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{{Short description|Indian civil servant and diplomat}}
{{EngvarB|date=April 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2017}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
| name = K. Sankaran Nair
| name = K. Sankaran Nair
| image =
| image =
| imagesize =
| imagesize =
| caption =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1919|12|20}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1919|12|20}}
| birth_place = [[Ottapalam]], [[Palakkad]], [[Kerala]], India
| birth_place = [[Ottapalam]], [[Madras Presidency]], [[British Raj|British India]]<br>(present day [[Palakkad district|Palakkad]], [[Kerala]], India)
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2015|11|17|1919|12|20}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2015|11|17|1919|12|20}}
| death_place = [[Bengaluru]], [[Karnataka]], India
| death_place = [[Bengaluru]], [[Karnataka]], India
| othername = Colonel Menon
| othername = Colonel Menon
| alma_mater = [[Loyola College, Chennai]]
| occupation = Intelligence officer<br>Diplomat<br>Civil servant
| occupation = {{hlist|Intelligence officer|Diplomat|Civil servant}}
| yearsactive =
| years_active =
| known for = [[Bangladesh Liberation War]]<br>Memoirs
| awards = [[Padma Bhushan]]
| known for = [[Bangladesh Liberation War]]
| awards = [[Padma Bhushan]]
}}
}}

'''K. Sankaran Nair''' (1919–2015), known as '''Colonel Menon''' among his colleagues, was an Indian civil servant, diplomat and the director of [[Research and Analysis Wing]] (RAW), the apex intelligence agency in India.<ref name="Former RAW chief Shankaran Nair passes away - The Hindu">{{cite web | url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/former-raw-chief-shankaran-nair-passes-away/article7887034.ece | title=Former RAW chief Shankaran Nair passes away - The Hindu | publisher=The Hindu | date=17 November 2015 | accessdate=May 1, 2016}}</ref> He served as the [[High Commissioner (Commonwealth)|Indian High Commissioner]] to Singapore from 1986 to 1988 and was the last member of the [[Indian Imperial Police]].<ref name="K. Sankaran Nair, ex-RAW Chief is no more">{{cite web | url=http://citizensrightsgroup.com/k-sankaran-nair-ex-raw-chief-is-no-more/ | title=K. Sankaran Nair, ex-RAW Chief is no more | publisher=Citizens Rights Group | date=18 November 2015 | accessdate=May 1, 2016}}</ref> He was reported to have played a crucial role in the formation of Bangladesh, through RAW operations during the [[Bangladesh Liberation War]].<ref name="Know about the man behind Bangladesh creation, K Sankaran Nair">{{cite web | url=http://www.indiatvnews.com/news/india/special-know-about-the-man-behind-bangladesh-creation-k-sankaran-30867.html | title=Know about the man behind Bangladesh creation, K Sankaran Nair | publisher=India TV | date=28 November 2013 | accessdate=May 1, 2016}}</ref> His memoirs, ''Inside IB and RAW: A Rolling Stone that Gathered Moss'',<ref name="The Intelligence Officer’s Bookshelf">{{cite web | url=https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/csi-studies/studies/vol-52-no-1/the-intelligence-officer2019s-bookshelf.html | title=The Intelligence Officer’s Bookshelf | publisher=Central Intelligence Agency | date=2016 | accessdate=May 1, 2016}}</ref> published in 2008 made news for the insider details it contained about two of the highest intelligence agencies in India.<ref name="Why a Kerala small town is an entire chapter in the story of India’s official movers and shakers">{{cite web | url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/why-a-kerala-small-town-is-an-entire-chapter-in-the-story-of-india-s-official-movers-and-shakers/237913/ | title=Why a Kerala small town is an entire chapter in the story of India’s official movers and shakers | publisher=Indian Express | date=11 November 2007 | accessdate=May 1, 2016}}</ref> The Government of India awarded him the third highest civilian honour of the [[Padma Bhushan]], in 1983, for his contributions to society.<ref name="Padma Awards">{{cite web | url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf | title=Padma Awards | publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India | date=2016 | accessdate=January 3, 2016}}</ref>
'''K. Sankaran Nair''' (20 December 1919 – 17 November 2015), known as '''Colonel Menon''' among his colleagues, was an Indian civil servant, diplomat and the director of [[Research and Analysis Wing]].<ref name="Former RAW chief Shankaran Nair passes away - The Hindu">{{cite web | url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/former-raw-chief-shankaran-nair-passes-away/article7887034.ece | title=Former RAW chief Shankaran Nair passes away – The Hindu | work=The Hindu | date=17 November 2015 | access-date=1 May 2016}}</ref> He served as the [[High Commissioner (Commonwealth)|Indian High Commissioner]] to [[Singapore]] from 1986 to 1988 and was the last surviving member of the [[Indian Imperial Police]].<ref name="K. Sankaran Nair, ex-RAW Chief is no more">{{cite web | url=http://citizensrightsgroup.com/k-sankaran-nair-ex-raw-chief-is-no-more/ | title=K. Sankaran Nair, ex-RAW Chief is no more | publisher=Citizens Rights Group | date=18 November 2015 | access-date=1 May 2016 | archive-date=2 June 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160602114820/http://citizensrightsgroup.com/k-sankaran-nair-ex-raw-chief-is-no-more/ | url-status=dead }}</ref> He was reported to have played a crucial role in the formation of [[Bangladesh]], through R&AW operations during the [[Bangladesh Liberation War]].<ref name="Know about the man behind Bangladesh creation, K Sankaran Nair">{{cite web | url=http://www.indiatvnews.com/news/india/special-know-about-the-man-behind-bangladesh-creation-k-sankaran-30867.html | title=Know about the man behind Bangladesh creation, K Sankaran Nair | publisher=India TV | date=28 November 2013 | access-date=1 May 2016}}</ref>

