CleanupBot II at 11:56, 14 August 2023

2023-08-14T11:56:09Z

New page

{{EngvarB|date=April 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name = K. Sankaran Nair
| image =
| imagesize =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1919|12|20}}
| birth_place = [[Ottapalam]], [[Madras Presidency]], [[British Raj|British India]]<br>(present day [[Palakkad district|Palakkad]], [[Kerala]], India)
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2015|11|17|1919|12|20}}
| death_place = [[Bengaluru]], [[Karnataka]], India
| othername = Colonel Menon
| alma_mater = [[Loyola College, Chennai]]
| occupation = {{hlist|Intelligence officer|Diplomat|Civil servant}}
| years_active =
| known for = [[Bangladesh Liberation War]]
| awards = [[Padma 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]].<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 2022}}</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 2022}}</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 2022}}</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 2022}}</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 2022}}</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 ==
[[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=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 2022}}</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 2022}}</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]] 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 2022}}</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 2022}}</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 2022}}</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 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 ==
* [[R. N. Kao]]
* [[Research and Analysis Wing]]
* ''[[Adrishya]]''

{{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 ==
{{reflist|30em}}

== 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 | title=Mission R&AW | publisher=Manas Publications | author=R. K. Yadav | year=2014 | pages=543 | isbn=978-8170494744}}

{{PadmaBhushanAwardRecipients 1980–89}}
{{Padma Award winners of Kerala}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nair, K. Sankaran}}
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in civil service]]
[[Category:1919 births]]
[[Category:2015 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Ottapalam]]
[[Category:Malayali people]]
[[Category:Indian civil servants]]
[[Category:Writers from Kerala]]
[[Category:Indian Civil Service (British India) officers]]
[[Category:High Commissioners of India to Singapore]]
[[Category:Loyola College, Chennai alumni]]
[[Category:People of the Research and Analysis Wing]]
[[Category:Bangladesh Liberation War]]
[[Category:1982 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Indian autobiographers]]

K. Sankaran Nair - Revision history

CleanupBot II at 11:56, 14 August 2023