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Mr. V.K. Krishna Menon’s Endowment was inaugurated on 25th February 1975 by Mr. M.N. Govindan Nair. The proceeds of the endowment are to be used to conduct ‘V.K. Krishna Menon Lecturers’. The inaugural lecture of the series was delivered by Shri. Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer on 28th January 1978 at the Senate Hall, Thiruvananthapuram. The most significant fact about the V.K. Krishna Menon Law Lectures, instituted by the Center for Advanced Legal Studies and Research, is that it is the only one of its kind in India which has taken shape purely from contributions from the general public, and not from any assistance by the Government.
Mr. V.K. Krishna Menon was born on 3.5.1896 to Komathu Krishan Kurup. V.K.Krishna Menon is a legendary figure being part of India’s freedom struggle. As an Indian Nationalist Leader and freedom fighter, Mr. Menon while studying at Madras Law College, became involved in Theosophy and was actively associated with Annie Besant and Home Rule Movement. He had his education at the London School of Economics and University College London and in England, he worked as a journalist and secretary (1929-1947) of the India League and became associated with fellow Indian nationalist Leader, Jawaharlal Nehru. In 1934, as a member of the Labour Party he was elected as borough councilor of St. Pancras, London, which borough conferred on him the title “Freedom of Borough”, the only other person so honored being Bernard Shaw.
In 1947, Menon became high commissioner to the United Kingdom and remained in that post till 1952. Subsequently, he led the Indian delegation to the United Nations (1952-1962), where he adopted a policy of non-alignment. On 23.01.1957, he delivered an unprecedented 8-hour speech defending India’s stand on Kashmir. To date, Krishna Menon’s speech is the longest ever in the United Nations Security Council. Menon became a member of the Parliament (Rajya Sabha) in 1953. On 3.2.1956 he joined the Union Cabinet as Minister and in 1957 he was elected to the Lok Sabha from Bombay in April 1957; he was named Minister of defence under Prime Minister Nehru. He was behind the establishment of Sanik Schools in India. However, after India’s defeat in the China-India war of 1962, he resigned from office for the country’s lack of military preparedness. In 1967 he lost his parliamentary seat but was re-elected in 1969 from Midnapore. Again, he was elected to the Parliament from Thiruvananthapuram. He died on 6th October 1974 in New Delhi.The V.K. Krishna Menon lectures are the following:
1. Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer, former judge Supreme Court of India (1978), – ‘Social Justice and handicapped Humans’. (Held on 28.01.2978) (Published by Academy).
2. Dr. J.A.G. Grifhith, Professor of the London School of Economics (1980)- ‘Public Rights Vs Private Rights’ (published by the Academy).
3. Dr. Upendra Baxi (1983)- ‘Marx, Law and Justice’ (held from 5th to 9th December 1983) (published by Eastern Book House).
4. Dr. Peter. G. Sack, Professor of Austrialian National University (1988)- ‘Constitutions and Revolutions’ (held from 3rd to 7th August 1988) (published by Academy).
5. Justice Markendey Katju, Judge, Supreme Court of Inida (2008)- ‘India and the Constitution’.
