SABARIMALA: Sabarimala pilgrims can rest assured about their safety. A total of 250 CRPF men are under a veteran leader who has proved his skill in combating Maoists in Dantewada. Madhu G. Nair, the deputy commandant of Rapid Action Force (RAF) at Sabarimala, was also the security officer of several prominent personalities including former Tamil Nadu chief minister J. Jayalalithaa and is a winner of three bravery awards from the President of India. “In Sabarimala, there still exists a security threat and we are always vigilant. Unlike previous years, an additional company of RAF men was deployed in the area,” Mr M.G. Nair said.
The RAF jawans were given assignments to cover strategic points in Sannidhanam and Pamba, as directed by M.G. Nair. “The team is vigilant and prepared to face any emergency. We assist the Kerala police manage a huge crowd at Sabarimala,” he added. The team at Sabarimala consists of two companies of 105 RAF, the Coimbatore battalion. Madhu G. Nair, 46, joined CRPF in 1993 and served as black cat commando during 1995-2002. He has also worked as Special Protection Group (SPG) commando for former prime ministers A.B. Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh.
He bagged the Parakram Puraskar, 8 director generals’ recognitions, and 7 internal security awards. “My major achievement is the Maoist operations in Dantewada where I encountered Maoists more than 70 times and killed 21 of them. I also led the special action team in joint coordination of CRPF and Chhattisgarh police to fight Maoists,” Mr Nair said. Mr Nair hails from ‘Sabarikkal’ at Kattanam in Nooranadu. His family consists of wife Biji M. Nair, children Kannan and Priya. “I find it as a blessing to do my duty at Sabari-mala,” Mr Nair says.
