भिक्षुवेषं विना भिक्षुजीवनम्
Dedicated Life
An honest man of untainted politics, an unselfish social activist, an enthusiastic environmentalist, a man of simplicity, a mature mass leader, a noble man in all respects, - all these adjectives well suit to Sri. KummanamRajasekharan, the beloved leader of Hindu community. “Adjective is the enemy of Noun” said Voltaire. This saying is wrong in toto as far as Sri. Kummanam is concerned.
Kummanam Rajasekharan showed Kerala how social change and revival can be achieved through agitations.Since Indian independence,very few leaders have come forward into the public life of Kerala to defeat the threats faced by the Hindu society as well as to instil confidence. He is a karmayogi who has achieved total success in everything he undertook, whether it is service, struggle or organization. He is an extraordinary individual amongst the ordinary. He was the hero of many successful struggles along the Kerala coast including Nilakkal, Guruvayur, Marad, Aranmula, Palazhi, Ilavoor, Shankhummugam, Araattukadav etc. A man who has no enemies, he proved that harmony is essential for society, not conflict.A man of steady wisdom (Sthitaprajna), he earned a place in the common man’s mind through honest, transparent and efficient social service. History will record Kummanam as a servant of the public who showed integrity in his every deed; an organizer who dedicated everything to the society; an agitator who provided flame to struggles; a brave social reformer who instilled fighting spirit in the society.
Leader... Reformer...
Born on 23 December 1952 to Adv V. K. Ramakrishna Pillai and P. Parukkutty Amma in Kummanam village of Kottayam district of Kerala. His sisters are Valsala
kumari, Syama kumari and Komala kumari and brothers are R.Gopalakrishna Pillai (Retd,Judge), R.Thankappan Pillai, R.Ravindran and R.Jayaprakash.Sri.Kummanam has graduated from CMS College. After securing a Post Graduate Diploma in Journalism, he served in the Deepika daily. In 1976, he took a break from journalism and joined Food Corporation of India (FCI) as a government servant. He did not give up his social service activism even while working as a journalist and a Central Government official. Enthralled by the activities of the RSS, Sri Kummanam became a member of it and rendered his service as an active volunteer as early in 1970s itself. After securing a Post Graduate Diploma in Journalism, he served in the Deepika daily. In 1976, he took a break from journalism and joined Food Corporation of India (FCI) as a government servant. He did not give up his social service activism even while working as a journalist and a Central Government official. Enthralled by the activities of the RSS, Sri Kummanam became a member of it and rendered his service as an active volunteer as early in 1970s itself.
- In 1979, he became Kottayam district Secretary of Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) (www.vhp.org) and later became its state Joint Secretary in 1981. He resigned the job from FCI in 1987 and became a pracharak (full-time worker) in RashtriyaSwayamsevakSangh (RSS) (www.rss.org).Later he resigned from the Government service and turned out to be a full-time political and social activist. Under his leadership, the activities of the RSS, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the BJP spread and strengthened throughout Kerala. In 2015, he was elected as the state president of BJP. He held that position for three years.
- In 1981, became State Joint-Secretary of Vishwa Hindu Parishad.
- In 1983, was appointed General-Convener of Nilakkal Action Council and led the mass agitation against the encroachment in Nilakkal. Read more
- In 1985, became General-Secretary of Hindu Munnani (Hindu Front), (www.hindumunnani.org) a rightwing Hindu nationalist organisation based in Tamil Nadu. Hindu Munnani was set up by RashtriyaSwayamsevakSangh (RSS).
- In 1987, he contested from Thiruvananthapuram constituency as Hindu Munnani candidate and won as the runner-up when the BJP was in its political infancy in the state.
- In 1988, he was appointed General-Secretary of Guruvayoor Temple Action Council and led agitation to take out Jacob Thampi from managing committee of Guruvayoor Temple. (www.guruvayurdevaswom.nic.in)
- In 1989, was appointed Editor of Janmabhumi daily, Kochi. (www.janmabhumi.in/)
- In 1992, was designated General-Convenor of Hindu Aikya Vedi. (https://hinduaikyavedi.org/)
- In 1996, was appointed Organising-Secretary of Vishwa Hindu Parishad.
- In 1998, was appointed General-Convener of Sivagiri Samara Sahaya Samithi to assist the agitations led by Swami Prakashananda protesting against his removal from presidency of Sivagiri Madom. (www.sivagiri.com)
- In 2003, led a mass agitation against the Marad massacre. Read more
- In 2007, was designated as Managing Director of Janmabhumi daily.
- In 2009, was selected as General-Secretary of Sabarimala Ayyappa Seva Samajam (www.sassbharath.org/about-sass/), a truly representative body of Ayyappa devotees across the world to protect, preserve and propagate. Read more
- In 2010, was appointed General-Secretary of Hindu Aikya Vedi.
- In 2011, was appointed Chairman, Janamabhumi daily.
