HYDERABAD: Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh took part in a talk ‘The Many Lives of VK Krishna Menon’ during the final day of Hyderabad Literary Festival at Vidyaranya High School in the city on Sunday. Jairam Ramesh gave a talk on his recently launched book ‘A Chequered Brilliance: The Many Lives of VK Krishna Menon’.
Who was VK Krishna Menon? What were his contributions to Indian freedom struggle? What impact did he have on India’s foreign policy in the Nehruvian era? What were some of the reasons behind India losing the war against China in 1962? What was his contribution towards the signing of the armistice between North and South Korea in 1953? All these questions and more were discussed.
Speaking about his championing of the country’s freedom in the midst of colonial rule, Jairam says, “Krishna Menon was an ardent supporter of India’s independence. In 1934, the Labour Party of United Kingdom had articulated India’s independence in its election manifesto, wherein an entire paragraph of the manifesto was prepared by Krishna Menon.” On the importance accorded to India after becoming independent, Jairam points out, “Throughout the 1950s, India was punching above its economic weight on the world stage. People across the world looked at Nehru for an independent voice on world issues. And Krishna Menon was his global envoy.”