Specific Information Service
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The household of former Malayali diplomat Kokkat Sankara Pillai who was shot lifeless contained in the Indian Excessive Fee in Ottawa, Canada, in 1961 by a mentally deranged individual is lastly getting a form of justice. On his sixtieth dying anniversary falling on April 19, the Indian authorities will probably be naming the Chancery Ready Corridor of the Indian Excessive Fee as ‘Pillai Memorial Corridor’. It can additionally show a plaque offering a short quotation on the then 39-year-old diplomat who did the supreme sacrifice for the nation. A tree may also be planted on the chancery premises in his reminiscence.
The relations of the previous diplomat determined to carry a remembrance day in Kerala on the sixtieth 12 months of his demise. A WhatsApp household group noticed Shalini Pradeep, one of many nieces of the slain diplomat, urging the relations to share their reminiscences of him. Sankara Pillai’s daughter, Radha Nair, who’s in her mid-70s, informed TNIE that amongst those that wrote tributes about her father included former diplomat T P Srinivasan, who was, actually, motivated to take up the international service solely resulting from Sankara Pillai.
“If not for TPS, rekindling my father’s reminiscences wouldn’t have occurred. He took up the difficulty earlier than the authorities. We’re massively indebted to him and in addition the Central authorities for planning to call the Chancery Ready Corridor in reminiscence of my father, organising a plaque, planting a tree and in addition holding a webinar on April 19,” stated Radha, a resident of Jawahar Nagar in Thiruvananthapuram. She stated her father was the “first martyr of the Indian Overseas Service”.
Although it’s nearly six a long time for the reason that incident occurred, the reminiscences are nonetheless vivid for Radha. She remembers that the incident precipitated a short-lived furore in India which noticed the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru informing Parliament that Sankara Pillai had left behind a seven-month-pregnant spouse and two younger kids, aged 15 and 5.
“We by no means approached the federal government for any particular consideration although he was killed within the line of responsibility. Nor did anybody volunteer to take up the matter at greater ranges till now. My brothers Krishnan, Sankara and I lastly really feel that justice has been achieved to our father’s reminiscence,” she added.
