Former External Affairs Minister and Congress leader K Natwar Singh passed away on Saturday night at the age of 93. Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Randeep Singh Surjewala confirmed the same, stating, “The news of the demise of former Foreign Minister Natwar Singh ji is sad.”
“May God give strength to his family to bear this loss and grant peace to the departed soul,” Surjewala said in a post on X.
Singh had a distinguished career in both, diplomacy and politics, serving as the External Affairs Minister from 2004 to 2005 under former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh’s UPA government. He was also honoured with the Padma Bhushan in 1984.
Singh was born in 1931 in Bharatpur, Rajasthan. He was a career diplomat who brought extensive experience to his political career and was a prolific author on topics ranging from the life of a maharaja to the intricacies of foreign affairs.
Natwar Singh joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1953. In 1984, he resigned from the service to contest in the Lok Sabha elections on a Congress ticket. He won and served as a Union Minister of State until 1989. Singh returned as a Union Minister in 2004 but resigned after 18 months amid allegations related to the Iraqi oil scam pay-off scandal.
From 1966 to 1971, he served as India’s ambassador to Pakistan. He was a close confidant of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and was closely associated with her office. Singh also wrote 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. Later on, he fell out with the Congress leadership.