V K Krishna Menon – The enigma

Maddy in conversation with Jairam Ramesh, author of ‘A Chequered Brilliance: The Many Lives of V.K. Krishna Menon’

While many people have opined that they could never understand VK Krishna Menon or his ways, let alone his actions, even those who have been close to him throughout his life such as Jawaharlal Nehru have admitted being somewhat puzzled by his character. Menon remained an enigma and thus became a cause for the birth of many a myth or legend. One person who has recently taken upon himself to study Menon at depth is none other than Jairam Ramesh, who has just released a hefty treatise on Menon and his life’s journey. It is as he defines it, a chronological archival biography, documenting Menon’s successes and failures, relying on a huge amount of archival records, some which have been just released into public domain, some which had been top secret intelligence agency records and interspersed  good amount of personal correspondence obtained from members of his family.

I have been studying Menon and his life for well over 10 years and have written about him off and on, but I must admit that the sheer depth of Jairam’s study of the ‘undiplomatic diplomat’ and  ‘the politically incorrect politician’, provided me appropriate answers and references to many of my remaining questions.

An opportunity for a conversation with the author was therefore a godsend. 

We are now in conversation with Jairam Ramesh, an academic, an economist, a politician and a chronicler of the Nehru times through his books on Indira Gandhi, PN Haskar and now Krishna Menon. Jairam Ramesh as a politician belonging to the Indian National Congress, served previously as a Union Cabinet minister.

Jairam Ramesh

Armed with a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical engineer from IIT Bombay, he proceeded for higher studies to the Carnegie Melon University in USA where he acquired a master’s degree in Public policy and management. His doctoral studies at MIT were cut short due to family exigencies and Jairam found himself back in India in the late 70’s. Brief stints with the World bank, the planning commission and the CSIR provided him the necessary grounding for work in the complicated field of the Indian economy and its growth as well as its environment. By 2004 he had been inducted into the AICC, thus entering politics, and was subsequently elected as a member of parliament. In 2009, he took over responsibilities  first as Minister of State for environment and forests and later in 2011 as Cabinet Minister for Rural development (with an additional charge for Drinking water and Sanitation). His fields of study and expertise cover Indo China relations, the Nehru years, forests and environment,  the Indian economy and rural development.

Last month, Jairam released his well-researched, compelling and detailed biography of VK Krishna Menon. There have been extensive reviews and coverage on the book as well as personal interviews with the author, in the print and visual media.

In this conversation with Jairam, we will not only touch upon some of the usual topics associated with Menon, but also get to know Menon the human being, a little better. Hopefully, Menon will be a less of an enigma, to our readers, when we finish.

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Maddy: Thank you Ramesh for giving me the opportunity to discuss the topic of Krishna Menon and his chequered life, one that is of mutual interest. Let’s start with your choice of study. Why and how did you choose Krishna Menon as a subject? Was it because it required one to understand Menon if he or she had to understand Nehru’s actions? Is it so that Nehru and Menon were in intellectual tandem, or even better, in mental harmony throughout their careers?

Jairam Ramesh : I chose VKKM because he was such a consequential figure in Nehru’s  life between 1935 and 1964. He was Nehru’s intellectual soulmate and indeed an integral part of his family. No student of Indian political history can ignore Nehru and no student of Nehru can ignore VKKM. To understand India’s role in world affairs in the 1950s especially requires an understanding of VKKM. Also, he left behind a treasure trove of personal papers which make a narrative biography based on contemporary written material possible. Other than that VKKM is such a fascinating figure—warts and all.

V K Krishna Menon

Maddy: In my opinion, the typical cynical Malayali has differing points of view and his/her actions are at times a bit different and nonconforming. Was Menon more English in outlook and did he lose anything by way of this Kerala character after his settlement in UK?

