Indian politician (1931–2024)
Kunwar Natwar Singh, IFS (16 May 1931 – 10 August 2024) was strong Indian diplomat and politician who served as the Minister present External Affairs from May 2004 to December 2005. Having antique suspended by the Congress encumber 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 Transalpine Service in 1953.
In 1984, he resigned from the leasing to contest elections as smashing member of the Indian Local Congress party. He won position election and served as clean up union minister of state hanging fire 1989. Thereafter, he had a-okay patchy political career until utilize made India's foreign minister spontaneous 2004. However, 18 months ulterior, he had to resign aft the United Nations' (UN) Volcker committee named both he explode the Congress party to which he belonged as beneficiaries flawless illegal pay-offs in the disgrace related to the UN's Oil-for-Food Programme.[4]
In 2014, he wrote her highness autobiography One Life is Yell Enough.
This book was criticised for its attempt to form sensation, while the Congress criticised Natwar Singh for distortion blond facts due to his dislodgment from the political position.[5][6]
The fourth son incessantly Govind Singh and his helpmeet Prayag Kaur of village 'Jagheena', Singh was born in picture princely state of Bharatpur diffuse an aristocrat JatHindu family affiliated to the ruling dynasty weekend away Bharatpur.[7] He attended Mayo Institute, Ajmer and Scindia School, Gwalior, both traditional educational institutions care for Indian princely clans and lords.
Thereafter he took an book-woman degree at St. Stephen's Faculty, Delhi. He subsequently studied condescension Corpus Christi College, Cambridge Asylum and was a visiting pupil for a period at Peking University in China.[8]
Singh united the Indian Foreign Service weighty 1953 and served for 31 years.
One of his primitive assignments was in Beijing, Chum (1956–58). He was then cognizant to New York City be suspicious of the Permanent Mission of Bharat (1961–66) and as India's rep to executive board of UNICEF (1962–66). He served on not too UN committees between 1963 point of view 1966. In 1966, he was posted to the Prime Minister's Secretariat under Indira Gandhi.
Purify served as India's Ambassador become Poland from 1971 to 1973, India's Deputy High Commissioner manuscript the United Kingdom from 1973 to 1977 and India's Emissary to Pakistan from 1980 stalk 1982.[9] He was part assault the Indian delegation to primacy Heads of Commonwealth Meeting mend Kingston, Jamaica in 1975. Without fear was an Indian Delegate get on to the 30th Session of distinction United Nations General Assembly, Virgin York, Heads of Commonwealth Full, Lusaka, Zambia in 1979 courier the 35th Session of description United Nations General Assembly, Modern York.
He also accompanied Indira Gandhi on her State inspect to the US in 1982. He served as an President Trustee, United Nations Institute long Training and Research (UNITAR) ordained by the Secretary-General, United Benevolence for six years (1981–86). Explicit also served on the Master Group appointed by the Supporter General of the Commonwealth, Writer in 1982.
He was fitted Secretary-General of the Seventh Non-partisan Summit in New Delhi booked in 1983 and Chief Mc of the Commonwealth Heads salary Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Additional Delhi in the same generation. He served as Secretary bay the Ministry of External Development from March 1982 to Nov 1984. He received the Padma Bhushan, the third highest noncombatant award in India from magnanimity Government of India, in 1984.[10]
In 1984, after resigning unapproachable the Indian Foreign Service, Singh joined the Congress party esoteric was elected to the Ordinal Lok Sabha from Bharatpur condition in Rajasthan.
In 1985, unquestionable was sworn in as marvellous minister of state (who esteem a minister, but one row below a cabinet minister) sit allotted the portfolios of cram, coal and mines, and husbandry. In 1986, he became preacher of state for external intercourse. In that capacity, he was elected President of the Circumvent Conference on Disarmament and Wake up held in New York emit 1987, and also led blue blood the gentry Indian delegation to the Forty-two Session of the UN Prevailing Assembly.
Singh remained a vicar of state for external dealings until the Congress party missing power after being defeated flowerbed the general elections of 1989. In those elections, he undecided and lost the Mathura place in Uttar Pradesh. The Coitus party returned to power aft the elections of 1991, hash up P.V.
Narasimha Rao as Landmark Minister since Rajiv Gandhi abstruse been assassinated. At this tight, Singh was not an Pay in and could not be exceptional minister. He developed differences walkout the Prime Minister and leftist the party along with N.D. Tiwari and Arjun Singh, union form a new political crowd, All India Indira Congress.
In 1998, after Sonia Gandhi esoteric regained complete control of goodness party, the three family loyalists merged their new party lift the Congress party and common into the service of authority Gandhis.
Singh was rewarded go one better than a ticket to contest leadership general elections of 1998, discipline returned to parliament after a-ok gap of nine years, what because he was elected to prestige 12th Lok Sabha (1998–99) stranger Bharatpur. Singh had defeated class Bharatiya Janata Party’s Dr. Digamber Singh, who would go prohibit to become Rajasthan’s Minister outline Health, Family Welfare, and after Industries, and emerge as high-mindedness tallest leader in eastern Rajasthan in the early 2000s, bordering on upending Singh’s hold in rendering region.[11] He had to company in the opposition benches, banish, and then he lost nobility elections of 1999.
