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The Ambassadors' Club, The Indian Diplomat at Large
In 1972, in what appeared a whimsical decision at first, Idi Amin, the dictator of Uganda, declared that all Asians holding citizenship of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh or the UK would be expelled from the country within three months. As he put it, mistakenly, 'Asians milked the cow, but did not feed it to yield more milk.' It was the beginning of a nightmarish five months for Niranjan Desai, who had been sent from India as officer on special duty to help tackle the crisis. The role of the Indian diplomat is a varied one, as Desai's and others' accounts in The Ambassadors' Club show, and Krishna V. Rajan, himself a skilful diplomat, has brought together, for the first time, a selection of experiences that shows the Indian Foreign Service in a remarkable new light.
- GenresIndiaNonfiction
330 pages, Hardcover
First published May 18, 2012
28 people are currently reading
254 people want to read
About the author
Krishna V. Rajan
2 booksKrishna V. Rajan is a retired diplomat and former member of the Indian Foreign Service. He has served in senior diplomatic assignments, including as ambassador in France, the US, the UK, Zambia, Algeria and Nepal. He has also held senior positions in the Ministry of External Affairs, and served as the prime minister's special envoy. He is presently chairman of International Trade and Exhibitions India (ITEI).
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
June 24, 2018
The Backstage stories to some important international issues and politics.
Nicely presented.
Some chapters are interesting while others are idle flip of pages. But the underlined wit, humor, sarcasm will keep you charmed and keep going.
For me "The making of Shimla agreement" and "The Last day of Salvador Allende" were the best.
I love metaphors and here are plenty, my favorite- from Shimla agreement-
(Note-While quoting this I am not endorsing any sexism and this is just a lighthearted banter and should be taken in that spirit)
Take home message if you aspire to be in diplomacy you need to have your spine intact, sense organs working and network maintained and updated.
Nicely presented.
Some chapters are interesting while others are idle flip of pages. But the underlined wit, humor, sarcasm will keep you charmed and keep going.
For me "The making of Shimla agreement" and "The Last day of Salvador Allende" were the best.
I love metaphors and here are plenty, my favorite- from Shimla agreement-
Benazir Bhutto,PM’s social secretary Usha Bhagat, Bhutto’s press secretary Khalid Hassan,Nareshwar and I stood outside the room where the two leaders were meeting.
There seemed hardly any other persons in the foyer.
Haksar Sahib came out of the room, slowly walked towards us and started lighting his pipe.
Usha Bhagat asked him: Haksar sahib, ladki hui ki ladka? (Haksar sahib, is it a girl or a boy?) Haksar Sahib took his time,smiled a little, cleared his throat, and said Ladka hua aur woh bhi MA pass. (It is a boy – that too with a Master’s degree.)
We had reached an agreement.
(Note-While quoting this I am not endorsing any sexism and this is just a lighthearted banter and should be taken in that spirit)
Take home message if you aspire to be in diplomacy you need to have your spine intact, sense organs working and network maintained and updated.
May 12, 2017
There are very few books which give first hand account of working of Indian foreign affairs establishment. After reading Choices by Shivshenkor Menon, this book was appropriate in the breadth of the events and issues it covered - from coup in Chile to Shimla agreement with Paksitan to Sri Lanka accord to Climate change agreements.
Moreover since each chapter is written by different officer - it gives a peek into events from different era and geography as well as various personalities who were at the helm of affairs then. The reader is left to judge on his own whether there could be a more appropriate response or something could have been done in a different way.
This is a much awaited primer for anyone interested in foreign affairs of India.
Moreover since each chapter is written by different officer - it gives a peek into events from different era and geography as well as various personalities who were at the helm of affairs then. The reader is left to judge on his own whether there could be a more appropriate response or something could have been done in a different way.
This is a much awaited primer for anyone interested in foreign affairs of India.
August 1, 2019
A brilliant read in itself. The richness of the variety of topics covered makes it a delight to read, both for those who have a skin in the game as well as the uninitiated.
K.N.Bakshi’s account of the Shimla summit, although short is an excellent example of a solid memory translated with emphasis on economy of words. The anecdotes involving D.P Dhar, Zulfiqar Bhutto, Benazir and Mrs Gandhi are delightful and informative.
Chandrashekhar Dasgupta has provided an excellent account of the events surrounding the first convention on climate change, i.e. the Rio summit and the stoic negotiations carried out by the Indian delegation with farsightedness. It is one of the best essays of the book.