Jairam Ramesh :VKKM spoke, read or wrote no Malayalam. Other than his sister VK Janaki Amma I can’t think of any decisive ‘Kerala’ influence on him except M.A. Candeth who helped him out in Presidency College in Madras. He was certainly more English than Malayali in his outlook. Incidentally, he vehemently opposed the formation of a separate state of Kerala in 1956 as I have discussed in my book and warned Nehru against accepting this recommendation that was  being canvassed by another distinguished Malayali, K.M.Panikkar. VKKM’s constantly fought against fellow Malayalis in Delhi—VP Menon, KPS Menon, TG Sanjeevi Pillai and N. R. Pillai . But it was not just Malayalis he combated. He was an equal opportunity offence giver. Also, he tacitly supported the imposition of Article 356 in Kerala in 1959. Ironically one of the ministers in the dismissed EMS government was to later establish the Krishna Menon Memorial Society in 1975—V.R. Krishna Iyer. And of course  VKKM won elections in 1969  (Midnapur) and 1971 (Trivandrum) with the full support of the Communists.

Maddy: Menon did some stints as a lawyer, once as a lawyer for Udham Singh (who assassinated O’ Dwyer) and many decades later as the lawyer for EMS Namboothiripad of Kerala. Why did he choose these high-profile cases, and did he argue a good defense?

Jairam Ramesh : His legal career was nothing much to write home about except these two cases. He also appeared in the famous bank nationalization case in the Supreme Court in 1969. In England he appeared pro bono many times in behalf of Indian clients. He did create the Indian Society of International Law in New Delhi which is now housed in VKKM Bhawan and has a bust of his at its entrance. But on the whole his legal accomplishments like that of Nehru was mediocre.

Maddy: The Nehruvian years had many a Menon and Nair traversing the corridors of power in the various offices at South Delhi, so much so that a joke used to circulate around that Delhi had been affected by Menongitis. Aubrey Menen, the great satirist mentions in his autobiography that he changed his surname from Menon to MENEN only to differentiate himself from ‘the Krishna Menon’ he admired greatly (both were contemporaries in London). Would you say that Menon suffered his fellow Malayalis greatly? Did he think any one of them passed muster? KM Panikkar for one was also close to Nehru and dealt extensively in China affairs. Did Menon have a good working relationship with Panikkar on China?

Jairam Ramesh : I have already addressed this. Other than M.O. Mathai, VKKM was at loggerheads with other Malayalis in the corridors of power. KPS found him insufferable. Sanjeevi Pillai thought he was a communist and VP Menon thought he was Nehru’s busybody. Mathai and he were very  close although Mathai has been scathing about VKKM in his scurrilous and unreliable memoirs. One Malayali VKKM was very fond of and  close to for all his life was Shankara Menon who lived in Madras and worked with Rukmini Devi to build Kalakshetra. VKKM wrote for Mathrubhumi for many years from London—his articles were translated into Malayalam.

Maddy: One of the bones of contention between Menon and Panikkar was the creation of Kerala on linguistic lines. Menon was against balkanization of India as he termed it and thought it was nothing more than a personal view of KM Panikkar.

Jairam Ramesh :  Yes, VKKM was against the creation of a separate Kerala on the grounds that it would become a  communist bastion. He was also against the creation of a separate Madras on the grounds that it would become a citadel of linguistic fanaticism. He argued for a large multi-lingual Dakshin Pradesh. But Nehru realized it was a romantic idea even though it appealed to him instinctively. Nehru was a strong advocate for the retention of a multi-lingual Bombay state and was persuaded finally by Indira Gandhi only in 1960 to agree to the creation of a separate Gujarat and Maharashtra. In the 1950s there were also proposals for one West Bengal-Bihar state which was advocated by people like BC Roy. I have dealt with this subject in my CD Deshmukh Memorial Lecture at the India International Centre in January 2019.

Maddy: Why did Menon get a hostile reception when he arrived at Delhi and why did it continue throughout his life? Why was he not given an opportunity or flexibility to perform? All his life in parliament, the opposition e.g. Kriplani and Morarji Desai were baying for his blood, is it so that he was being attacked as a proxy since Nehru was a difficult (being immensely popular) target?

