The new Union Minister for External Affairs, Mr Natwar Singh, has donned diverse mantles of a bureaucrat, writer, diplomat and a politician in his life with equal ease and remarkable capability. It is said that not many career bureaucrats are able to shift successfully to electoral politics. Natwar Singh is an exception in this regard. An officer of the Indian Foreign Service, Singh served as India’s envoy to various countries before entering the Lok Sabha.

Singh was born in Bharatpur in May, 1931. He studied at St Stephen’s College, Delhi; Cambridge University, England and Peking University, China. As an IFS officer, he served in several important positions, including as Foreign Secretary, before representing India in Poland, United Kingdom, Zambia and Pakistan as Ambassador/High Commissioner.

Besides, Mr Singh is also an acclaimed writer and a literary critic. He has written many books. His publications include EM Forster: A Tribute, The Legacy of Nehru, Maharaja Suraj Mal (1707-63), Curtain Raisers and Profiles & Letters. He also writes regularly for national and international magazines and journals on political, literary and international issues. He received Padna Bhushan award in 1984 and the coveted E M Forster’s Literary Award in 1989.

He successfully contested Lok Sabha election for the first time in 1984 and became a Minister of State in the Rajiv Gandhi government. The ministries he served in include Steel, Mines and Coal; Agriculture and External Affairs. Lately, he has been a member of the Congress party’s foreign affairs committee.

He was Ambassador to Poland between 1971-73. From 1977 to 1980 he was Deputy High Commissioner to the UK. In 1980-82 he was High Commissioner to Zambia and then from 1980 to ’82 he was Ambassador to Pakistan. Between 1982 and ’84 he held the post of the director, Air India.

Mr Natwar Singh is a widely travelled person to over 100 countries. He was considered a very able diplomat and good administrator. He was also Executive Trustee, United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) appointed by the Secretary-General, United Nations, for six years (1981-86).

Till recently Mr Matwar Singh headed the foreign policy cell of the Congress party. But now in his capacity of the External Affairs Minister he has the bigger responsibility of taking the fledgling peace process with Pakistan forward. In this respect his experience as ambassador to Pakistan will prove very handy and useful.

Mr Singh is a suave, articulate politician and few doubt his ability.