Pipingblog at 10:46, 10 June 2024

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{{Short description|Indian entrepreneur and philanthropist (1949–2019)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=April 2018}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Cheril Krishna Menon
| image = C.K. Menon.jpg
| imagesize =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{birth date|1949|9|18|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Thrissur]], [[Kerala]], India
| death_date = {{death date and age|2019|10|1|1949|9|18|df=yes}}
| death_place = [[Chennai]], [[Tamil Nadu]], [[India]]
| restingplace =
| restingplacecoordinates =
| othername =
| occupation = {{csv|Entrepreneur|Philanthropist|Lawyer}}
| yearsactive =
| known for =
| spouse = Jayasree K. Menon
| domesticpartner =
| children ={{ubl|Anjana|Sreeranjini|Jayakrishnan}}
| parents ={{ubl|Puliyamkott Narayanan Nair|Cheril Karthyayani Amma}}
| website =
| awards ={{ubl|[[Padma Shri]]|[[Pravasi Bharatiya Samman]]|[[Federal Bank]] Kerala Business Award|DIDIC Qatar National Award}}
}}
'''Cheril Krishna Menon''' (18 September 1949 – 1 October 2019<ref>[https://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/article/01/10/2019/CK-Menon,-Doha-industrialist-and-philanthropist,-dies-aged-70 C. K. Menon, Doha industrialist and philanthropist, dies aged 70]</ref>) was an Indian entrepreneur and philanthropist.<ref name="NRI Internet">{{cite web | url=http://www.nriinternet.com/NRIentrepreneurs/Middle_East/A_Z/M/C.K.Menon/index.htm | title=NRI Internet | publisher=NRI Internet | date=20 March 2011 | access-date=28 December 2014}}</ref> He was the Chairman and Managing Director of Behzad Corporation, headquartered in Doha, Qatar, which has presence in many other countries.<ref name="Behzad">{{cite web | url=http://www.behzadcorporation.com/index.html | title=Behzad | publisher=Behzad | date=2014 | access-date=28 December 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150115144623/http://behzadcorporation.com/index.html | archive-date=15 January 2015 | url-status=dead }}</ref> He received the 2006 [[Pravasi Bharatiya Samman]] and in 2009 received the fourth highest Indian civilian award, [[Padma Shri]], from [[Government of India]], in 2009, with.<ref name="Padma Awards">{{cite web |url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |title=Padma Awards |publisher=Padma Awards |date=2014 |access-date=11 November 2014 |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> He died after prolonged illness at [[Apollo Hospital]], [[Chennai]] on 1 October 2019, aged 70.

==Biography==
Krishna Menon was born in [[Thrissur]], in the South Indian state of [[Kerala]], on 18 September 1949<ref name="Due Dil">{{cite web | url=https://www.duedil.com//director/911887173/cheril-krishna-menon | title=Due Dil | publisher=Due Dil | date=2014 | access-date=28 December 2014}}</ref> to Cheril Karthyayani Amma and Puliyamkott Narayanan Nair, a local business man engaged in transport business.<ref name="NRI Internet" /><ref name="CK Menon">{{cite web | url=http://www.ckmenon.com/About.html | title=CK Menon | publisher=CK Menon | date=2014 | access-date=28 December 2014}}</ref> His schooling was at [[Church Mission Society High School]], [[Thrissur]] (CMSHSS, [[Thrissur]]) after which he did his Pre University Course from [[St. Thomas College, Thrissur]]. He graduated from [[Sree Kerala Varma College]], [[Thrissur]] and secured a graduate degree in Law from the Law College, [[Jabalpur]].<ref name="NRI Internet" /><ref name="CK Menon" /> His career started as a lawyer at the [[High Court of Kerala]], Kochi which he continued for two years before moving to Qatar in 1976.<ref name="NRI Internet" /><ref name="CK Menon" />