Jairam Ramesh : The Congress party was resentful of his proximity to Nehru. Till 1956, he used to actually live with Nehru. Here was a man who had not been lathi charged, who had not been imprisoned, who had not gone on hunger strike, who had not paid obeisance to Gandhi and yet was Nehru’s closest confidant. Those who disliked Nehru made VKKM the target of their ire not wanting to attack Nehru himself directly because of the unique position he occupied in Indian public life. Of course, VKKM made no special or extra effort to build networks or expand his circle of friends knowing as he did that, he had the confidence of the one man who mattered most (and that man’s daughter too I may add).

Maddy: Menon was famous for surviving by drinking a great many cups of tea and munching a few buns. It is interesting to note that he was instrumental in bringing some South Indian cooks first to London and later to Delhi. It is said that Menon would go on an overdrive to help his fellow countrymen, is that right?

Jairam Ramesh : He was extraordinarily helpful to all and sundry but especially to Indian students who came to England. He was very solicitous about their welfare and well-being and built cheap hostel accommodation in London for them. He took on cases for Indian clients without expectation of being paid. He was completely non-parochial.

Maddy: Menon was at times like a child, be it his enthusiasm on collecting toys or his interest in field games. There are mentions of his gleefully running on to the field after India’s hockey team beat Britain 4-0 in the 1948 London Olympics and another, years later, after retirement, of his running barefoot to a journalist clutching a radio (in an Allahabad hotel reception area) only to ask what the latest cricket score was. Was he always like that, an enthusiastic and ardent supporter of Indian players and artistes?

Jairam Ramesh : Many stories of him are of course apocryphal—both the positive ones and negative ones too. I have used only those for which I was able to get written evidence and confirmation. But yes, when he was in London he supported Indian artists enthusiastically. Mulk Raj Anand I venture to suggest was a major influence on him in this regard . So was Rukmini Devi. Between 1957 and 1962 almost all of Bollywood was in thrall of him. He figures,  for instance, in Dev Anand’s autobiography. Balraj Sahni and KA Abbas were his acolytes.

Maddy: It is said that Menon was instrumental in roping in Lata Mangeshkar to sing at what became her first overseas outing - the famous Albert Hall concert. What is the story behind it? Was Menon a music enthusiast?

Jairam Ramesh :  He roped in the Nightingale of India in early 1974 to raise funds for his pet project—a Nehru Centre in London. Lata had been his ardent admirer for almost twenty years and she responded to his appeal instantaneously. The Centre finally saw the light of India with Government of India support two decades later.

Maddy: Menon’s actions were sometimes driven by emotions and at other times by self-preservation but were usually logical. It is therefore surprising that he was quite superstitious and took to checking his future often with astrologers in Malabar. Is that right?

Jairam Ramesh : I found this aspect of his personality most difficult to understand. The supreme rationalist, the strong leftist, the atheist of sorts, the great believer in modernity and science was besotted with astrology and bugged his sister Janaki Amma every now  and then on this score. That doughty lady showed his horoscope to different astrologers mainly in and around Calicut. One predicted he would marry and have a son—so much for astrologers!!!

Maddy: Menon was plagued by the infamous Jeep case, for much of his working life. Why was it not cleared up and why was the complete Iyengar report never made available to the public?  Was it an error of judgement, did Menon make legitimate, but purposeful errors or was he a victim of the circumstances?

Jairam Ramesh :  I have dealt with the jeep scandal in great detail based on material that has never before been available. It is on the basis of a careful reading of this material that I came to the conclusion that VKKM’s buddies did make money and that part of the money was used to support the India League and its various activities. I find it difficult to believe that VKKM did not know that his friends were not all that straight. But he allowed them unfettered access and defended them till the very end. VKKM should be accused of poor judgment. Whether he was complicit is really hard to tell although it would be natural to come to that conclusion. VKKM was a poor administrator and really violated all procedures in the jeeps saga although the Indian army too was not without blemish.

Maddy: Many a resource mention Menon’s dependence on Luminal, a phenobarbital prescribed for seizures, anxiety, insomnia etc. Was it perhaps a reason for his occasional bouts of incoherence and irrational behavior?