Niranjan Desai’s recounting of his very tough days in Uganda when Idi Amin called for the expelling of Indians is a poignant rendition.
The chapters on Nepal and Sikkim ‘s merger with India are very engaging.
The chapter by Prakash Singh recounting the tough assignment handed over to him by Kofi Annan where he was to act as a special envoy of the UN to Iraq when the western nations were adamant on bringing doom to Iraq is a special account of the challenges of negotiations and mediation that the diplomatic order calls for.
But above all, the chapter on Narasimha Rao’s foreign policy steals the limelight for being an exceptionally written narration of the pragmatism and vision displayed by Rao as PM. Prabhakar Menon certainly displays a convincing grasp on putting words to paper and has to be read and reread for its sublimity.
However, GJ Malik’s account of his days in Chile was too long and self congratulatory in its scope, and hence one star less.
This books fills a critical gap in the availability of literature on the highly esteemed world of diplomacy by Indian officers.
K.N.Bakshi’s account of the Shimla summit, although short is an excellent example of a solid memory translated with emphasis on economy of words. The anecdotes involving D.P Dhar, Zulfiqar Bhutto, Benazir and Mrs Gandhi are delightful and informative.
Chandrashekhar Dasgupta has provided an excellent account of the events surrounding the first convention on climate change, i.e. the Rio summit and the stoic negotiations carried out by the Indian delegation with farsightedness. It is one of the best essays of the book.
Niranjan Desai’s recounting of his very tough days in Uganda when Idi Amin called for the expelling of Indians is a poignant rendition.
The chapters on Nepal and Sikkim ‘s merger with India are very engaging.
The chapter by Prakash Singh recounting the tough assignment handed over to him by Kofi Annan where he was to act as a special envoy of the UN to Iraq when the western nations were adamant on bringing doom to Iraq is a special account of the challenges of negotiations and mediation that the diplomatic order calls for.
But above all, the chapter on Narasimha Rao’s foreign policy steals the limelight for being an exceptionally written narration of the pragmatism and vision displayed by Rao as PM. Prabhakar Menon certainly displays a convincing grasp on putting words to paper and has to be read and reread for its sublimity.
However, GJ Malik’s account of his days in Chile was too long and self congratulatory in its scope, and hence one star less.
This books fills a critical gap in the availability of literature on the highly esteemed world of diplomacy by Indian officers.
July 16, 2020
This book is a collection of essays written by officers who played a really important role as a Diplomat. From establishing a democratic government in Sikkim to the methods which should be adopted while engaging with China has been discussed in this book.
Mr Haksar has discussed the organization and related happenings of a summit and work which foreign office people are engaged in. We also see the intricacies of Shimla agreement which took place in 1972 and the importance of bilateral engagement between the world leaders. Mr Bakshi has laid us the details of the events which took place while the negotiation of Shimla Agreement was in the course of completion.
B.S. Das was appointed as administrator in Chogyal ruled kingdom of Sikkim where with patience and dedicated junior officers he established democracy and ensured that as a state Sikkim does not possess’ threat to the security of the nation.
Krishna V. Rajan tells us about the events which took place in Nepal and the role played by Indian officials in ensuring peace in the country. He also mentions the relations which Nepalese population had with Indian Culture. Chandrashekhar Dasgupta unfolds the events which happened during the climate summit in Rio in 1992, a stand which India took at the international level, small hiccups which occurred in our country. Mr Chandrashekhar was the man who was present while the negotiation for the climate convention was taking place which changed the dimensions of Environment and ensured that sustainable development is adopted as the key for the development.
Niranjan Desai shares his encounter with the Ugandan authorities where he was posted as a special officer due to the crisis which erupted and he with the whole team managed the situation very well.
Madhavan explains us the intricacies about any event which happens at the international level which involves multiple stakeholders. He recalls his experience at the time of the unification of East and West Germany.
We also find discussion on the development which took place in Sri Lanka during the late 1980s and early 1990s where we lost our former PM Rajiv Gandhi in an attack by LTTE. He mentions about the incidents which changed the course of relations with our neighbour and factors which led to civil war-like conditions in Sri Lanka.
Apart from these events we also find incidents from the other diplomats posted in different countries as well as discussion on the foreign policy of India which was practised by our former PM Narsimha Rao.
Mr Haksar has discussed the organization and related happenings of a summit and work which foreign office people are engaged in. We also see the intricacies of Shimla agreement which took place in 1972 and the importance of bilateral engagement between the world leaders. Mr Bakshi has laid us the details of the events which took place while the negotiation of Shimla Agreement was in the course of completion.