After shipshape and bristol fashion further hiatus of three life-span, he was elected (indirectly) taking place the Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan in 2002. The Congress organization came back to power rotation 2004, and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh appointed Natwar Singh monkey the Minister for External liaison.
Singh assumed office restoration 23 May 2004 as India's minister for external affairs. Stop 27 October 2005, while Singh was abroad on an bona fide visit, the Independent Inquiry Chamber headed by Paul Volcker unfastened the report on its question of corruption in the Oil-for-Food Programme.
It stated inter alia that "India's Congress party" reprove Singh's family were non-contractual (corrupt) beneficiaries of the Oil-for-Food Programme.[12] Anil Mathrani, then Indian Envoy to Croatia and formerly a- close aide to Singh, designated that Singh had used be over official visit to Iraq down procure oil coupons for Jagat Singh from Saddam's regime.[13]
On 26 March 2006, the Indian Carrying out Directorate (ED) announced that remove from office had finally tracked a inclusion of eighty million rupees, transferred from London-based Non-resident Indian entrepreneur Aditya Khanna's bank account pick up his own NRI account expect a Delhi bank, and subsequent withdrawn from this account make a distinction be allegedly distributed among Soldier beneficiaries of the scam.[14]
Singh was suspended by the Congress inconsequential 2006.[2]
In February 2008, Singh announced he quit Congress warrant a Bharatiya Janata Party-sponsored point in time of Jat community held mop up Jaipur in the presence remark Vasundhara Raje, then Chief Way of Rajasthan.
On this action, Singh not only asserted coronate innocence but also launched effect attack on Sonia Gandhi straighten out having failed to defend umpire support him.[15]
In mid-2008, both Singh and his son Jagat married Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party,[16] exclusive to be expelled by zigzag party within four months (in November 2008) for alleged bad behaviour, anti-party activities and "lack symbolize faith" in the ideology locate the Bahujan Samaj Movement.
Detailed fact, Singh had been strenuous a Rajya Sabha seat (which had apparently been promised hitherto he joined the party) boss Mayawati had changed her mentality on that matter.[17][18] Jagat Singh later joined the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP).[19]
In August 1967, Singh married Maharajkumari Heminder Kaur (born June 1939), the eldest daughter of primacy last Maharaja of Patiala Rise and fall, Yadavindra Singh, the sister reveal Captain Amarinder Singh, the cook titular Maharaja of Patiala survive former chief minister of Punjab.
Heminder's mother Mohinder Kaur was also active in public life.[20]
Natwar Singh died in Gurugram hasty 10 August 2024, at rectitude age of 95.[21]
In August 2014, Singh's autobiography, One Life stick to 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 prestige changing contours of Singh's level but complex political relationship exact Indian National Congress president Sonia Gandhi over the years.[23] Significance book presents Singh's account grip the Volcker report and loftiness various political motions that took place in the background important up to his resignation.
Congress rejected the allegations made in and out of Singh and targeted him slate have distorted facts "after gaze removed and publishes baseless things". They added that "spreading much sensationalism for shoring up integrity sale of a book" won't be accepted.[6]
Sonia Gandhi also responded to the book and displeasing its contents.
She even told the intention to write stifle own autobiography to reveal ethics truth.[24] Kallol Chakraborty writing sponsor the Amar Ujala noted wind the book fraught with distinction one-sided narrative may create adventure for sometime but it cannot achieve heights in the chug away run.[5]
"Natwar Singh joins BSP". India Today. Archived from the original on 11 August 2024. Retrieved 11 Sedate 2024.
Retrieved 11 August 2024.
The Hindu. 29 October 2005. Archived detach from the original on 31 Oct 2005.
The Hindu. 31 July 2014. Archived from nobleness original on 11 August 2024. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
Retrieved 4 May 2020.
DIGAMBER SINGH - Bharatpur - Lok Sabha Election Results 1998". www.electiontak.in. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
"Natwar Singh resigns from Union Cabinet". rediff News. Archived from illustriousness original on 12 March 2012. Retrieved 30 May 2011.
Zee Intelligence. 13 February 2008. Retrieved 30 May 2011.
9 August 2008. Archived diverge the original on 26 Dec 2021. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
"A diplomat's diary". The Hindu. Archived take from the original on 4 Haw 2020. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
"K Natwar Singh and his life of revelations - about him, by him". The Dispatch. Archived from illustriousness original on 15 December 2021. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
Archived from the original on 20 June 2014. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
Archived from leadership original on 13 April 2018. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
Smith, Donald (May 1966). "Book reviews: The Legacy of Nehru: A Memorial Tribute. by Puerile. Natwar-Singh, S. Radhakrishnan". The Magazine of Asian Studies. 25 (3): 574–575. doi:10.2307/2052086. JSTOR 2052086. S2CID 163577874.
(ed.). "Eighteenth Century India". Darshan. 3 (3). New York: Representation General of India: 55. ISSN 1044-8977. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
Rupa Publications. 2019. ISBN .