V.K. Krishna Menon

Vengalil Krishnan Krishna Menon was born on May 3, 1896 at Panniyankara in Calicut, Kerala.The third son of a successful lawyer of the Calicut bar, Komath Krishna Kurup, Menon grew up in a modestly well-to-do family.

Menon had his early education in Tellicherry.He took his B.A. degree from Madras Presidency College.While in College, he started taking an active interest in the national movement.While studying in the Madras Law College, he became actively associated with Annie Besant and the Home Rule Movement.He was a leading member of the 'Brothers of Service', founded by Annie Besant who spotted his gifts and sent him to England in 1924.

In London, Menon bloomed into a passionate fighter for India's freedom.He founded the India League in 1928 and made it the nerve centre of nationalist propaganda and activity in England.The Labour Party was influenced considerably by Krishna Menon who became on of its very effective spokesmen.In 1934, he was elected as St. Pancras Borough Councilman on the Labour ticket.He was elected again and again till be became India's first High Commissioner in England.St. Pancras conferred on him the Freedom of the Borough, the only other person so honoured being Bernard Shaw.

Krishna Menon became a barrister and took up cases of the poor.In 1932, he inspired a fact-finding delegation headed by Ellen Wilkinson, Labour M.P., to visit India.Menon served as its Secretary and edited its report entitled 'conditions in India'.In the thirties he also edited the Twentieth Century Library.

The close freindship between Nehru realised the significance of the battle which Krishna Menon carried on in England and the tole played by him in bringing about the peaceful transfer of power.

From 1952 to 1953 and from 1954 to 1962 Krishna Menon led the Indian delegation to the United Nations.In evolving the policy of non-alignment he played a very important role.He made diplomacy a dynamic instrument for world peace, socialism and national liberation.He took an active role in resolving the Korean and Suez crises.

Krishna Menon became a member of the Rajya Sabha in 1953.On February 3, 1956, he joined the Union Cabinet as Minister without Portfolio.In 1957 he was elected to the Lok Sabha from Bombay and in April of that year, hebecame Defence Minister.He worked tirelessly to modernise the defence forces and initiated a number if measures of far-reaching significance.
Krishna Menon resigned from the Cabinet in 1962, soon after the Chinest aggression.But he continued his activities on the national and international planes. He passed away on October 6, 1974.