B.S. Das was appointed as administrator in Chogyal ruled kingdom of Sikkim where with patience and dedicated junior officers he established democracy and ensured that as a state Sikkim does not possess’ threat to the security of the nation.
Krishna V. Rajan tells us about the events which took place in Nepal and the role played by Indian officials in ensuring peace in the country. He also mentions the relations which Nepalese population had with Indian Culture. Chandrashekhar Dasgupta unfolds the events which happened during the climate summit in Rio in 1992, a stand which India took at the international level, small hiccups which occurred in our country. Mr Chandrashekhar was the man who was present while the negotiation for the climate convention was taking place which changed the dimensions of Environment and ensured that sustainable development is adopted as the key for the development.
Niranjan Desai shares his encounter with the Ugandan authorities where he was posted as a special officer due to the crisis which erupted and he with the whole team managed the situation very well.
Madhavan explains us the intricacies about any event which happens at the international level which involves multiple stakeholders. He recalls his experience at the time of the unification of East and West Germany.
We also find discussion on the development which took place in Sri Lanka during the late 1980s and early 1990s where we lost our former PM Rajiv Gandhi in an attack by LTTE. He mentions about the incidents which changed the course of relations with our neighbour and factors which led to civil war-like conditions in Sri Lanka.
Apart from these events we also find incidents from the other diplomats posted in different countries as well as discussion on the foreign policy of India which was practised by our former PM Narsimha Rao.
December 12, 2019
Detail Oriented
The Book sharing insights in the functioning of Indian Foreign Policy and the role of Indian diplomats around the world and the Headquarters
The Book sharing insights in the functioning of Indian Foreign Policy and the role of Indian diplomats around the world and the Headquarters
March 11, 2017
Well written. The first person account of the events are engrossing. The ambassadorial stincts at times are adventurous and always an enriching experience.
February 19, 2017
A First Person Account of Life @ IFS
This book provides rare insight to the challenging and exciting world of IFS officers. The unique challenges that they face in alien land and their deft handling, makes it a interesting read.
This book provides rare insight to the challenging and exciting world of IFS officers. The unique challenges that they face in alien land and their deft handling, makes it a interesting read.
March 4, 2022
A good collection of first hand accounts of various Indian ambassadors, on the high points in their careers. There are wide-ranging experiences from Fiji to Austria to Chile, during coups and wars and other gripping moments.
Many of the chapters are interesting and are well-written. A few among those are very frank, candid and are therefore my favorites: Ambassador GJ Malik's account from Chile and Ambassador Niranjan Desai's account from Uganda.
There are a couple of particularly dull chapters that one could just skip. I'll leave those up to you to discover. A few chapters sound too diplomatic and seem to hide more than they reveal.
But overall, this book would be useful for anyone who wants to know how Indian diplomats operate.
As Shiv Shankar Menon sums it up accurately in the foreword to the book,
"Here is the Indian Foreign Service at its honest, understated and effective best".
Many of the chapters are interesting and are well-written. A few among those are very frank, candid and are therefore my favorites: Ambassador GJ Malik's account from Chile and Ambassador Niranjan Desai's account from Uganda.
There are a couple of particularly dull chapters that one could just skip. I'll leave those up to you to discover. A few chapters sound too diplomatic and seem to hide more than they reveal.
But overall, this book would be useful for anyone who wants to know how Indian diplomats operate.
As Shiv Shankar Menon sums it up accurately in the foreword to the book,
"Here is the Indian Foreign Service at its honest, understated and effective best".
March 17, 2014
Krishna V. Rajan, a former Indian diplomat, has compiled and edited memoirs and historical analysis of various Indian Ambassadors and senior diplomats on their experiences in countries around the world (and the U.N.) at iconic moments. The period from India's independence till the end of the Cold War saw many interesting developments in international relations and India has played its own part in being part of that history. The various accounts by diplomats range from short accounts to full analysis, and though the writing styles of authors differ, the book provides a seamless and well edited insight into Indian foreign policy thought and the intricacies of diplomacy. A good read for anyone interested to know about the foreign services.
February 17, 2016
Excellent book on experiences of Indian ambassadors/envoys, on foreign soil. Covers first hand account of Idi Amin's rule, Sikkim crisis and how it became part of India, the crisis in monarch family of Nepal and how India responded to it. Most of the pieces are well written in a novel-like flow, without bombarding the reader with statistics.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews