In the annals of Indian bureaucratic history, few stories stand out as starkly as that of K. Subrahmanyam (KS), father of current External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, during the tumultuous period of the Emergency in 1975-77. Contrary to popular speculation, KS maintained a principled distance from the corridors of power, adhering to what he believed was an unwritten code of conduct for civil servants.
KS’s philosophy was rooted in the ideal of service to the state as an abstraction, eschewing political connections to further one’s career. This stance was put to the test during the Emergency, a period that significantly weakened the bureaucracy and fostered clientship relations between IAS officers and politicians.
In 1975, KS was removed from his position at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) and transferred to Tamil Nadu’s Board of Revenue. The following year, he found himself in an unprecedented situation. The DMK government in Tamil Nadu had been dissolved, its leaders imprisoned, and President’s rule imposed. PK Dave, a career bureaucrat, was sent as a special adviser to the governor and appointed KS as the home secretary of Tamil Nadu.
This role placed KS at the heart of internal security matters during one of India’s most challenging periods. While he did not openly defy regulations, KS often chose to follow his conscience rather than rigidly enforce rules. He viewed the Emergency as deeply anti-democratic, reminiscent of the colonial era when freedom fighters were held in British jails.
KS’s approach, coupled with that of his friend and Finance Secretary Gugan, who had even stronger views and close ties with DMK members, resulted in Tamil Nadu having one of the most lenient regimes during the Emergency. This leniency raised eyebrows in Delhi, with questions being asked about the state’s seemingly relaxed stance.
It is likely that the central government would have intervened to impose stricter measures in Tamil Nadu had it not been for the 1977 elections that saw Indira Gandhi’s resounding defeat. This episode in KS’s career, while known to some of his contemporaries, is often overlooked in discussions about his professional life.
This lesser-known chapter in the career of K. Subrahmanyam showcases a bureaucrat’s moral compass in action during one of India’s darkest periods.
Source: Chapter 11 of the book – Security Beyond Survival: Essays For K Subrahmanyan