K Natwar Singh: A man who wore many hats and spoke his mind

PTI, Aug 11, 2024, 10:05 AM IST

K Natwar Singh wore many hats as he straddled the worlds of diplomacy, politics and writing but what remained consistent across decades was his sharp-wit and plainspeaking.

The former Congress leader had a love-hate relationship with the party as while he had a great equation with the likes of former prime ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, he had a fallout with Sonia Gandhi after allegations were levelled against him when he was part of the UPA-I Cabinet.

Singh passed away on Saturday night after a prolonged illness, family sources said. He was 93.

He breathed his last at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram near Delhi, where he had been admitted for the past couple of weeks, they said.

Singh was born in 1931 in Bharatpur district of Rajasthan.

He was a career diplomat, who brought a wealth of experience in diplomacy to his political career, and also a prolific author on subjects ranging from the life of a maharaja to nuances of foreign affairs.

Singh was selected into the Indian Foreign Service in 1953 but in 1984, he resigned to contest elections as a member of the Congress. He won the election and served as a Union minister of state until 1989.

He returned to the political forefront when he was made the external affairs minister in 2004 when the Congress returned to power.

However, 18 months later, he had to resign after the UN’s Volcker committee named both him and the Congress party to which he belonged as beneficiaries of illegal pay-offs in the Iraqi oil scam.

As a diplomat, Singh is considered a great mentor to young diplomats, many of whom achieved dizzy heights in the field of diplomacy.

He served in key postings in countries such as China, the US, Pakistan and the UK.

He was also appointed secretary-general of the Seventh Non-aligned Summit in New Delhi held in 1983 and Chief Coordinator of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in New Delhi in the same year.

He served as secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs from March 1982 to November 1984. He was bestowed the third highest civilian award Padma Bhushan in 1984. In 1984, he joined the Congress and was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Bharatpur constituency in Rajasthan.

In 1985, he was sworn in as a minister of state and allotted the portfolios of steel, coal and mines, and agriculture. In 1986, he became minister of state for external affairs.

After briefly leaving the Congress, he returned to the party when Sonia Gandhi assumed its leadership.

When the Congress came back to power in 2004, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh appointed Natwar Singh as the minister for external affairs.

In October, 2005, while Singh was abroad on an official visit, the Independent Inquiry Committee headed by Paul Volcker released the report on its investigation of corruption in the Oil-for-Food programme.

It stated Natwar Singh’s family were non-contractual beneficiaries of the Oil for Food programme.

Singh had to quit as minister and later resigned from the Congress, upset that Sonia Gandhi had not defended him.

Singh did not join the BJP which seemed a possibility at that time and instead, in mid-2008, both Singh and his son Jagat joined Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party, only to be expelled by that party within four months for alleged indiscipline.

His son Jagat became a member of the BJP.

Singh has been critical of Sonia Gandhi since and often criticised her in interviews and at events.

Singh also authored several books including, ‘The Legacy of Nehru: A Memorial Tribute’ and ‘My China Diary 1956-88’. His autobiography is titled ‘One Life is Not Enough ‘.

Singh was born in the princely state of Bharatpur in an aristocratic Jat Hindu family related to the ruling dynasty of Bharatpur.

He attended Mayo College, Ajmer and Scindia School, Gwalior, and thereafter, he took an undergraduate degree at St. Stephen’s College, Delhi.

Those who knew him well always praised him for his knowledge, deep insights Into diplomacy and his sharp wit which often also landed him in trouble.