His memoirs, ''Inside IB and RAW: A Rolling Stone that Gathered Moss'',<ref name="The Intelligence Officer's Bookshelf">{{cite web | url=https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/csi-studies/studies/vol-52-no-1/the-intelligence-officer2019s-bookshelf.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080409005758/https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/csi-studies/studies/vol-52-no-1/the-intelligence-officer2019s-bookshelf.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=9 April 2008 | title=The Intelligence Officer's Bookshelf | publisher=Central Intelligence Agency | date=2016 | access-date=1 May 2016}}</ref> published in 2008 made news for the insider details it contained about two of the highest intelligence agencies in India.<ref name="Why a Kerala small town is an entire chapter in the story of India's official movers and shakers">{{cite web | url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/why-a-kerala-small-town-is-an-entire-chapter-in-the-story-of-india-s-official-movers-and-shakers/237913/ | title=Why a Kerala small town is an entire chapter in the story of India's official movers and shakers | publisher=Indian Express | date=11 November 2007 | access-date=1 May 2016}}</ref> The [[Government of India]] awarded him the third highest civilian honour of the [[Padma Bhushan]], in 1983, for his contributions to society.<ref name="Padma Awards">{{cite web|url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |title=Padma Awards |publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India |date=2016 |access-date=3 January 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151015193758/http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |archive-date=15 October 2015 }}</ref>


