K. K. Chettur Biography 
K. K. Chettur was an Indian civil servant and diplomat from Kerala who served as India's first ambassador to Japan. He is the nephew of Sir C. Sankaran Nair, a judge of the Madras High Court and the President of the Indian National Congress in 1897. Chettur's daughter Jaya Jaitly is a noted socialist politician and activist who co-founded the Samata Party, and whose daughter is married to cricketer Ajay Jadeja. Jaya is also an author and handicrafts curator, who writes books on India’s arts and crafts cottage industries, and currently lives with Samata Party co-founder George Fernandes.
His full name is Krishna Krishna Chettur. He was born on 10 March 1901 into a distinguished political family of Kerala. Many of his family members were closely associated with social service, administration and similar kind of fields. Kunhiraman Palat Candeth, a senior army officer in the Indian Army was his cousin. Chettur was a civil servant and diplomat who served as India's first ambassador to Japan. He spent many years in Japan and Burma, where he worked. His family also travelled along with him. When his daughter Jaya was only 13, Chettur passed away. He was only in his mid-50s. After Chettur’s death the family returned to Delhi. He had a massive heart attack. Jaya went on to establish herself as a politician and art curator.
Chettur entered the Indian Civil Service on 5 March 1925 after completing his Master’s of Arts degree. He first worked in Indian Audit Department, and was posted in Rangoon in 1930, then a province of British India. In 1933 he was transferred to Kolkata. Then he moved to higher ranks from Under-secretary to the Finance Department of the Government of India, followed by deputy secretary in the Commerce Department and on Indian independence he rose to the rank of Secretary in the Commerce Department.
Published: January 22, 2019
Updated: January 22, 2019
