Rima Sarkar@_RimaSarkar
■ You know S. Jaishankar, India’s sharp, no-nonsense External Affairs Minister.
But do you know about his father?
Meet Krishnaswamy Subrahmanyam, widely regarded as the Father of India’s Nuclear Doctrine, one of the most influential voices in Indian national security, legendary strategic thinker, and civil servant.
■ Born in Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu, K. Subrahmanyam topped the IAS exam and joined the 1951 batch. A brilliant mind with an MSc in Chemistry, he redefined how India thought about power, security, and survival in a hostile world.
□ Pioneering Defence Strategist: Founding Director of the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) twice. He mentored generations of analysts and shaped India’s defence discourse for decades.
□ Nuclear Visionary: Fiercest advocate for India’s nuclear weapons programme. He strongly backed the 1974 Pokhran test, and played a central role in the 1998 tests. He chaired the National Security Advisory Board that drafted India’s nuclear doctrine - No First Use + Credible Minimum Deterrence.
□ Kargil Review Committee Chairman (1999): His committee’s explosive report led to major reforms in intelligence and defence structure, paving the way for the creation of the Chief of Defence Staff post years later.
□ 1971 Bangladesh War: One of the strongest voices pushing India to intervene and stop the humanitarian catastrophe.
□ Fearless Civil Servant: Served as Defence Production Secretary, Home Secretary of Tamil Nadu, and more. He was removed and superseded for speaking truth to power yet never compromised his principles.
■ On 24 August 1984, K. Subrahmanyam was a passenger on Indian Airlines Flight 421 (Delhi to Srinagar), which was hijacked by pro-Khalistani militants shortly after takeoff. The plane was diverted to Lahore and then Dubai. As a young IFS officer, S. Jaishankar was part of the crisis management team in Delhi handling the negotiations. Four hours into the ordeal, when he called home to say he couldn’t return because of the hijacking, he discovered that his own father was on the plane. All passengers were eventually released safely in Dubai. Even under threat, Subrahmanyam reportedly used the situation to observe and gather insights.
■ He authored/co-authored over a dozen books, wrote incisive columns for decades, advised Prime Ministers across parties, and influenced the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal. A true realpolitik thinker who understood China, Pakistan, and global power games long before others did.
■ Married to Sulochana, the couple raised four accomplished children, including:
□ S. Jaishankar (Foreign Minister)
□ Sanjay Subrahmanyam (renowned historian)
□ S. Vijay Kumar (senior IAS officer)
□ Sudha Subrahmanyam.
■ Subrahmanyam declined the Padma Bhushan, believing public servants and journalists shouldn’t chase honours. Even in his final years battling cancer, his intellect remained razor-sharp.
■ He passed away on 2 February 2011. India’s strategic community mourned with the words:
“Subrahmanyam is dead. India’s strategists are widowed.”
In the grand tapestry of India’s destiny, K. Subrahmanyam was not just a proud father, but also the quiet architect of a nation’s awakening, a luminous mind that lit the path of strategic wisdom, a steadfast guardian of sovereignty, and a timeless flame of patriotism whose glow continues to guide India’s journey through the corridors of power and peace. A patriot, intellectual, and nation-builder in the truest sense. 🇮🇳🙏🏻