== Biography ==
== Biography ==
[[File:1971 Instrument of Surrender.jpg|thumb|235px|[[Instrument of surrender (1971)|1971 Instrument of Surrender]] - [[Bangladesh Liberation War]].]]
[[File:1971 Instrument of Surrender.jpg|thumb|235px|[[Instrument of surrender (1971)|1971 Instrument of Surrender]] – [[Bangladesh Liberation War]].]]
Sankaran Nair was born on 20 December 1919<ref name="Ex-RAW chief K Sankaran Nair was a legendary spy. RIP">{{cite web | url=http://www.dailyo.in/politics/k-sankaran-nair-r-and-aw-head-kashmir-emergency-rajiv-gandhi-asian-games/story/1/7438.html | title=Ex-RAW chief K Sankaran Nair was a legendary spy. RIP | publisher=Daily Yo | date=17 November 2015 | accessdate=May 1, 2016 | author=R. K. Yadav}}</ref> at [[Ottapalam]], in [[Palakkadu]] district of the south Indian state of [[Kerala]]<ref name="Ex RAW Chief Sankaran Nair Dead - Mathrubhumi">{{cite web | url=http://www.mathrubhumi.com/news/india/malayalam/k-sankaran-nair-raw-malayalam-news-1.676163 | title=Ex RAW Chief Sankaran Nair Dead - Mathrubhumi | publisher=Mathrubhumi | date=17 November 2015 | accessdate=May 1, 2016}}</ref> and did his graduate studies at [[Loyola College, Chennai]].<ref name="Ex-RAW chief Sankaran passes away - TOI">{{cite web | url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/Ex-RAW-chief-Sankaran-passes-away/articleshow/49829119.cms | title=Ex-RAW chief Sankaran passes away - TOI | publisher=Times of India | date=18 November 2015 | accessdate=May 1, 2016}}</ref> Subsequently, he pursued studies in Law but abandoned it midway when he was inducted into the [[Indian Imperial Police]]. After the [[Partition of India|Indian independence]], he continued at the [[Intelligence Bureau (India)|Intelligence Bureau]] (IB)<ref name="Raw intelligence">{{cite journal | url=http://www.frontline.in/static/html/fl2425/stories/20080104242507800.htm | title=Raw intelligence | author=A. G. Noorani | journal=Frontline | year=December 2007 | volume=24 | issue=25}}</ref> and, in 1959, went to Ghana to successfully complete the IB assignment of establishing Ghana Intelligence Agency, returning to India after two years.<ref name="Ex-RAW chief K Sankaran Nair was a legendary spy. RIP" /> In the aftermath of the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]], he was involved in the investigations against [[Intelligence Bureau (India)|Intelligence Bureau]] on allegations of ineptitude, and was reported to have submitted 65 reports to the investigation committee.<ref name="Ex-RAW chief K Sankaran Nair was a legendary spy. RIP" />
Sankaran Nair was born on 20 December 1919<ref name="Ex-RAW chief K Sankaran Nair was a legendary spy. RIP">{{cite web | url=http://www.dailyo.in/politics/k-sankaran-nair-r-and-aw-head-kashmir-emergency-rajiv-gandhi-asian-games/story/1/7438.html | title=Ex-RAW chief K Sankaran Nair was a legendary spy. RIP | publisher=DailyO | date=17 November 2015 | access-date=1 May 2016 | author=R. K. Yadav}}</ref> at [[Ottapalam]], in [[Palakkad]] district of the south Indian state of [[Kerala]]<ref name="Ex RAW Chief Sankaran Nair Dead - Mathrubhumi">{{cite web | url=http://www.mathrubhumi.com/news/india/malayalam/k-sankaran-nair-raw-malayalam-news-1.676163 | title=Ex RAW Chief Sankaran Nair Dead – Mathrubhumi | publisher=Mathrubhumi | date=17 November 2015 | access-date=1 May 2016}}</ref> and did his graduate studies at [[Loyola College, Chennai]].<ref name="Ex-RAW chief Sankaran passes away - TOI">{{cite web | url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/Ex-RAW-chief-Sankaran-passes-away/articleshow/49829119.cms | title=Ex-RAW chief Sankaran passes away – TOI | publisher=Times of India | date=18 November 2015 | access-date=1 May 2016}}</ref> Subsequently, he pursued studies in Law but abandoned it midway when he was inducted into the [[Indian Imperial Police]]. After the [[Partition of India|Indian independence]], he continued at the [[Intelligence Bureau (India)|Intelligence Bureau]] (IB)<ref name="Raw intelligence">{{cite journal | url=http://www.frontline.in/static/html/fl2425/stories/20080104242507800.htm | title=Raw intelligence | author=A. G. Noorani | journal=Frontline | date=December 2007 | volume=24 | issue=25}}</ref> and in 1959, went to [[Ghana]] to successfully complete the IB assignment of establishing [[Bureau of National Investigations|Ghana's Intelligence Agency]], returning to India after two years.<ref name="Ex-RAW chief K Sankaran Nair was a legendary spy. RIP" /> In the aftermath of the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]], he was involved in the investigations against [[Intelligence Bureau (India)|Intelligence Bureau]] on allegations of ineptitude, and was reported to have submitted 65 reports to the investigation committee.<ref name="Ex-RAW chief K Sankaran Nair was a legendary spy. RIP" />


