How Menon's downfall began
Vengalil Krishnan Krishna Menon is best remembered today as the Defence Minister who lost the 1962 India-China war. But in the course of his long and varied career as a lawyer, an expat freedom-fighter, an ambassador and a minister; Menon's complex reputation frequently preceded him even as it dogged him. Given his combination of ambition, ability and a talent for making loyal friends and bitter enemies, it was perhaps predictable that his ascent would be mirrored by a dramatic fall. Now a new biography, releasing this month, written by Congress leader Jairam Ramesh draws on previously untapped archives of letters and personal papers to unravel the complex impulses that animated this polarising figure. In these excerpts, episodes from Menon's ministerial twilight suggest the twisting path of decisions and missed opportunities that can lead a powerful statesman to political oblivion.
Chou En-lai's visit, April 1960
Chou had meetings with Nehru of course, but what was unusual was that Nehru got him to meet officially with some of his seniormost colleagues as well Pant; Morarji Desai, the finance minister; Swaran Singh, the minister of steel; and Krishna Menon. Chou and Chen Yi also called on Vice-President S. Radhakrishnan. Krishna Menon had first met Chou in Geneva in MayJune 1954. Then they had been together in Bandung in April 1955 and in Beijing a month later. Among all Indians, he had had the maximum interactions with Chou.
Krishna Menon was at the airport along with the Prime Minister and other senior ministers to receive Chou and his team. The NehruChou talks began the next day at 11 am The record of that first conversation says:
It was agreed that initially the two Prime Ministers will talk only between themselves, but that, later on the advisers on both sides, not exceeding a total number of six, should also participate.
