Born May 3, 1896, in Calicut (Kozhikode); died 1974. Indian politician and statesman.

Menon studied law and economics in London. From 1929 to 1947 he was secretary of the India League in London, an organization of Indian residents of Great Britain who were members of the Indian National Congress. He represented the Indian National Congress at many international congresses and conferences. High commissioner for India in Great Britain from 1947 to 1952 and ambassador to Ireland from 1949 to 1952, he represented India at the UN General Assembly from 1952 to 1962. Menon was defense minister of India from 1957 to 1962, when he resigned under pressure from rightist forces, who blamed him for the “country’s military unpreparedness.”A member of parliament from 1953 to 1967 and again from 1969, he left the Congress Party in 1966. Menon was Nehru’s confidant and closest adviser and acted many times as his personal representative. A strong and consistent advocate of the policy of nonalignment, he was elected an honorary president of the World Peace Council in 1971.