By the Same Author Inside Diplomacy (2000 & 2002) Managing Corporate Culture: Leveraging Diversity to give India a Global Competitive Edge (co-author, 2000) Bilateral Diplomacy (2002) The 21st Century Ambassador: Plenipotentiary to Chief Executive (2004) Asian Diplomacy: The Foreign Ministries of China, India, Japan, Singapore and Thailand (2007) Foreign Ministries: Managing Diplomatic Networks and Delivering Value (co-editor, 2007) Diplomacy for the 21st Century: A Practitioner Guide (2011) Economic Diplomacy: India’s Experience (co-editor, 2011) India’s North-East States, the BCIM Forum and Regional Integration (co-author, 2012) The Contemporary Embassy: Paths to Diplomatic Excellence (2013) Kishan S. Rana, IFS (Retd) Former Indian Ambassador to Germany (Publishers, Distributors, Importers & Exporters) 4402/5-A, Ansari Road (Opp. HDFC Bank) Darya Ganj, New Delhi-110 002 (India) Off. 23260783, 23265523, Res. 23842660 Fax: 011-23272766 E-mail: [email protected] [email protected] Website: www.manaspublications.in © Kishan S. Rana, 2016 ISBN 978-81-7049-511-6 ` 595.00 All rights reserved. This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated, without the publisher’s prior written consent, in any form of binding, soft cover or e-version, etc. except by the authorized companies and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser and without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electrical, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without prior written permission of the publisher of the book. The complete text/data etc have been written and provided by the author only. The publisher is not responsible for the views of the author and authenticity of the data, in any manner whatsoever. All disputes are subject to Delhi Jurisdiction only. No other court will have the Jurisdiction to entertain any case except the competent court of Delhi. Cover Design by Ajit Rana Designed at Innovative Processors Printed in India at Printways, Delhi and published by Mrs Suman Lata for Manas Publications, 4402/5-A, Ansari Road (Opp. HDFC Bank), Darya Ganj, New Delhi-110 002 (India) Dedicated to my parents Shivsinhji and Kusum Kunwarba Jhala and Mimi’s parents Vikram Singhji and Ratan Kumariji of Rohet Contents Preface ix Abbreviations xi Introduction xv 1. A Crowning Finale: Germany (1992-95) 1 2. The Wonder Years: Training in India (1960-61), Hong Kong (1961-63), Beijing (1963-65) 48 3. Days of Comradeship, A Swiss Idyll: Ministry of External Affairs (1965-67), Geneva (1967-70) 82 4. Return to the Land of the Dragon: Beijing (1970-72) 99 5. East Asia and the Himalayan Kingdoms: Ministry of External Affairs (1972-75) 117 6. First Ambassadorship in the Maghreb: Algeria (1975-79) 137 7. Socialist Paradise, Iron Curtain: Czechoslovakia (1979-81): 165 8. Heady and Instructive: Prime Minister’s Office (1981-82) 181 9. A Final Sojourn: Ministry of External Affairs (1982-83) 227 10. Out of Africa: Kenya (1984-86) 241 11. West Coast Story: San Francisco (1986-89) 267 viii Diplomacy: At the Cutting Edge 12. Paradise Island: Mauritius (1989-92) 293 13. Rethinking the Ministry of External Affairs 317 14. Career Conclusions 337 Index of Personalities 355 Index of Subjects 363 Preface This book has been long in coming. I started to write a memoir in 1998, and then shifted attention to a different project, examining the working of the Indian diplomatic system, which emerged as Inside Diplomacy, 2000. Though my recollection shaped that and subsequent writing, a thought persisted that I should tell my full story. I played a small role in the formation and execution India’s foreign policy. It is a great honor to work in the Foreign Service (IFS), to receive the President’s Letter of Commission as his envoy to a foreign state. Regardless of the work assigned to each person, we get to deal with an enormous range of issues in the course of a typical 30-plus-year career, from the day of entry into the Indian Foreign Service, right up to the date for ‘superannuation’—a word we Indians have uniquely made our own, meaning the end of an official’s working career. In India that used to happen at the age of 58, and I ended this career in July 1995 (that age bar rose to 60 in 1997). That relatively early age means that we get a chance at a second career, or a pursuit of a personal vocation. I have an allergy to the word ‘retirement’; it implies an end of activity, which is increasingly inaccurate in our time, when people are active into their 70s and later—till that ‘great retirement’, to meet our Maker, or attain heaven, or whatever. Friends, many of them Service colleagues, have seen and commented upon different chapters. I am