butions to the understanding of India's hen Shashi Tharoor wrote an diplomatic challenges in a fast changing world article in the Hindu about six through their writings.years ago titled 'Diplomats as W

Literatteurs' he could think of only 4–5 Indian There are many invisible poet-diplomats diplomats who were writers. A closer look who have tried to capture their global reveals that there are many more Indian experiences in their verses. These include our writer–diplomats. The list goes up to a 100 current Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao, and which includes well known names like Vikas others such as Aftab Seth, Rikhi Jaipal, Pratap Swaroop and Pawan Verma and many not so Singh, Dyaneshwar Mulay, Amarendra Khatua well known ones such as Ajay M. Gondane or Peacock on understanding contemporary India. (was awarded Rajiv Gandhi Sadbhavna Award Pratap Singh. As V.S. Naipaul writes in his India's greatest soft power influence Indian for his contribution to Oriya literature), book A Writer's People ; “India is hard and Cinema has also captured the attention of Jordana D. Pavel, Kiran Doshi and even Gauri materialist”. What it knows best about Indian Surendra Kumar who has written a tome titled Shankar Gupta and J.N. Dixit who are writers and books are their advances and their Legends of Indian Cinema.otherwise known for their serious writings on prizes. There is little discussion about the Mongolia and the Indian Foreign policy Unexpectedly Indian diplomats have substance of a book or its literary quality or the respectively. authored a number of scientific-technical point of view of the writer...the most books as well. These include Dr. Sumit Seth Among the novelist-diplomats besides important judgments of an Indian book Review of Forensic Medicine, Dr. Arvind Gupta Vikas Swaroop, who gained world fame continue to be imported. Dictionary of New Scientific and Technical Terms

through his book Q & A and subsequently and Anwar Haleem Innovation & Technology Have Indian diplomats made substantial through movie Slumdog Millionaire are Kiran Transfer.contribution to Indian literature or world Doshi Birds of Passage, Navtej Sarna We were not

literature for that matter as Pablo Neruda or Books on foreign language such as lovers like that, The Exile, T.S. Tirumurthi Clive Octavio Paz? Are the books written by Indian 'Chinese' needs special mention and M. Avenue, A.M. Gondane The Arrival, Rajiv Dogra diplomats known outside the diplomatic Sridharan's book Chinese language: an intro-Almost an Ambassador, N.Parthasarthy The circles or even within world diplomatic duction is an attempt to simplify learning this Reluctant Assassin, Nina Sibal Dogs of Justice, community? These are some relevant ques- difficult language for foreigners.Yatra and most recent among them B.S. tions which need to be asked before passing a Prakash with his book Clueless in California. Our diplomats have enriched Indian judgment on the quality, substance and depth

English literature through their good quality Memoir writing is one of the strongholds of of Indian writer–diplomats. translations. Navdeep Suri has translated the the Indian diplomats and some remarkable

India has produced some noted diplomats Punjabi classic The Watchmaker in English memoirs have been written in the past. Y.P. since the 1950s who have left behind in their while Pawan Verma has translated the poems Gundevia's Out of Archives Badruddin Tayabji's books immense experience and wisdom to of our former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Memoirs of an Egoist, memoirs of K.M. guide the succeeding generations. The name of Vajpayee. Among the short-story writers are Panniker and K.P.S. Menon, T.N. Kaul, K. J.N. Dixit comes to forefront when one thinks Subhakant Behera and Arun Kumar Sahu.Natwar Singh, Mani Shankar Aiyyar and of Indian foreign policy matters. He comes Romesh Bhandari are some good examples. The spouses of Indian diplomats have not across as a giant among the past and present Prem K. Budhwar–A diplomat reveals, J.N. been far behind and have authored a few tomes diplomats. He authored many books on Indian Dixit–My South Block Years have also as well. These include Dr. Kavita Sharma, foreign affairs and they encompass a wide contributed to this popular area of diplomatic Radha Chakravarty, Trupti Mehta Despande, spectrum within the Indian Foreign Policy; its literature. Kusum Bhasin and Susheela Purushottam.philosophy, origin and dilemma and also cover

Indian writers’ contribution to creative Indian diplomats have certainly left their the Indian Foreign Service, its history and non-fiction have been no less important. mark on the national as well as international challenges.Gaurishankar Gupta's book on Mongolia, C.M. stage through their literary and not so literary

Kishan Rana has substantially contributed Bhandari and Pradeep Kapur on Angor Vat and contributions and as the trend shows the future to help understand the transformations in the JC Sharma on Temples in Vietnam have been looks brighter than ever before. The complete sphere of diplomacy and his books Inside valuable contributions. T.S. Tirumurthy and list of Indian writer-diplomats is available at: Diplomacy, 21st Century Ambassador are widely C.M. Bhandari have written books on Kailash

http://tinyurl.com/25k8dn3read over the world. He has been a great Mansarovar as well. P.V. Joshi and V.Ashok advocate of reform of the India's Foreign have written books on Hinduism and Incar-Policy architecture and has inspired Danial nations of Vishnu while Navtej Sarna on Markey's analytical piece on Indian Foreign Nanak. Achal Malhotra has written on Policy Software. K.R. Narayanan, M.K. prehistoric, mythological and legendary links Rasgotra, Chinmaya R. Gharekhan, C.S. between India and Sri Lanka while Amit Dasgupta, G. Parthasarthy, C.S. Jha, T.P. Dasgupta has co-authored the book The Divine Sreenivasan have made significant contri-

“Indian diplomats have left an indelible mark on

international fora with their literary and not so literary contributions”,

says Indian diplomat Abhay Kumar

Many Indian Diplomats are Writers too!

Abhay Kumar is the author of a number of books on prose and poetry including River Valley to Silicon Valley: Story of three gene-rations of an Indian family. His forthcoming books are Candling the Light' & 'Colours of Soul. Visit the author at www.abhayk.com

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DIFFERENT ARTICLE

Abhay Kumar* has participated in many group and solo exhibitions in St. Petersburg and Paris. His art works lie in the private collections in Russia, France, Netherlands and Japan. His striving to understand Art on a larger scale, trying to combine the social service, philosophic poetry, symbolical painting and cosmic-scale of thought remind one of the Silver Age, Roerich, Ciurlionis, etc. In the small format of his work, the St. Petersburg traditions can be easily spotted, through the images

thof the Russian ‘Avant-garde’ art of the early 20 century. The geometry of Malevich and the musical coloured vision of Matyushin gain typically Indian colour vibrancy and even somewhat folklore inflections in his abstract and half-abstract works . His creations are truly minimalist and are aimed at the elementary components of perception. He was awarded first class diploma by the Steiglitz Academy of Art, St. Petersburg for

Abhay KUMAR along with Koyel BANERJEE and Kazumi WATANABE will be holding an exhibition of their creative genius at International Arts Space, Paris, between October 31–November 04, 2010 . We reproduce a few paintings of the Indian diplomat which reflect an artist of great passion and intensity with a thinking mind.

*

DIPLOMATIC SQUARE Aug-Oct, 2010

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