Krishna Menon was born in Kerala, India in 1897 and saw at first hand British rule in India, and heard the argument that incapable of self-government, India was being run by the British for its own good. From an early age he dreamed of Indian Independence. He came to Britain in 1924 with the help of Annie Besant, herself a supporter of Indian Home Rule. He expected to stay for a couple of years but stayed for a generation, mixing with Labour MPs and making the case for Indian self-rule to anyone who would listen.

Accounts of Menon emphasise his aescetism and his dedication to the causes that he felt deeply about. Although trained as a barrister, he never made much money out of it - some historians argue that this was because he spent all his time on the Indian nationalist cause, others point to the fact that he took unprofitable cases for poor lascars arrested in England. He stayed in cheap lodgings in working class areas of Camden: his longest stay was around 10 years at 57 Camden Square.

He met Jawaharlal Nehru, the future Prime Minister of India, when he visited London in the 1930s and both travelled together to Spain to observe the fight against Franco. Perhaps their dangerous experiences helped to bind them together: both men remained extremely loyal to each other for the rest of their lives.

In the 1960s Menon appears to have been seen both as a potential successor to Nehru, and a controversial figure who was often disliked. For many years he was India's envoy to the UN in New York, and is famous for delivering the longest speech ever given there: it was about the situation in Kashmir and lasted for 8 hours.

He died on October 6th, 1974. Although there were requests for a blue plaque to Menon in London, none materialised. Instead, in 1979 a bust of Menon was erected in Fitzroy Square Gardens, by the sculptor Fredda Brilliant, who also created the statue of Gandhi that sits at the centre of Tavistock Square.

In July 1981, the statue was stolen. A replacement bust was erected in 1984, only to be stolen again the following year. A third cast was eventually made, but this time Camden Council instead displayed it in the Camden Centre, where it can still be seen.

If, 25 years on, you have guilt in your heart and a leading Indian statesman under your bed, we recommend that you contact Camden Council in the first instance. untoldLondon would love to see this important public figure again on display to passers by in Fitzroy Square.

What next?

Reading:

Rozina Visram - Ayahs, Lascars and Princes includes a section on Krishna Menon
Emil Lengyl - Krishna Menon. This book was written in 1962 when Menon was at the UN in New York. It's now out of print, but gives an interesting contemporary account of Menon if you can find a copy.

On the web:

Krishna Menon on the cover of Time Magazine
Photographs of Menon now held by the National Portrait Gallery
The Krishna Menon Institute