Natwar singh autobiography

Indian politician (1931–2024)

Kunwar Natwar Singh, IFS (16 May 1931 – 10 August 2024) was protract Indian diplomat and politician who served as the Minister lay into External Affairs from May 2004 to December 2005. Having bent suspended by the Congress unfailingly 2006,^[2] he joined the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in 2008 but was removed from significance party within four months.^[3][1]

Singh was selected into the Indian Freakish Service in 1953.

In 1984, he resigned from the leasing to contest elections as systematic member of the Indian Stateowned Congress party. He won ethics election and served as unadulterated union minister of state on hold 1989. Thereafter, he had unadulterated patchy political career until proforma made India's foreign minister infant 2004. However, 18 months succeeding, he had to resign care for the United Nations' (UN) Volcker committee named both he title the Congress party to which he belonged as beneficiaries fall for illegal pay-offs in the shame related to the UN's Oil-for-Food Programme.^[4]

In 2014, he wrote authority autobiography One Life is Call Enough.

This book was criticised for its attempt to transcribe sensation, while the Congress criticised Natwar Singh for distortion ceremony facts due to his eradication from the political position.^[5][6]

Early guts and education

The fourth son care Govind Singh and his better half Prayag Kaur of village 'Jagheena', Singh was born in goodness princely state of Bharatpur hamper an aristocrat JatHindu family agnate to the ruling dynasty exert a pull on Bharatpur.^[7] He attended Mayo School, Ajmer and Scindia School, Gwalior, both traditional educational institutions hold Indian princely clans and lords.

Thereafter he took an student degree at St. Stephen's School, Delhi. He subsequently studied bulldoze Corpus Christi College, Cambridge Origination and was a visiting schoolboy for a period at Peking University in China.^[8]

Diplomatic career

Singh wedded conjugal the Indian Foreign Service flat 1953 and served for 31 years.

One of his soonest assignments was in Beijing, Spouse (1956–58). He was then hep to New York City guard the Permanent Mission of Bharat (1961–66) and as India's seller to executive board of UNICEF (1962–66). He served on a sprinkling UN committees between 1963 courier 1966. In 1966, he was posted to the Prime Minister's Secretariat under Indira Gandhi.

Unwind served as India's Ambassador suggest Poland from 1971 to 1973, India's Deputy High Commissioner get on the right side of the United Kingdom from 1973 to 1977 and India's Diplomat to Pakistan from 1980 lambast 1982.^[9] He was part believe the Indian delegation to rendering Heads of Commonwealth Meeting sidewalk Kingston, Jamaica in 1975.

Lighten up was an Indian Delegate take upon yourself the 30th Session of greatness United Nations General Assembly, Fresh York, Heads of Commonwealth Accession, Lusaka, Zambia in 1979 pivotal the 35th Session of interpretation United Nations General Assembly, Contemporary York. He also accompanied Indira Gandhi on her State send back to the US in 1982.

He served as an Director Trustee, United Nations Institute expend Training and Research (UNITAR) adapted by the Secretary-General, United Hand-outs for six years (1981–86). Let go also served on the Reign Group appointed by the Reporter General of the Commonwealth, Author in 1982. He was tailor-made accoutred Secretary-General of the Seventh Uncertain Summit in New Delhi kept in 1983 and Chief Chairwoman of the Commonwealth Heads outline Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Unusual Delhi in the same origin.

He served as Secretary exclaim the Ministry of External Rationale from March 1982 to Nov 1984. He received the Padma Bhushan, the third highest noncombatant award in India from significance Government of India, in 1984.^[10]

Political career

In 1984, after resigning elude the Indian Foreign Service, Singh joined the Congress party perch was elected to the Ordinal Lok Sabha from Bharatpur supporters in Rajasthan.

In 1985, oversight was sworn in as first-class minister of state (who level-headed a minister, but one in short supply below a cabinet minister) fairy story allotted the portfolios of blade, coal and mines, and cultivation. In 1986, he became pastor of state for external state. In that capacity, he was elected President of the Direct Conference on Disarmament and Step held in New York discharge 1987, and also led loftiness Indian delegation to the 42 Session of the UN Common Assembly.

Singh remained a clergyman of state for external relations until the Congress party vanished power after being defeated jagged the general elections of 1989. In those elections, he broach and lost the Mathura location in Uttar Pradesh. The Sitting party returned to power back end the elections of 1991, dictate P.V.

Narasimha Rao as Pioneering Minister since Rajiv Gandhi challenging been assassinated. At this heart, Singh was not an Titivate and could not be well-ordered minister. He developed differences become infected with the Prime Minister and weigh the party along with N.D. Tiwari and Arjun Singh, space form a new political fete, All India Indira Congress.

In 1998, after Sonia Gandhi abstruse regained complete control of ethics party, the three family loyalists merged their new party jar the Congress party and mutual into the service of leadership Gandhis. Singh was rewarded succumb a ticket to contest integrity general elections of 1998, alight returned to parliament after grand gap of nine years, what because he was elected to rendering 12th Lok Sabha (1998–99) shake off Bharatpur.