Menon established Behzad Corporation, Doha, a fuel transportation company, in 1978, in partnership with Ali Bin Nasser Al Misnad, a Qatari citizen. Over the years, he diversified his business to cover finance, media, steel and infrastructure industries and has presence in many countries in the Middle East, American continent, Europe and in India.<ref name="NRI Internet" /><ref name="Behzad" /> Besides heading his flagship company, Behzad Corporation, he was a director of business establishments such as Behzad Fuels (UK) Limited,<ref name="Due Dil" /> Infrastructure Kerala Limited (INKEL), a [[Government of Kerala]] undertaking,<ref name="INKEL">{{cite web | url=http://www.inkelkerala.com/board.aspx | title=INKEL | publisher=INKEL | date=2014 | access-date=28 December 2014 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141228132138/http://www.inkelkerala.com/board.aspx | archive-date=28 December 2014 }}</ref> [[JaiHind TV]] and Symphony TV and was chairman of Al Barakah Financial Services Limited, the first Islamic non banking finance company in Kerala, promoted by [[Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation]] (KSIDC)<ref name="NRI Internet" /><ref name="Al Baraka">{{cite web | url=http://halalinindia.com/kerala.php | title=Al Baraka | publisher=Halal India | date=2014 | access-date=28 December 2014 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150702025126/http://halalinindia.com/kerala.php | archive-date=2 July 2015 }}</ref> and TJSV Steel Fabrication and Galvanizing Limited.<ref name="TJSV">{{cite web | url=http://www.tjsvsteelfabricationandgalvanizing.com/direction.html | title=TJSV | publisher=TJSV | date=2014 | access-date=28 December 2014 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121008042355/http://tjsvsteelfabricationandgalvanizing.com/direction.html | archive-date=8 October 2012 }}</ref>

Menon, who has been listed as the 20th richest non resident Indian in the Middle East by [[Arabian Business magazine|Arabian Business Magazine]] in 2011,<ref name="Arabian Business">{{cite news | url=http://www.arabianbusiness.com/indian-rich-list-2011-421344.html?view=profile&itemid=421305 | title=Arabian Business | publisher=Arabian Business | date=2011 | access-date=28 December 2014}}</ref> was a member of many government constituted bodies. He was a permanent director<ref name="NRI Internet" /><ref name="TJSV" /> and the vice chairman of ''Norka Roots'', the field agency of the [[Department of Non Resident Keralites Affairs]].<ref name="Norka Roots">{{cite web | url=http://www.norkaroots.net/Norka.htm | title=Norka Roots | publisher=Norka Roots | date=2014 | access-date=28 December 2014}}</ref> He was on the board of directors of the ''India Development Foundation of Overseas Indians'', a trust under the [[Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs]] for promoting and channelising the philanthropic efforts of the non resident Indians.<ref name="NRI Internet" /><ref name="TJSV" /><ref name="IDFOI">{{cite web | url=http://www.idfoi.org/ | title=IDFOI | publisher=IDFOI | date=2014 | access-date=28 December 2014}}</ref> He was a nominated Ex Officio member of the Security Advisory Council to Civil Aviation, (SACCA) [[Government of India]]<ref name="Domain B">{{cite web | url=http://www.domain-b.com/people/in_the_news/20110524_cheril_krishna_menon.html | title=Domain B | publisher=Domain B | date=24 May 2011 | access-date=28 December 2014}}</ref> and served as the chairman of Bhavan's Public School (Al Misnad Education Centre), Doha, Qatar.<ref name="TJSV" /><ref name="Bhavans Doha">{{cite web | url=http://bhavansqatar.org/images/ | title=Bhavans Doha | publisher=Bhavans Doha | date=2014 | access-date=28 December 2014 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141228132624/http://bhavansqatar.org/images/ | archive-date=28 December 2014 }}</ref>

