Editing K. R. Narayanan (section)

===Diplomat and academician===

When Narayanan returned to India in 1948, Laski gave him a letter of introduction to Prime Minister [[Jawaharlal Nehru]]. Years later, he narrated<ref>Gopalkrishna Gandhi: {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20090830200245/http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/thscrip/print.pl?file=20051202005812900.htm&date=fl2224%2F&prd=fline& "A remarkable life-story"]}}, ''Frontline'' '''22''' (24), 5–18 November 2005. Retrieved 24 February 2006.</ref> how he began his career in the public service:

Shri Krishna 

<blockquote>When I finished with LSE, Laski, of his own, gave me a letter of introduction for Panditji. On reaching Delhi I sought an appointment with the PM. I suppose, because I was an Indian student returning home from London, I was given a timeslot. It was here in Parliament House that he met me. We talked for a few minutes about London and things like that and I could soon see that it was time for me to leave. So, I said goodbye and as I left the room, I handed over the letter from Laski and stepped out into the great circular corridor outside. When I was halfway round, I heard the sound of someone clapping from the direction I had just come. I turned to see Panditji [Nehru] beckoning me to come back. He had opened the letter as I left his room and read it. [Nehru asked:] "Why didn't you give this to me earlier?" [and KRN replied:] "Well, sir, I am sorry. I thought it would be enough if I just handed it over while leaving." After a few more questions, he asked me to see him again and very soon I found myself entering the Indian Foreign Service.</blockquote>
In 1949, he joined the [[Indian Foreign Service]] (IFS) on Nehru's request,<ref name="pandya_int">Haresh Pandya: [https://www.theguardian.com/india/story/0,,1652976,00.html "K. R. Narayanan: Indian president from downtrodden caste"], ''[[The Guardian]]'',  29 November 2005. Retrieved 6 March 2006.</ref> and was appointed an attached' in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on 18 April of that year.<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 2: Ministry of External Affairs |page=54  |date=24 February 1951 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> He worked as a diplomat in the embassies at [[Yangon|Rangoon]], [[Tokyo]], [[London]], [[Canberra]], and [[Hanoi]]. Narayanan's diplomatic career proceeded as follows:
*Second Secretary, Indian Liaison Mission in Tokyo (appointed 19 August 1951)<ref>{{cite news |last=Narayanan |first=M. K. |date=8 September 1951 |title=Part I-Section 2: Ministry of External Affairs |url=https://egazette.gov.in/(S(d0omcrj5nt4lwjrnmxe4ohrl))/ViewPDF.aspx |access-date=16 April 2022 |work=The Gazette of India |publisher=[[Department of Publication]] |page=272}}</ref>
*Appointment in the IFS confirmed (29 July 1953)<ref>{{cite news |last=Ahuja |first=V. K. |date=3 October 1953 |title=Part I-Section 2: Ministry of External Affairs |url=https://egazette.gov.in/(S(d0omcrj5nt4lwjrnmxe4ohrl))/ViewPDF.aspx |access-date=16 April 2024 |work=The Gazette of India |publisher=[[Department of Publication]] |page=344}}</ref>
*First Secretary, High Commission of India to the United Kingdom (relinquished 17 December 1957)<ref>{{cite news |last=Rasgotra |first=M. |author-link=Maharaja Krishna Rasgotra |date=11 January 1958 |title=Part I-Section 2: Ministry of External Affairs |url=https://egazette.gov.in/(S(d0omcrj5nt4lwjrnmxe4ohrl))/ViewPDF.aspx |access-date=16 April 2024 |work=The Gazette of India |publisher=[[Department of Publication]] |page=17}}</ref>
*Deputy Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs (relinquished 11 July 1960)<ref>{{cite news |last=Singh |first=Natwar |author-link=Natwar Singh |date=23 July 1960 |title=Part I-Section 2: Ministry of External Affairs |url=https://egazette.gov.in/(S(d0omcrj5nt4lwjrnmxe4ohrl))/ViewPDF.aspx |access-date=16 April 2024 |work=The Gazette of India |publisher=[[Department of Publication]] |page=447}}</ref>
*First Secretary, High Commission of India to Australia, including period as Acting High Commissioner of India, Canberra (relinquished 27 September 1961)<ref>{{cite news |last=Sharma |first=K. D. |date=21 October 1961 |title=Part I-Section 2: Ministry of External Affairs |url=https://egazette.gov.in/(S(d0omcrj5nt4lwjrnmxe4ohrl))/ViewPDF.aspx |access-date=16 April 2024 |work=The Gazette of India |publisher=[[Department of Publication]] |page=661}}</ref>
*Consul-General of India (Hanoi), [[North Vietnam]]<ref>{{cite news |last=Sinai |first=P. L. |date=19 January 1963 |title=Part I-Section 2: Ministry of External Affairs |url=https://egazette.gov.in/(S(d0omcrj5nt4lwjrnmxe4ohrl))/ViewPDF.aspx |access-date=16 April 2024 |work=The Gazette of India |publisher=[[Department of Publication]] |page=48}}</ref>
*Ambassador to [[Thailand]] (1967–69)<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015020142348?urlappend=%3Bseq=1045%3Bownerid=13510798896005338-1345 |title=The Times of India directory and yearbook including who's who |publisher=The Times of India Press |year=1968 |location=Bombay |pages=1015|hdl=2027/mdp.39015020142348?urlappend=%3Bseq=1045 }}</ref>
*Ambassador to [[Turkey]] (1973–75)<ref>''[https://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015020142587?urlappend=%3Bseq=504%3Bownerid=13510798896005475-512 The Times of India directory and yearbook including who's who]''. Bombay: The Times of India Press. 1973. p. 318.</ref>
*Secretary (East), Ministry of External Affairs (relinquished 1 May 1976)<ref name="amb_PRC">{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 2: Ministry of External Affairs |page=967  |date=19 June 1976 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> 
*Ambassador to the [[China|People's Republic of China]] (appointed 1 May 1976)<ref name="amb_PRC" /><ref>''3[https://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015020142553?urlappend=%3Bseq=990%3Bownerid=13510798896014451-1042 The Times of India directory and yearbook including who's who]''. Bombay: The Times of India Press. 1976. p. 782.</ref>

