the Truth. Today, the truths that evolve from the searches made by scholars may not tally with the beliefs that were seen as facts. The politically prejudiced responses to certain historical findings and evidences also point to a comfort zone offered by myths that passed off for history. I hope researchers like Prof Narayanan and his disciples would make efforts to expose more of such myths.
I once again congratulate Prof. M.G.S. Narayanan on being selected for this Award and hope that he continues his work in all earnestness.
I also compliment the organizers for conducting this function in a befitting manner.
Ellavarkkum Ente Aashamsakal
Nanni
Jai Hind
