1. Early life and education
Devan Nair's early life was shaped by British colonial rule and his family's migration, leading to an education that fostered his anti-imperialist sentiments.
1.1. Birth and childhood
Chengara Veetil Devan Nair was born on 5 August 1923 in Malacca, which was then part of the Straits Settlements under British colonial rule. He was of Malayali ancestry, with his father, I. V. Karunakaran Nair of the Illathu Veettil family, originally hailing from Thalassery, Kerala, in British India, where he worked as a rubber plantation clerk. When Nair was ten years old, his family emigrated from Malacca to Singapore, where he spent his childhood. He adhered to the Hindu faith.
1.2. Education
Nair received his primary education at Rangoon Road Primary School in Singapore. He then proceeded to Victoria School for his secondary education, successfully passing his Senior Cambridge examination in 1940. After the conclusion of World War II, Nair embarked on a teaching career, first at St. Joseph's Institution and subsequently at St. Andrew's School. In 1949, he assumed the role of General-Secretary of the Singapore Teachers' Union. His strong disdain for colonial rule was evident during his time as a teacher; notably, he altered the lyrics of "Rule, Britannia!" to anti-British verses during a school choir performance, which was presented before a British guest-of-honor. He later earned a Bachelor of Arts in Labour Administration from the University of Malaya.
2. Political career and activities
Devan Nair's political career was characterized by his active involvement in anti-imperialist movements, the labor movement, and parliamentary politics across Malaysia and Singapore.
2.1. Anti-imperialist activities and early political involvement
As a young adult, Nair was affiliated with the Malayan Communist Party (MCP) and was an initial member of the Communist Anti-British League, harboring strong anti-colonial sentiments. His activism for the self-determination of Singapore, then a British colony, led to his first detention by the British authorities in 1951 for anti-colonial activities. In 1954, he joined Lee Kuan Yew's People's Action Party (PAP). In the 1955 Singaporean general election, Nair contested a seat but was the only PAP candidate who did not get elected.
His anti-establishment activities continued, leading to his second detention in 1956 under the Preservation of Public Security Ordinance Act, where he was suspected of being a communist subversive. He was detained alongside other prominent trade unionists, Lim Chin Siong and James Puthucheary, following the Chinese middle schools riots. Nair remained imprisoned until 1959, when the PAP secured a landslide victory in the 1959 Singaporean general election, which helped facilitate his release. Following his release, he was appointed political secretary to the Minister for Education, a position he held for a year before returning to teaching. In 1960, he became the Chairman of the Prisons Inquiry Commission and was instrumental in launching the Adult Education Board.
2.2. Labor movement and founding of NTUC
Nair played a pivotal role in the labor movement in Singapore. In 1961, he founded the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), serving as its Secretary-General until 1965. After a period of political activity in Malaysia, he returned to Singapore in 1969 to once again lead the NTUC, serving as its Secretary-General from 1970 to 1979.
Nair, alongside P. P. Narayanan, was a vocal advocate for the concerns of developing countries within international labor organizations. They actively voiced their concerns at the ICFTU, highlighting how existing economic and social policy documents were often biased towards industrialized nations. They pressed for greater attention to be paid to issues such as extreme poverty, unemployment, and underdevelopment in their respective countries. These proposals were ultimately accepted and subsequently reflected in the work of the ICFTU's Economic and Social Committee, demonstrating Nair's significant influence on global labor policy. He also served as the President of the ICFTU Asian Regional Organisation from 1976 to 1982.
2.3. Political activities in Malaysia and Singapore
Nair's political career extended beyond Singapore. In 1954, he joined the People's Action Party (PAP). He was the sole PAP member to contest and win a seat in the 1964 Malaysian general election, securing the Bangsar constituency, located near Kuala Lumpur. This victory contrasted sharply with his earlier defeat in the 1955 Singaporean election.
Following Singapore's separation from Malaysia in 1965, Nair chose to remain in Malaysia and was instrumental in forming the Democratic Action Party (DAP), which was initially known as the People's Action Party of Malaya. He continued to lead the DAP until 1967. In 1965, he acquired Singapore citizenship. He later returned to Singapore in 1969.
In 1979, Nair entered the Parliament of Singapore by winning the Anson seat in a by-election. He successfully retained this seat in the 1980 Singaporean general election.
3. Presidency of Singapore
Devan Nair's public service culminated in his tenure as President of Singapore, a period that ended amidst significant controversy.
3.1. Presidency
In 1981, Devan Nair resigned his parliamentary seat in Anson to accept the largely ceremonial office of President of Singapore, serving as the country's head of state. He was appointed by the Parliament on 23 October 1981. His term as the third President of Singapore lasted until 28 March 1985. During his presidency, Lee Kuan Yew served as the Prime Minister, holding the de facto executive power.
Nair's resignation from the Anson seat led to the 1981 Anson by-election, a notable event in Singaporean political history. This by-election was famously won by opposition leader J. B. Jeyaretnam of the Workers' Party (WP). This marked the first time since 1963 that a candidate from a party other than the ruling PAP had won a parliamentary seat in Singapore, signaling a shift in the political landscape.
3.2. Resignation and controversy
On 28 March 1985, Devan Nair abruptly resigned from the presidency under unclear circumstances. The official explanation, provided by then-Deputy Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong in Parliament, stated that Nair had resigned to seek treatment for alcoholism. However, Nair vehemently denied this charge, presenting a counter-claim that his resignation was forced due to escalating conflicts in political views with the ruling party.
