Thiruvananthapuram: The land now in possession of Kerala Law Academy Law College has a history that can be traced back to freedom fighter and former finance minister of Travancore-Cochin State P. S. Nataraja Pillai and his scholar father Manonmaniam P. Sundaram Pillai. Prof Sundaram Pillai, who taught at the Maharajah’s College here, was known as Manonmaniam Sundaranar after his play in Tamil and the M. S. University of Thirunelveli carries his name. He owned 11.49 acres of land which was transferred his son after his death aged 42 and later confiscated by the Travancore state for his involvement in the freedom struggle.
Though Mr Nataraja Pillai was offered back the land while he was part of the Pattom Thanu Pillai Ministry of 1954-55, he refused to accept it. He even donated the nearby Sundara Vilasam School started in memory of his late father, which is now known as P. S. Nataraja Pillai Memorial Boys Higher Secondary School. The land was given on lease to the Kerala Law Academy in 1968 for three years. It was extended for 30 years in 1976 before finally being assigned to the trust which ran the law college in 1985 by UDF Government headed by K. Karunakaran.
Though Mr Pillai was born in a very wealthy background and his father owned the Harvey Bungalow, a palatial building in Peroorkada, he died in a rented house while still serving as a Parliament member in 1966. Before being elected to the Parliament as an independent member in 1962, he was a member of the Constituent Assembly of 1949 representing Travancore-Cochin State. His father, a student of Dr Harvey, professor of Maharaja’s College, Thiruvananthapuram, later renamed University College, also became a professor there.
He was the author of the 1891 Tamil play Manonmaniam. The prayer song Thamizh Thai Vazhthu first published by Sundaram Pillai as the invocation to his play. It became the official "prayer song" of Tamil Nadu in June 1970. He along with Dr Harvey was instrumental in establishing the archaeology department of Travancore and was its first director. A disciple of Thycaud Ayya Gurukkal, he had a close association with both Sree Narayana Guru and Chattambi Swamikal.
Theirs was one among the two Vellala families from Tirunelveli brought here for account keeping by Raja Kesava Dasa, the Divan of Travancore who constructed the Alappuzha port. He was the son of Perumal Pillai who belonged to one of these families.