During his diplomatic career, Narayanan also taught at the [[Delhi School of Economics]] (DSE) (1954) and was Jawaharlal Nehru fellow (1970–72). He retired from the IFS in 1978.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Raja |first=D. |date=27 October 2020 |title=K R Narayanan and his relevance for our times |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/opinions/2020/Oct/27/k-r-narayanan-and-his-relevance-for-our-times-2215446.html |access-date=16 April 2020 |work=[[The New Indian Express]]}}</ref>

After his retirement, Narayanan served as the [[Vice-Chancellor]] of [[Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi|Jawaharlal Nehru University]] (JNU) in [[New Delhi]] from 3 January 1979 – 14 October 1980; he would later describe this experience as the foundation for his public life.<ref name=ptt_int>P. T. Thomas: "Interview with K. R. Narayanan", ''Maanavasamskruthi'' '''1''' (8), February 2005, in [[Malayalam]]. English translation of part of the interview, at CHRO web page: [http://www.nuke.humanrightskerala.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=5090 Part I] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928003749/http://www.nuke.humanrightskerala.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=5090 |date=28 September 2007 }}; [http://www.nuke.humanrightskerala.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=5097 Part II] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081012023123/http://www.nuke.humanrightskerala.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=5097 |date=12 October 2008 }}. Additional translation
of question on his relationship with the Left front in {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20071126123748/http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/thscrip/print.pl?file=2005030308811100.htm&date=2005%2F03%2F03%2F&prd=th& "Narayanan criticises Vajpayee for Gujarat riots"]}}, ''The Hindu'', 10 November 2005. Retrieved 24 February 2006.</ref> Subsequently, he was recalled from retirement to serve as [[Indian Ambassador to the United States]] from 1980–84, under the [[Indira Gandhi]] administration.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015019997702?urlappend=%3Bseq=1227%3Bownerid=13510798896917782-1281 |title=The Times of India directory and year book including who's who |date=1983 |publisher=The Times of India Press |location=Bombay |page=917 |hdl=2027/mdp.39015019997702?urlappend=%3Bseq=1227 |access-date=16 April 2024}}</ref> Narayanan's tenures as Indian ambassador to China, the first such high level Indian diplomatic posting in that country after the 1962 [[Sino-Indian War]], and to the US where he helped arrange Ms. Gandhi's landmark 1982 visit to [[Washington, D.C.|Washington]] during the [[Ronald Reagan|Reagan presidency]] helped mend India's strained relations with both these countries.<ref>His [http://pib.myiris.com/speech/article.php3?fl=010508171719 speech] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060630093120/http://pib.myiris.com/speech/article.php3?fl=010508171719 |date=30 June 2006 }} at Peking University while on a state visit, briefly describes his vision of relations between India and China. (Retrieved 24 February 2006.) Narayanan spoke Chinese, and had a scholarly knowledge of Chinese culture and history, particularly the cultural exchanges between the two countries. His visit as President eased tensions that had developed with China after the [[Pokhran]] nuclear tests.</ref><ref>His [http://pib.myiris.com/speech/article.php3?fl=D33180 banquet speech] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060630093102/http://pib.myiris.com/speech/article.php3?fl=D33180 |date=30 June 2006 }} welcoming Bill Clinton to Rashtrapati Bhavan briefly describes his vision of relations between India and the US.  Retrieved 24 February 2006.</ref> Nehru, who had also been the Minister for External Affairs during his 16 years as PM, held that K. R. Narayanan was "the best diplomat of the country."(1955)