Devan

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Devan Nair

Devan Nair Chengara Veetil, also known as C. V. Devan Nair ( Malacca 5 August 1923– Hamilton, Canada 6 December 2005), was a Singaporean politician, as a member of the People's Action Party who became the third President of Singapore. He was elected by the Parliament of Singapore on 23 October 1981, and served as President until his resignation on 28 March 1985.

Youth

Nair was born in the son of I.V.K. Nair, from Thalassery, Kerala. He and his family migrated to Singapore when he was 10 years old. When he was young, he received his education at Victoria School where he passed his Senior Cambridge examination in 1940.

Career

Initially, a member of the Communist Anti-British League, he joined Lee Kuan Yew's People's Action Party (PAP) in 1954. He was the only PAP member to win in the Malaysian general election, 1964, winning the Bangsar constituency, near Kuala Lumpur. He stayed in Malaysia after the Separation, forming the Democratic Action Party, but returned to Singapore to lead the labour union movement and founded the National Trades Union Congress. Once during his political action during the 1950s, Devan Nair was detained in a Singapore prison by the British government. There, he read the writings of Sri Aurobindo, particularly the Life Divine and became his lifelong admirer and disciple. He visited Pondicherry and nearby Auroville a number of times and wrote and spoke on Sri Aurobindo's vision in the United States, Canada and other countries.