Jairam Ramesh : Mine is not a medical or psychological biography. Yes, he was under medication for various afflictions including arthritis and recurring back pain. I don't delve into what effect medication for them may have had on his moods although I do say he was prone to  frequent mood-swings, bouts of self-pity and self-recrimination. His arrogance masked many insecurities although why he should be insecure foxed me.

Maddy: There is an interesting story of Menon Vs Menon and how KPS’s wife’s letter found its way to VK’s room. Were they good friends or adversaries?

Jairam Ramesh : VKKM and KPSM were adversaries in the peak of their careers although KPS was very generous in his tribute on VKKM’s death in 1974 which I have used. KPS and VKKM were ideologically aligned but their personalities were different. VKKM may have resented the fact that KPS was an ICS officer and that Nehru was fond of him too.

Maddy: Menon had a rough time with the army brass from the very beginning of his tenure as defense minister. While it is quite clear in hindsight that he was unsuited for such a position, did Nehru persist with him due to the need for a dependable and trustworthy ally holding that most important portfolio?   Were there cross purposes at play, such as the army brass desire to import armaments from the west right at the outset?

Jairam Ramesh : I have dealt with this in detail in the book. VKKM had thought of India’s defence policy in the mid-1950s and written to Nehru on it. Nehru was looking for a livewire as defence minister having himself held that portfolio for almost two years. Between 1957 and 1959 VKKM justified his appointment hugely. He started establishing the foundations of India’s defence production industry and made the DRDO a reality. He was very popular among the lower ranks of the armed forces. He initiated the modernization of the armed forces. But from mid-1959 onward things began to change and his clash with Thimayya particularly began to dent his image. The top army leadership was also at fault and for the first time I bring out their shenanigans as well. True, the army (and air force) wanted western equipment which was not very often agreed to by VKKM on very valid grounds. The top army personnel spoke loosely which fuelled VKKM’s irritation with them. After the Ayub Khan coup in Pakistan in 1958, VKKM became wary of the larger than life figures in the armed forces like Thimayya. Adding to the problem was that for 3-4 months a year VKKM was away as head of the  Indian delegation to the UN which allowed space and time for cross purposes come into play.

Maddy: Menon was frequently pilloried by his critics and his detractors through the press to get at him and his boss Nehru  - should Menon in hindsight have employed a public relations assistant or a press secretary? Would it have burnished his image?

Jairam Ramesh :   Yes, VKKM was his own worst enemy by what he said and how he said it. The press was divided on him.  He had his champions and he had his detractors in equal measure. He didn’t particularly care for his image I must admit. But he was too much of a maverick to be subject to the discipline of an organized PR machinery. He could be charming and abrasive at the same time. Even the articles most critical of him would almost always highlight his positive attributes and his strengths. The thing to understand is that he was a bundle of contradictions and he made no effort to hide them.

Maddy: Menon’s role in the Indo -China war of 1962 is perhaps one of the most talked about in his public life.  It is also known that important documents such as the Henderson Brooks report are still not released for reasons of national security. Does your study reveal influence of other nations and larger geopolitical events in precipitating the 62 debacle or was it fully or partially due to the foreword policy  action? What exactly was Mao Tse-Tung’s role in the Chinese decision to attack?

Jairam Ramesh : These are questions that have been studied and continue to be studied by scholars all over the world. Mine is not a history of  why and how 1962 happened. Mine is a biography of one of the pivotal figures of the 1962 episode. VKKM always believed that the decision to attack India was that of Mao—and scholarship has indeed upheld that position contrary to Neville Maxwell’s coloured account. Rod Macfarqahar and John Garver have addressed Mao’s role in triggering the 1962 war in my view quite definitively.

Maddy: Continuing with Menon and 1962 – why was the Indian air force not used in this war? Was it to prevent the escalation of a relatively smaller skirmish into a large-scale war? Was it not known to India, at least through her Russian connections that the Chinese air force was grounded due to lack of spare parts from Russia at that moment?