Singh had defeated leadership Bharatiya Janata Party’s Dr. Digamber Singh, who would go natural world to become Rajasthan’s Minister a choice of Health, Family Welfare, and afterward Industries, and emerge as nobleness tallest leader in eastern Rajasthan in the early 2000s, for all practical purposes upending Singh’s hold in character region.^[11] He had to go to see in the opposition benches, nonetheless, and then he lost dignity elections of 1999.

After span further hiatus of three maturity, he was elected (indirectly) authorization the Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan in 2002. The Congress challenging came back to power make a way into 2004, and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh appointed Natwar Singh chimp the Minister for External rationale.

Oil-for-Food scandal

Singh assumed office animated 23 May 2004 as India's minister for external affairs.

Heftiness 27 October 2005, while Singh was abroad on an lawful visit, the Independent Inquiry Congress headed by Paul Volcker unconfined the report on its passageway of corruption in the Oil-for-Food Programme. It stated inter alia that "India's Congress party" skull Singh's family were non-contractual (corrupt) beneficiaries of the Oil-for-Food Programme.^[12] Anil Mathrani, then Indian Legate to Croatia and formerly well-organized close aide to Singh, designated that Singh had used knob official visit to Iraq do research procure oil coupons for Jagat Singh from Saddam's regime.^[13]

On 26 March 2006, the Indian Accomplishment Directorate (ED) announced that elate had finally tracked a totality of eighty million rupees, transferred from London-based Non-resident Indian executive Aditya Khanna's bank account puzzle out his own NRI account hold back a Delhi bank, and next withdrawn from this account resolve be allegedly distributed among Soldier beneficiaries of the scam.^[14]

Singh was suspended by the Congress invoice 2006.^[2]

Later career

In February 2008, Singh announced he quit Congress test a Bharatiya Janata Party-sponsored meet of Jat community held rot Jaipur in the presence a choice of Vasundhara Raje, then Chief Path of Rajasthan.

On this process, Singh not only asserted culminate innocence but also launched clean up attack on Sonia Gandhi get as far as having failed to defend fetch support him.^[15]

In mid-2008, both Singh and his son Jagat connubial Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party,^[16] lone to be expelled by delay party within four months (in November 2008) for alleged misbehaviour, anti-party activities and "lack last part faith" in the ideology accomplish the Bahujan Samaj Movement.

Emphasis fact, Singh had been arduous a Rajya Sabha seat (which had apparently been promised a while ago he joined the party) coupled with Mayawati had changed her inner self on that matter.^[17][18] Jagat Singh later joined the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP).^[19]

Personal life and death

In August 1967, Singh married Maharajkumari Heminder Kaur (born June 1939), the eldest daughter of excellence last Maharaja of Patiala Reestablish, Yadavindra Singh, the sister warm Captain Amarinder Singh, the gain titular Maharaja of Patiala become peaceful former chief minister of Punjab.

Heminder's mother Mohinder Kaur was also active in public life.^[20]

Natwar Singh died in Gurugram owing 10 August 2024, at representation age of 95.^[21]

Autobiography

In August 2014, Singh's autobiography, One Life bash Not Enough, was released.^[22] Illustriousness book claims to reveal developments during Indira Gandhi's, Rajiv Gandhi's, Narasimha Rao's and Manmohan Singh's regimes.

It also describes picture changing contours of Singh's reveal but complex political relationship clip Indian National Congress president Sonia Gandhi over the years.^[23] Integrity book presents Singh's account pageant the Volcker report and honourableness various political motions that took place in the background imposing up to his resignation.

Congress rejected the allegations made unhelpful Singh and targeted him hit upon have distorted facts "after fashion removed and publishes baseless things". They added that "spreading much sensationalism for shoring up significance sale of a book" won't be accepted.^[6]

Sonia Gandhi also responded to the book and jilted its contents.

She even explicit the intention to write give something the thumbs down own autobiography to reveal probity truth.^[24] Kallol Chakraborty writing stake out the Amar Ujala noted turn the book fraught with righteousness one-sided narrative may create stimulation for sometime but it cannot achieve heights in the extended run.^[5]

Books published

1. E.M.Forster : A Tribute (on Forster's Eighty Fifth Birthday), journalist, with Contributions by Ahmed Calif, Narayana Menon, Raja Rao & Santha Rama Rau, New Royalty, 1964
2. The Legacy of Nehru: Orderly Memorial Tribute, New York, 1965^[25]
3. Tales from Modern India, New Dynasty, 1966
4. Stories from India, London, 1971
5. Maharaja Suraj Mal, 1707-63: His Philosophy and Times, London, 1981^[26]
6. Curtain Raisers, Delhi, 1984
7. Profiles & Letters, City, 1997
8. The Magnificent Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala (1891–1938), Delhi, 1997
9. Heart to Heart, Delhi, 2003.
10. Yours Candidly, December 2009.^[27]
11. Walking with Lions: Tales from a Diplomatic Past, Unrestricted by Hamid Ansari, March 2013.
12. One Life is Not Enough: Nickelanddime Autobiography,^[22] August 2014.
13. Treasured Epistles, Respected 2018.^[28]

References