From the biography: Meet constitutional lawyer MK Nambyar as an academically gifted schoolboy

MK Nambyar, born in the year 1898, grew up in the midst of tremendous social churn. It is likely that the Echikkanom house too faced some measure of tenant unrest. It is not known as to whether the heads of the house feared for their safety during the Mappila outbreaks or not, but being one of the wealthiest and most powerful houses, it is unlikely that they emerged from this period unscathed. What is known is that the Echikkanom clan was by no means saintly: Nambyar’s stepbrother K Madhavan recollects an incident that he says left a deep scar on him:

Once my Valiachan went to the pathaayapurra at Pilicode. On his return to the tharuvadu three or four days later, he found that the box in which he kept money for sundry expenses was missing. When a thorough search failed to yield results, an astrologer was summoned. His calculations pointed an accusing finger at Panakool Kelu, the man in charge of the cattle of the tharuvadu. But Kelu did not admit his guilt. He was immediately tied to a coconut tree and then the torture session began. Finally, unable to endure the pain any longer, he confessed to having sunk...

Read more