V. P. Menon Biography 
Vappala Pangunni Menon, shortly called V. P. Menon was an Indian civil servant from Kerala, who served as the Constitutional Adviser and Political Reforms Commissioner to Viceroys during the last three years of British rule in India. He was an eminent administrator and diplomat. His role in India's partition and political integration is really admirable and was a part of Swatantra Party during his last days. The party was a conservative political party that existed from 1959 to 1974.
There is no authoritative biography written about him and his character and contributions have been hidden somewhere unnoticed. But he is often referred to as the ‘The Architect of Modern India’. A resident of Ottapalam, Kerala he toiled and rose to become the most trusted Indians amongst the ruling British and turned out to be the master negotiator for the Indians and the Congress, with the British.
He was born in Ottappalam, Kerala as the son of a school headmaster. He was not highly educated. He studied till class 7. Menon worked as a railway stoker, coal miner and Bangalore tobacco company clerk during the first phase of his career. Later he passed Indian Civil Service Exams and joined in a minor post in British India. By his hard work, he became the highest serving Indian officer in British India and was appointed as Political Reforms Commissioner to the British Viceroy.
VP moved back and forth negotiating the paperwork of English withdrawal from India. He also served as a secretary of state dividing India into different states, negotiating with 564 princes, kings, sultans and nawabs who existed in independent India. He together with Sardar Patel created the present political India – really an incredible work.
Published: N/A
Updated: December 11, 2015