According to Nair's allegations, Goh Chok Tong had threatened him with ouster during a game of chess. Nair further claimed that he was administered drugs to make him appear disoriented and that rumors about his personal life were deliberately spread to discredit him. These claims, however, were never substantiated. A Malaysian columnist, M.G.G. Pillai, also reported on rumors, stating that a Sarawak minister's wife had confirmed an incident involving Nair during an official visit.
The controversy resurfaced in 1999 when an article in the Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail discussed the case, leading to a libel suit filed by Goh Chok Tong. While some accounts suggest the suit was dismissed after Nair's counterclaim, a letter to The New York Times clarified that Goh agreed to discontinue the suit only after two of Nair's sons issued a statement. This statement, reported in The Globe and Mail on 1 July 2004, maintained that Nair was no longer mentally competent to provide evidence in court due to his declining health. The *Globe and Mail* statement concluded that "having reviewed the records, and on the basis of the family's knowledge of the circumstances leading to Mr. Nair's resignation as President of Singapore in March 1985, we can declare that there is no basis for this allegation (of Mr. Nair being drugged)."
4. Personal life and death
Devan Nair's personal life was marked by his family, his eventual relocation to Canada, and his passing due to illness.
Nair was married to Avadai Dhanam Lakshimi, who passed away on 18 April 2005 in Hamilton, Canada. Together, they had four children: one daughter and three sons, and five grandchildren. His eldest son, Janadas Devan, became a senior editor with The Straits Times and later served as Chief of Government Communications at the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI), also holding a directorship at the public policy think-tank Institute of Policy Studies (IPS). Janadas Devan is married to literary scholar Geraldine Heng. His second son, Janamitra Devan, was a former Vice-President of the International Finance Corporation and the World Bank. His third son, Janaprakash Devan, passed away in 2009. His only daughter, Vijaya Kumari Devan, continues to reside in Hamilton, Ontario. Among his grandchildren are Gitanjali Devan, a psychology graduate working in Singapore; Priyanjali Devan and Kiran Devan, who are university students in the United States; and JanaAvinash Devan and JanaShaan Heng-Devan, who are also pursuing their education in the United States.
After his resignation as President, Nair and his wife first migrated to the United States in 1988, settling in Gaithersburg, Maryland. They later moved to Bloomington, Indiana. In 1995, the couple relocated to Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, where they lived for the remainder of their lives.
Devan Nair died on 6 December 2005, around 12:00 SST, in Hamilton, Canada, at the age of 82. He had developed severe dementia in his final years. His passing occurred in the same year as his wife's. Following his death, he was cremated, and his ashes were interred alongside his wife's at White Chapel Memorial Park. Nair was a good friend of the Dutch economist Albert Winsemius and composed a poem titled "The Yangtze's Voyage Through History" in his honor. During his political activities in Singapore in the 1950s, while detained by the British government, Nair read the works of Sri Aurobindo, particularly "Life Divine," and Aurobindo became a significant inspiration for him. He visited Puducherry (formerly Pondicherry) and the nearby Auroville on several occasions and also wrote and spoke about Sri Aurobindo's vision in the United States, Canada, and other countries.
5. Assessment and legacy
Devan Nair's legacy is multifaceted, encompassing his profound impact on the labor movement and a complex historical evaluation of his political career.
5.1. Role in the labor movement
Devan Nair's association with the labor movement remains a highly respected aspect of his legacy in Singapore. His contributions to advancing workers' rights and welfare were significant and innovative. He was the founder of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) in 1961, a pivotal institution for organized labor in Singapore. His leadership as Secretary-General of the NTUC from 1961 to 1965 and again from 1970 to 1979 was instrumental in shaping labor policies and improving working conditions.
Nair's advocacy extended to the international stage, where he, alongside P. P. Narayanan, championed the concerns of developing countries within the ICFTU. Their efforts highlighted the need for global labor policies to address issues like extreme poverty, unemployment, and underdevelopment, leading to their proposals being integrated into the ICFTU's economic and social agenda. This demonstrates his commitment to a more equitable global economic order and his positive impact on the broader labor movement.
5.2. Devan Nair Institute for Employment and Employability
In recognition of his substantial contributions to the labor movement, particularly during his tenure as Secretary-General of the National Trades Union Congress, the Devan Nair Institute for Employment and Employability was established in his honor. Located in Jurong East, Singapore, the institute was officially opened on 1 May 2014 by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. The primary objective of the institution is to create a comprehensive network that offers employment and employability solutions for both workers and employers across Singapore, continuing Nair's legacy of supporting the workforce.
5.3. Historical evaluation
Devan Nair's historical evaluation is complex, marked by both significant contributions to democratic development and social progress, and criticisms related to his later political controversies. From a social liberal perspective, his early anti-colonial activities, his affiliation with the Malayan Communist Party, and his subsequent efforts to establish and lead the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) highlight his commitment to challenging oppressive systems and empowering marginalized groups, particularly workers. His advocacy for the concerns of developing countries within international labor organizations further underscores his dedication to global equity and human rights.
However, his presidency and subsequent resignation are subjects of objective debate. The allegations of alcoholism made by the government, which Nair vehemently denied, alongside his counter-claims of political pressure and attempts to discredit him, cast a shadow over his later career. While his claims of being drugged were not substantiated, the public discourse surrounding his departure raised questions about the treatment of political figures and the transparency of governance. Despite these controversies, his foundational work in the labor movement and his role in the establishment of the Democratic Action Party in Malaysia are widely acknowledged as significant contributions to democratic development and the representation of diverse voices in the region. His legacy thus reflects a figure who, despite personal and political challenges, made lasting contributions to social progress and the advancement of human rights, particularly through the empowerment of labor.