When [[Research and Analysis Wing]] (RAW) was formed in 1968 as a splinter agency of IB, Nair became the deputy of [[Rameshwar Nath Kao]], the founder director of the agency.<ref name="Ex RAW Chief Sankaran Nair No More">{{cite web | url=http://www.pressreader.com/india/the-times-of-india-mumbai-edition/20151118/282033326094221/TextView | title=Ex RAW Chief Sankaran Nair No More | publisher=Times of India | date=18 November 2015 | accessdate=May 1, 2016}}</ref> During the [[Bangladesh Liberation War]] of 1971, he was in-charge of the operations there and his contributions in training the [[Mukti Bahini]] guerrillas are reported to have played a vital role in the successful liberation of Bangladesh.<ref name="Former RAW chief Shankaran Nair passes away - The Hindu" /> After Kao's resignation from RAW service in 1977 (reports suggest that he was forced to demit office),<ref name="Ex-RAW chief K Sankaran Nair was a legendary spy. RIP" /> Nair succeeded him as the director but his tenure lasted only three months as he resigned from the post, reportedly in protest,<ref name="A RAW Hand">{{cite journal | url=http://www.rediff.com/news/2005/feb/02spec3.htm | title=A RAW Hand | author=C. K. Kutty | journal=ReDiff News | year=February 2005}}</ref> when [[Morarji Desai]], the then Prime Minister of India, downgraded the position of the director of RAW from rank of a [[Cabinet Secretary of India|Cabinet Secretary]].<ref name="Former RAW chief Shankaran Nair passes away - The Hindu" /> He was moved to Minority Commission as its secretary from where he superannuated in December 1978.<ref name="Ex-RAW chief K Sankaran Nair was a legendary spy. RIP" /> However, he was involved with RAW operations again with the accession of [[Indira Gandhi]] to power again in 1980, and was known to have contributed to the restructuring of the agency.<ref name="Ex RAW Chief Sankaran Nair Dead - Mathrubhumi" /> In 1981, he was given the responsibility of the Secretary General of the [[1982 Asian Games]]<ref name="RAW ex-chief Nair passes away at 92">{{cite web | url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/nation/raw-ex-chief-nair-passes-away-at-92/159746.html | title=RAW ex-chief Nair passes away at 92 | publisher=The Tribune | date=18 November 2015 | accessdate=May 1, 2016}}</ref> and four years later, in 1986, he was appointed as the [[High Commissioner of India]] to Singapore, holding the post till his retirement from active service in 1988.<ref name="Former RAW chief Shankaran Nair passes away - The Hindu" />
When [[Research and Analysis Wing]] was formed in 1968 as a splinter agency of IB, Nair became the deputy of [[R. N. Kao|Rameshwar Nath Kao]], the founder director of the agency.<ref name="Ex RAW Chief Sankaran Nair No More">{{cite web | url=http://www.pressreader.com/india/the-times-of-india-mumbai-edition/20151118/282033326094221/TextView | title=Ex RAW Chief Sankaran Nair No More | publisher=Times of India | date=18 November 2015 | access-date=1 May 2016}}</ref> During the [[Bangladesh Liberation War]] of 1971, he was in-charge of the operations there and his contributions in training the [[Mukti Bahini]] guerrillas are reported to have played a vital role in the successful liberation of Bangladesh.<ref name="Former RAW chief Shankaran Nair passes away - The Hindu" /> After Kao's resignation from R&AW in 1977 (reports suggest that he was forced to demit office),<ref name="Ex-RAW chief K Sankaran Nair was a legendary spy. RIP" /> Nair succeeded him as the director but his tenure lasted only three months as he resigned from the post, reportedly in protest,<ref name="A RAW Hand">{{cite journal | url=http://www.rediff.com/news/2005/feb/02spec3.htm | title=A RAW Hand | author=C. K. Kutty | journal=Rediff News | date=February 2005}}</ref> when [[Morarji Desai]], the then [[Prime Minister of India]], downgraded the position of the director of R&AW from rank of a [[Cabinet Secretary of India|Cabinet Secretary]].<ref name="Former RAW chief Shankaran Nair passes away - The Hindu" /> He was moved to Minority Commission as its secretary from where he superannuated in December 1978.<ref name="Ex-RAW chief K Sankaran Nair was a legendary spy. RIP" /> However, he was involved with R&AW operations again with the accession of [[Indira Gandhi]] to power again in 1980, and was known to have contributed to the restructuring of the agency.<ref name="Ex RAW Chief Sankaran Nair Dead - Mathrubhumi" /> In 1981, he was given the responsibility of the Secretary General of the [[1982 Asian Games]]<ref name="RAW ex-chief Nair passes away at 92">{{cite web | url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/nation/raw-ex-chief-nair-passes-away-at-92/159746.html | title=RAW ex-chief Nair passes away at 92 | work=The Tribune | date=18 November 2015 | access-date=1 May 2016}}</ref> and four years later, in 1986, he was appointed as the [[High Commissioner of India]] to [[Singapore]], holding the post until his retirement from active service in 1988.<ref name="Former RAW chief Shankaran Nair passes away - The Hindu" />


The Government of India awarded him the civilian honor of the [[Padma Bhushan]] in 1983.<ref name="Padma Awards" /> In 2008, he published his memoirs, ''Inside IB and RAW: The Rolling Stone that Gathered Moss'', which narrated his official life at [[Intelligence Bureau (India)|Intelligence Bureau]] and [[Research and Analysis Wing]] and the book featured many notable personalities such as [[Sanjay Gandhi]], [[Morarji Desai]], [[V. C. Shukla]], [[Indira Gandhi]], [[R. N. Kao]], [[Y. B. Chavan]] and [[Rajiv Gandhi]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Inside IB and RAW: The Rolling Stone that Gathered Moss|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2XffAAAAMAAJ|year=2008|publisher=Manas Publications|isbn=978-81-7049-305-1}}</ref> The book discussed about the lapses during the [[Sino-Indian War]] of 1962 and the [[Indo-Pakistan War of 1965]] as well as several inside information in Indian politics and reportedly made news.<ref name="Why a Kerala small town is an entire chapter in the story of India’s official movers and shakers" /> He died on 17 November 2015 at his daughter's residence in [[Bengaluru]] where he spent his last years, at the age of 95, survived by the daughter; his wife had preceded him in death three years earlier.<ref name="Former RAW chief Shankaran Nair passes away - The Hindu" />
The [[Government of India]] awarded him the civilian honour of the [[Padma Bhushan]] in 1983.<ref name="Padma Awards" /> In 2008, he published his memoirs, ''Inside IB and R&AW: The Rolling Stone that Gathered Moss'', which narrated his official life at [[Intelligence Bureau (India)|Intelligence Bureau]] and [[Research and Analysis Wing]] and the book featured many notable personalities such as [[Sanjay Gandhi]], [[Morarji Desai]], [[V. C. Shukla]], [[Indira Gandhi]], [[R. N. Kao]], [[Y. B. Chavan]] and [[Rajiv Gandhi]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Inside IB and RAW: The Rolling Stone that Gathered Moss|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2XffAAAAMAAJ|year=2008|publisher=Manas Publications|isbn=978-81-7049-305-1}}</ref> The book discussed about the lapses during the [[Sino-Indian War]] of 1962 and the [[Indo-Pakistan War of 1965]] as well as several inside information in Indian politics and reportedly made news.<ref name="Why a Kerala small town is an entire chapter in the story of India's official movers and shakers" />
He died on 17 November 2015 at his daughter's residence in [[Bengaluru]] where he spent his last years, at the age of 95, survived by the daughter; his wife had preceded him in death three years earlier.<ref name="Former RAW chief Shankaran Nair passes away - The Hindu" />


== See also ==
== See also ==
* [[R. N. Kao]]
* [[R. N. Kao]]
* [[Research and Analysis Wing]]
* [[Research and Analysis Wing]]
* [[Ottapalam]]
* ''[[Adrishya]]''
{{portal|India}}
{{Portal|India|Politics}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Rameshwar Nath Kao]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[R&AW#Secretaries of R.26AW|Director of R&AW]]
|years=1977}}
{{s-aft|after=-}}
{{end}}


== References ==
== References ==
Line 35: Line 51:
== Further reading ==
== Further reading ==
* {{cite book | url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22057698-inside-i-b-and-r-a-w | title=Inside IB and RAW: A Rolling Stone that Gathered Moss | publisher=Manas Publications | author=K. Shankaran Nair | year=2008 | pages=235 | isbn=978-81-7049-305-1}}
* {{cite book | url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22057698-inside-i-b-and-r-a-w | title=Inside IB and RAW: A Rolling Stone that Gathered Moss | publisher=Manas Publications | author=K. Shankaran Nair | year=2008 | pages=235 | isbn=978-81-7049-305-1}}
* {{cite book | url=http://www.amazon.com/Mission-AW-Yadav-Former-Officer/dp/8170494745 | title=Mission R&AW | publisher=Manas Publications | author=R. K. Yadav | year=2014 | pages=543 | isbn=978-8170494744}}
* {{cite book | title=Mission R&AW | publisher=Manas Publications | author=R. K. Yadav | year=2014 | pages=543 | isbn=978-8170494744}}


{{PadmaBhushanAwardRecipients 1980–89}}
{{PadmaBhushanAwardRecipients 1980–89}}
{{Padma Award winners of Kerala}}
{{Padma Award winners of Kerala}}
⚫
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nair, K. Sankaran}}


{{authority control}}

⚫
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nair, K. Sankaran}}
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in civil service]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in civil service]]
[[Category:1919 births]]
[[Category:1919 births]]
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[[Category:Malayali people]]
[[Category:Malayali people]]
[[Category:Indian civil servants]]
[[Category:Indian civil servants]]
[[Category:Indian diplomats]]
[[Category:Writers from Kerala]]
[[Category:Writers from Kerala]]
[[Category:Indian Civil Service (British India) officers]]
[[Category:Indian Civil Service (British India) officers]]
[[Category:High Commissioners of India to Singapore]]
[[Category:High commissioners of India to Singapore]]
[[Category:Loyola College, Chennai alumni]]
[[Category:Loyola College, Chennai alumni]]
[[Category:People of the Research and Analysis Wing]]
[[Category:People of the Research and Analysis Wing]]
[[Category:Bangladesh Liberation War]]
[[Category:People of the Bangladesh Liberation War]]
[[Category:1982 Asian Games]]
[[Category:1982 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Indian autobiographers]]
[[Category:Indian autobiographers]]

Latest revision as of 21:45, 28 August 2024

K. Sankaran Nair
Born(1919-12-20)20 December 1919
Ottapalam, Madras Presidency, British India
(present day Palakkad, Kerala, India)
Died17 November 2015(2015-11-17) (aged 95)
Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
Other namesColonel Menon
Alma materLoyola College, Chennai
Occupations
  • Intelligence officer
  • Diplomat
  • Civil servant
Known forBangladesh Liberation War
AwardsPadma Bhushan

K. Sankaran Nair (20 December 1919 – 17 November 2015), known as Colonel Menon among his colleagues, was an Indian civil servant, diplomat and the director of Research and Analysis Wing.[1] He served as the Indian High Commissioner to Singapore from 1986 to 1988 and was the last surviving member of the Indian Imperial Police.[2] He was reported to have played a crucial role in the formation of Bangladesh, through R&AW operations during the Bangladesh Liberation War.[3]

His memoirs, Inside IB and RAW: A Rolling Stone that Gathered Moss,[4] published in 2008 made news for the insider details it contained about two of the highest intelligence agencies in India.[5] The Government of India awarded him the third highest civilian honour of the Padma Bhushan, in 1983, for his contributions to society.[6]

Biography

[edit]
1971 Instrument of Surrender – Bangladesh Liberation War.

Sankaran Nair was born on 20 December 1919[7] at Ottapalam, in Palakkad district of the south Indian state of Kerala[8] and did his graduate studies at Loyola College, Chennai.[9] Subsequently, he pursued studies in Law but abandoned it midway when he was inducted into the Indian Imperial Police. After the Indian independence, he continued at the Intelligence Bureau (IB)[10] and in 1959, went to Ghana to successfully complete the IB assignment of establishing Ghana's Intelligence Agency, returning to India after two years.[7] In the aftermath of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, he was involved in the investigations against Intelligence Bureau on allegations of ineptitude, and was reported to have submitted 65 reports to the investigation committee.[7]

When Research and Analysis Wing was formed in 1968 as a splinter agency of IB, Nair became the deputy of Rameshwar Nath Kao, the founder director of the agency.[11] During the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971, he was in-charge of the operations there and his contributions in training the Mukti Bahini guerrillas are reported to have played a vital role in the successful liberation of Bangladesh.[1] After Kao's resignation from R&AW in 1977 (reports suggest that he was forced to demit office),[7] Nair succeeded him as the director but his tenure lasted only three months as he resigned from the post, reportedly in protest,[12] when Morarji Desai, the then Prime Minister of India, downgraded the position of the director of R&AW from rank of a Cabinet Secretary.[1] He was moved to Minority Commission as its secretary from where he superannuated in December 1978.[7] However, he was involved with R&AW operations again with the accession of Indira Gandhi to power again in 1980, and was known to have contributed to the restructuring of the agency.[8] In 1981, he was given the responsibility of the Secretary General of the 1982 Asian Games[13] and four years later, in 1986, he was appointed as the High Commissioner of India to Singapore, holding the post until his retirement from active service in 1988.[1]

The Government of India awarded him the civilian honour of the Padma Bhushan in 1983.[6] In 2008, he published his memoirs, Inside IB and R&AW: The Rolling Stone that Gathered Moss, which narrated his official life at Intelligence Bureau and Research and Analysis Wing and the book featured many notable personalities such as Sanjay Gandhi, Morarji Desai, V. C. Shukla, Indira Gandhi, R. N. Kao, Y. B. Chavan and Rajiv Gandhi.[14] The book discussed about the lapses during the Sino-Indian War of 1962 and the Indo-Pakistan War of 1965 as well as several inside information in Indian politics and reportedly made news.[5]

He died on 17 November 2015 at his daughter's residence in Bengaluru where he spent his last years, at the age of 95, survived by the daughter; his wife had preceded him in death three years earlier.[1]

See also

[edit]
Preceded by Director of R&AW
1977 		Succeeded by
-

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e "Former RAW chief Shankaran Nair passes away – The Hindu". The Hindu. 17 November 2015. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  2. ^ "K. Sankaran Nair, ex-RAW Chief is no more". Citizens Rights Group. 18 November 2015. Archived from the original on 2 June 2016. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  3. ^ "Know about the man behind Bangladesh creation, K Sankaran Nair". India TV. 28 November 2013. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  4. ^ "The Intelligence Officer's Bookshelf". Central Intelligence Agency. 2016. Archived from the original on 9 April 2008. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  5. ^ a b "Why a Kerala small town is an entire chapter in the story of India's official movers and shakers". Indian Express. 11 November 2007. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  6. ^ a b "Padma Awards" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 October 2015. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
  7. ^ a b c d e R. K. Yadav (17 November 2015). "Ex-RAW chief K Sankaran Nair was a legendary spy. RIP". DailyO. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  8. ^ a b "Ex RAW Chief Sankaran Nair Dead – Mathrubhumi". Mathrubhumi. 17 November 2015. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  9. ^ "Ex-RAW chief Sankaran passes away – TOI". Times of India. 18 November 2015. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  10. ^ A. G. Noorani (December 2007). "Raw intelligence". Frontline. 24 (25).
  11. ^ "Ex RAW Chief Sankaran Nair No More". Times of India. 18 November 2015. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  12. ^ C. K. Kutty (February 2005). "A RAW Hand". Rediff News.
  13. ^ "RAW ex-chief Nair passes away at 92". The Tribune. 18 November 2015. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  14. ^ Inside IB and RAW: The Rolling Stone that Gathered Moss. Manas Publications. 2008. ISBN 978-81-7049-305-1.

Further reading

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