Incarnations: India in 50 Lives

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The history of India told through the lives of 50 phenomenal people.

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Incarnations: India in 50 Lives: Krishna Menon: Sombre Porcupine

Akbar: The World and the Bridge

Krishna Menon: Sombre Porcupine

BBC Radio 4 - Incarnations: India in 50 Lives, Krishna Menon: Sombre Porcupine

A profile of the abrasive Indian diplomat and statesman Krishna Menon

Professor Sunil Khinani  looks at the life of Krishna Menon, the abrasive Indian diplomat and statesman who invented the concept of non-alignment.

Professor Sunil Khinani, from the King's India Institute in London, looks at the life of Krishna Menon, the abrasive Indian diplomat and statesman who invented the concept of non-alignment. He was one of the most reviled figures of the Cold War era.  The Americans regarded Menon as a "mischief maker"; the British thought he was in bed with the Soviets while the Soviets thought he was a lackey of the British; and the Chinese resented his attempts to school them in international affairs.  The diplomat, who was the voice of India's foreign policy for almost two decades, pursued an agenda which deeply unsettled the superpowers. But, says Professor Khilnani, "Menon's approach helped give India an influential voice at the global diplomatic table, dominated by the big four powers." 
Producer: Mark Savage
Music: Talvin Singh

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