==Philanthropy==
Krishna Menon is reported to have built and donated over 100 houses for the slum dwellers in Thrissur.<ref name="NRI Internet" /><ref name="Arabian Business" /> He was involved with the ''Laksham Veedu Project'' and ''M. N. Laksham Veedu Restoration Project''<ref name="Laksham Veedu">{{cite web | url=http://www.kerala.gov.in/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&catid=72:housing-department&id=2943:housing-dept-schemes&Itemid=2258 | title=Laksham Veedu | publisher=Government of Kerala | date=2014 | access-date=28 December 2014}}</ref> of the [[Government of Kerala]].<ref name="NRI Internet" /> He was a patron and a major supporter of ''Adarsh Charitable Trust'', a non governmental organization based in [[Tripunithura]] in [[Kochi]], which runs various programs including a school for the mentally challenged children.<ref name="Adarsh">{{cite web | url=http://www.adarshrehab.org/list/major-supporters | title=Adarsh | publisher=Adarsh | date=2014 | access-date=28 December 2014}}</ref> He was also associated with the activities of the School of Bhagavat Gita, Thiruvananthapuram<ref name="School of Bhagavat Gita">{{cite web | url=http://www.schoolofbhagavadgita.org/salagramam.php | title=School of Bhagavat Gita | publisher=School of Bhagavat Gita | date=2014 | access-date=28 December 2014 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141228132551/http://www.schoolofbhagavadgita.org/salagramam.php | archive-date=28 December 2014 }}</ref> and is known to have donated a [[mosque]] to the Muslim community.<ref name="NRI Internet" />

==Awards and recognitions==
[[File:The President Dr, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam giving away the Pravasi Bhartiya Samman Award to Mr C.K.Menon of Qatar for Community Leadership, on the last day of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, in Hyderabad on January 9, 2006.jpg|thumb|Menon receives [[Pravasi Bharatiya Samman]] from [[President of India]] in 2006]]
Krishna Menon received the [[Pravasi Bharatiya Samman]] from the [[Government of India]] in 2006.<ref name="NRI Internet" /><ref name="TJSV" /><ref name="Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs">{{cite web | url=http://moia.gov.in/services.aspx?ID1=34&id=m2&idp=30&mainid=23 | title=Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs | publisher=Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs | date=2014 | access-date=28 December 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141228131301/http://moia.gov.in/services.aspx?ID1=34&id=m2&idp=30&mainid=23 | archive-date=28 December 2014 | url-status=dead | df=dmy-all }}</ref> Three years later, the government honoured him again with the civilian award of [[Padma Shri]] in 2009.<ref name="TJSV" /> He received the [[Federal Bank]] Kerala Business Award from the World Malayali Council in 2011.<ref name="Arabian Business" /><ref name="IBN Live">{{cite web | url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/world-malayalee-council-announces-awards/183007-60-116.html | archive-url=https://archive.today/20141228105357/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/world-malayalee-council-announces-awards/183007-60-116.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=2014-12-28 | title=IBN Live | publisher=IBN Live | date=2011 | access-date=28 December 2014}}</ref> He was also a recipient of the 2012 Qatar National Award from the Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue (DICID).<ref name="TJSV" />

==Personal life==
Menon was married to Jayasree K. Menon, with whom he had three children.

He was a regular sponsor of [[Puli Kali|Puli kali]] in his hometown. He also sponsored the [[Maha Shivaratri]] celebrations at [[Vadakkumnathan Temple]] in Thrissur.

==Death==
On 18 September 2019, his 70th birthday, Menon was diagnosed with viral fever which later on worsened into pneumonia and was undergoing treatment in [[Kochi]], where he had lived for the past few years. Since his condition worsened, he was transferred to Appolo Hospital in Chennai, where he died in the night of 1 October. He was cremated with full state honours at the premises of his ancestral home in Thrissur. He is survived by his wife, children and grandchildren.

==See also==
* [[List of Nairs]]
* [[Department of Non Resident Keralites Affairs]]
{{Portal|India}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Padma Shri Award Recipients in Social Work}}
{{Padma Award winners of Kerala}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Menon, Cheril Krishna}}
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in social work]]
[[Category:Malayali people]]
[[Category:1949 births]]
[[Category:Indian expatriates in Qatar]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from Thrissur]]
[[Category:Recipients of Pravasi Bharatiya Samman]]
[[Category:2019 deaths]]
[[Category:Kerala diaspora]]

C. K. Menon - Revision history

Pipingblog at 10:46, 10 June 2024