New York: A biography that chronicles the life and profession of former Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla and his first-hand account of among the up to date main international challenges throughout his tenure has been launched right here. Shringla, 61, at the moment the Chief Coordinator of India’s G20 Presidency, addressed outstanding members of the Indian-American and diaspora group at an occasion final week that launched his biography ‘Not An Accidental Rise’.
Former US Ambassador to India Kenneth Juster and Consul General of India in New York Randhir Jaiswal had been among the many particular visitors on the occasion hosted by Jaipur Foot USA, a subsidiary of Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti (BMVSS) and Jaipur Foot USA Chairman Prem Bhandari.
‘Not An Accidental Rise’ has been written by Assistant Professor, Department of International Relations, Sikkim University, Gangtok Dr Dipmala Roka. It was launched in Darjeeling earlier this month.
“This biography of Harsh Vardhan Shringla, one of India’s most distinguished diplomats, and a former Foreign Secretary, describes his life and his rise to the highest position in the elite Indian Foreign Service by dint of his perseverance, determination, hard work, skill and ability,” it says.
“His life and work are strongly anchored in his heritage, his culture, and his values.” Shringla famous that the “readable” ebook is a “well researched” and “candid” account “not just of my career, but my entire life so far.”
Shringla recalled that he first met Roka when he visited Sikkim in April 2021, simply earlier than the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic engulfed the nation. At the time, Sikkim University had organised a significant occasion to convey to the younger individuals of the state the message of India’s international coverage, Shringla stated.
Shringla visited Gangtok for the IVth Global Lecture Series organised by the Department of International Relations, Sikkim University. He stated the ebook additionally offers with the people-to-people ties between India and the US.
“The community has been our mainstay and main support. Much of what we have achieved, from the nuclear deal to what we have achieved in the recent past, can be attributed to the wholehearted support from the Indian-American community,” Shringla stated on the occasion.
In the writer’s observe, Roka writes that she labored intently with Shringla whereas writing the ebook, and “this gave me insights into the making of India’s foreign policy that no amount of academic work could provide. The first-hand account from a senior diplomat who has extensively dealt with some of the contemporary major global challenges was immensely enlightening.”
The ebook, punctuated with images from Shringla’s private life and diplomatic profession, chronicles his early days and the diplomatic journey that started when he joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1984, his tenure as Joint Secretary from 2010 to 2013, postings as India’s envoy to Thailand, Bangladesh and Washington in addition to his tenure as Foreign Secretary from January 2020 to April 2022.
Writing in regards to the difficult time when India and the world had been grappling with the devastating Covid-19 pandemic, Roka stated “the Covid-19 pandemic was a health catastrophe that delivered an enormous shock… Shringla managed the administrative and diplomatic response of the Ministry of External Affairs to this extraordinarily difficult challenge.”
Shringla “ensured that missions abroad extended all possible assistance to the stranded Indians after Covid-19-related restrictions were imposed… In all, Shringla and his team worked successfully on coordinating 9 phases of the Vande Bharat Mission by end-February 2021.”
In the ebook, Roka additional writes that “as someone who has spent a decade of his career on multilateral work at various levels, many of his colleagues point out that Shringla was a rare Foreign Secretary who was comfortable dealing with the multilateral complexities that came his way.”
In the chapter on Shringla’s time in Washington as India’s Ambassador, Roka writes “The Government’s decision to abrogate Article 370 and impose temporary restrictions in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir evoked sharp reactions from an unusual alliance of liberals and Islamic radicals alike – and Pakistan actively – and openly stoke the fires.”
“A significant problem arose within the type of a one-sided and factually unjustified draft decision floated by an Indian-origin Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal in her quest to garner the help of the left fringe of the Democratic Party.
“Shringla and his team carried out an intense campaign at Capitol Hill to articulate the factually correct position and to highlight the damage such a resolution could do to the relationship. He met a record 400 Senators and Congressmen and travelled to 22 US states meeting Governors, State Senators and key influencers. This helped greatly when it came to placing in perspective steps taken by the Government of India to abrogate Article 370 of the Constitution and to adopt the Constitutional Amendment Act (CAA).”