beholden to Geoff Berridge, Chandra Chari, Kiran Doshi, Ranjit Gupta, and Suryakanthi Tripathi for their comprehensive assistance. Others x Diplomacy: At the Cutting Edge that have read and helped to improve different chapters include: Kamal Bakshi, Avtar Singh Bhasin, Rajiv K Chander, Satish Chandra, Ramu Damodaran, Chinmaya Gharekhan, Vivek Katju, MK Krishna Kutty, Edward Marks, Aly Nazerali, MK Rasgotra, Sharat Sabharwal, HHS Viswanathan, R Yogeshwar, and some others that chose not to be named. All of them have helped to add vital details, fill out omissions, and correct the text. I remain responsible for the errors that have persisted despite these efforts. I am immensely grateful to Chandra Chari for editing this book, not just for improving the text, but also offering many fine suggestions. My thanks are also offered to Manas Publications, the publisher of my first book, for helping with this book as well. The immediate family has been an ally and source of inspiration in all my writing efforts. This time, they have also been active collaborators, and trenchant critics too, sometimes telling me, ‘Surely you can’t write that…’; or, ‘Why have you left out…’. I have depended on Mimi’s memory to guide me with facts and filling out incidents of which my recollection had turned hazy, besides setting me right on details. Ajit and Priya, who were with us at seven of our overseas assignments, have chipped in with their stories. Priya has also helped with proofreading, editing and text improvements. Deepika has joined them in critiquing the text. I offer profound thanks to them, as always. Abbreviations ACP Africa-Caribbean-Pacific states, under the Lome Convention APA Asia-Pacific Ausschuss, a special business group created in 1993 in Germany, to focus on economic opportunities in Asia ASEAN Association of South East Asian Nations BDI German Association of Industry BRIC a political group consisting of Brazil, Russia, India and China CARICOM Caribbean Community Cd’A Chargé d’Affaires CDU Christian Democratic Union, a major German political party CECA Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement CEO Chief Executive Officer CEPA Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (this is akin to ‘CECA’, where the word ‘partnership’ is replaced by ‘cooperation’) CFL compulsory foreign language CGI Consulate General of India CII Confederation of Indian Industry CPV Consular, Passports and Visa Division in the Ministry of External Affairs DCM Deputy Chief of Mission DIG Deutsche-Indische Gesellschaft (German-India Society), a cultural group in Germany xii Diplomacy: At the Cutting Edge DIHT German Association of Chambers of Commerce DPR Deputy Permanent Representative EAM External Affairs Minister EPG Eminent Persons Group EU European Union FCO Foreign and Commonwealth Office, UK FDI Foreign Direct Investment FICCI Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry FTAs free trade agreements G-77 the group of 77 developing states originally established in 1964, which now consists of some 130 countries GATT General Agreement on Trade and Tarrifs HK Hong Kong IAEA International Atomic Energy Agency IAS Indian Administrative Service ICT information and communications technology IFS Indian Foreign Service IGCC Indo-German Chamber of Commerce IGCG Indo-German Consultative Group ILO International Labor Organization IMF International Monetary Fund ISI Inter-Services Intelligence of the Pakistan Army IT information technology ITEC Indian Technical Cooperation Program, run by the Ministry of External Affairs JEB Junior Establishment Board, which at MEA handles postings of junior non-diplomatic staff JS joint secretary, a senior grade official, typically heading MEA divisions LA Los Angeles LDC lower division clerk MEA Ministry of External Affairs MFA foreign ministry MHA Ministry of Home Affairs NAM Non-Aligned Movement NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization NGO non-governmental organizations Abbreviations xiii NPT Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty NRIs Non-Resident Indians, i.e. Indians living overseas OECD Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development OPEC Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries PA personal assistant PDS A political party in Germany, formed after Unification in 1991, with support mainly in East Germany, now called The Left. PerM performance management PM Prime Minister PMI Permanent Mission of India PMO Prime Minister’s Office PO Political Officer (in Sikkim, up to 1975) PR permanent representative PRC People’s Republic of China RAW Research and Analysis Wing (India’s external intelligence agency) S&T science and technology