- In 2012, he participated in the agitation against KGS Aranmula International Airport. Read more
- In 2012, was appointed Chief Patron (Mukhya Rakshadhikari) of Aranmula Heritage Village (www.aranmulaheritage.net) to promote organic farming, Yoga, Ayurveda, music, hygienic living, family values, social ethics, spiritual ethos, nature worship, religious tolerance, art, etc. A Heritage Museum, Heritage Study Centre, and a Heritage University in Aranmula are on the anvil to perpetuate the cultural, spiritual and philosophical heritage.
- In 2015, was appointed President, BJP Kerala State Unit from 18 December.
- In 2018, was appointed the Governor of Mizoram on May 25. He resigned from the post on 8 March 2019.
- In October 2020, he was chosen as the representative of the Central Government in the Administrative Committee of SreePadmanabhaSwamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram. (www.spst.in/)
- He contested the 2021 Kerala State Legislative Assembly election from Nemom assembly constituency as the BJP Candidate.
- Sri.Kummanam contested in the 1987 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections and the 2021 Kerala Assembly elections. Though he could not win, his candidature posed a formidable challenge to his opponents.
He has been giving leadership to various social, cultural and spiritual activities. Vishwa Hindu Parishad,
He is currently a member of the Board of Trustees of the Sri Padmanabha Swamy Temple of Thiruvananthapuram. He had also served as the Editor and Chairman of ‘Janmabhoomi’, the official daily of the BJP. In spite of all these vivid and highly responsible activities shouldered by him, Sri.Kummanam is now engaged in accomplishing a new project, “Padam Padam Rama Padam”. This project aims to construct about 1000 steps to enable effortless access to the Sri Kodanda Rama Temple, situated on the top of a huge rock at Chadayamangalam near Kollam in Kerala.“Kodandaramatemple, which was reconstructed five years back by Swamy Sathyananda Saraswathy. In 1975, KummanamRajasekharan, along with Swamiji took initiative to renovate and rebuild the Ram temple. For decades, the idol of Lord Ram that adorned the sanctum sanctorum was neglected and even vandalized by anti-social elements. This is set to change as the temple occupies the pride of place in the newly refurbished Jatayupara complex. Read more
Tucked amidst four hills in the Western Ghats, in the dreamy little village of Chadayamangalam in the Kollam District of Kerala where lies the sacred “Jatayupara” -where the heroic bird Jatayu spent his last moments after valiant battle against the demon king Ravan.In a bid to protect the virtuous Sita, Jatayu accosted Ravan as he was enrouteto Lanka. In the fight that ensued, Ravan cut off Jatayu's left wing and fled. Jatayu would have died here alone,hadSita not blessed him to live until Sri Rama’s arrival.On meeting Jatayu and hearing what had taken place, Sri Rama blessed him, glad that the veteran avian warrior would finally attained Moksha. Today, Jatayupara preserves this inspiring episode from the Ramayana with world's biggest sculpture of a bird; a magnificent sculptural manifestation of Jatayu that attracts and inspires devotees, tourists, and art lovers from across the continent.For devotees, the stellar attraction of the place is the “Kodandaramatemple,which was reconsecrated five years back by SwamySathyanandaSaraswathy. In 1975, Shri KummanamRajasekharan, the former Governor of Mizoram, along with Swamiji took initiative to renovate and rebuild the Ram temple. For decades, the idol of Lord Ram that adorned the sanctum sanctorum was neglected and even vandalised by anti-social elements. This is set to change as the temple occupies the pride of place in the newly refurbished Jatayupara complex.
The temple is being reconstructed and the consecration of the new idol as per the tantric rituals will be done in February 2020. The temple is managed by a Charitable Trust - “Jatayuppara SreeKodanda Rama Kshetra Trust” and is administered by a Board of Trustees who are presently the local residents who were safeguarding the Statue of Lord Ram. Sri. Kummanam Rajasekharan assumed the responsibility of being the Chief Patron of the Trust as was instructed by his Guru, Swargeeya Swamy Satyananda Saraswathy. Now, he is personally overseeing the developmental activities of the Temple and have plans to develop the area leading to the peak as an International Sree Rama Cultural Centre by the name and style “Sree Ram Dham” where it will be a Centre of Excellence for Ramayana Studies.
Most of the present generation are unaware of the fact that Lord Sree Ram was the true icon of National Integration of Bharat. As the ruler in the North, He did travel extensively to the South, visited Sabari at the Sabairmala, the Valmiki Ashram where his sons Luv and Kush were trained, The innumerable Rama Temples at various places in Kerala including those dedicated to his brothers and many places which are named after Mother Sita gives ample support to this fact, even today. The Jatayuppara bears a giant foot - print of Sree Rama, indelibly imprinted in the rock. A perennial spring from where the Bird King Jadayu drank water to keep himself alive to have darshan with his Lord is still seen at the temple premises.
Kummanam Rajasekharan was awarded a doctorate from Shri Jagdishprasad Jhabarmal Tibrewala University in Rajasthan for his services in several fields