Jairam Ramesh : I have not dealt with this at all because I found no archival evidence on the subject. My book was not a history of what happened or did not happen in 1962 but a biography of VKKM. Maybe there are files in the Ministry of Defence and the Prime Minister’s Office that would hopefully be declassified soon so that this particular question of yours can be answered convincingly.

Maddy: MO Mathai who was once a good friend and supporter of Krishna Menon later became a bitter enemy, what was the reason behind this development?

Jairam Ramesh : By (1959 – Maddy) Mathai was a bitter man, bitter that he had been forced out from Nehru’s innermost circle. Between 1946 and 1957 Mathai and VKKM were close and friendly. Their letters to each other were very warm. Both were chums of Rajkumari Amrit Kaur. But the ‘left lobby’ finally ousted Mathai and it was speculated that VKKM played a part in Mathai’s exit. There is no clinching evidence though to substantiate this speculation.

Maddy: Several Bollywood actors, directors and writers held Menon in high esteem. How did Menon discover and develop camaraderie with that unlikely corner? Was it due to the efforts of Dr Baliga and Blitz Karanjia?

Jairam Ramesh : Yes Dr. Baliga the famous (doctor) played a hugely influential role in this regard and there is a wonderful picture in my book of VKKM with him and Nutan. But there were others like Rajni Patel, Balraj Sahni, Raj Kapoor, Nargis, K.A. Abbas who also helped VKKM become the darling of Bollywood. It certainly helped that both in 1957 and 1962 VKKM won the Lok Sabha elections from Bombay.

Thank you Jairam for the erudite answers and a stimulating discussion.

The book is I can assure you, compelling reading, for those who want a deeper insight into the Nehru years and VKKM himself.

In conclusion, I add here an extract from Jairam's book introducing VKKM, laying the ground for an excellent study.

This new biography does not intend to eulogize Krishna Menon for his numerous contributions nor castigate him for his many sins. It is, instead meant to be a clinically objective narrative of his chequered life, based almost entirely on contemporary documentary evidence. I narrate a complex tale letting the written material speak for themselves. Krishna Menon is an eminently fit subject for what has been called ‘psychohistory’. I have refrained from tilling that field and have stuck mostly to what the archives can tell us. This is not a judgmental undertaking: it is, instead, what I could call a pretty straightforward narrative biography. As far as possible, I have kept myself out of the story. Krishna Menon’s proponents have spun many legends, just as his detractors have propagated many myths. Neither approach does full justice to the man and his mix of contradictions and brilliance. My task has been to pierce through the legends and the myths, the embellishments and the exaggerations and present the mans as he was – erratic, insecure, frequently acerbic in speech, very often supercilious in silence, but always arresting and compelling. He could never be ignored and always stood out, warts and all.

Krishna Menon was never a perfect or infallible person. In his public life, he was eminently suited for certain roles while proving to be an abject failure in others. He was always the greatest traveling salesman and spokesman for India at august gatherings such as the United Nations or as a roving ambassador for Nehru. But when amongst his subordinates and colleagues, he proved to be a difficult manager - opinionated, abrasive, authoritarian and sometimes, downright rude. Nevertheless, while some focus on the devious actions he took to prove his point or his bad manners, others vouch for his resolute work ethic, flashes of brilliance and total honesty.

In the end, Menon was a just a man who held India foremost in his heart and actions, his friend Nehru a close second and no one or nothing thereafter.

Notes

•  K Sankara Menon who administered Kalakshetra, was VK Krishna Menon’s cousin brother. Sankara Menon was the youngest of three sons of Vengalil Sankara Menon and Kariottukalathil Kalyani Amma from Calicut.
• O’ Dywer’s role in the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre has been covered in the following articles - Dwyer, Dyer and Nair , Hans Raj - The British Approver 
• The club which Menon set up was the India club and the hostel is now the Indian YMCA. I have stayed there a few times, a very well-located place!
• For details of what Dev Anand had to say about VKKM, read this article, Two facets of Krishna Menon