The author, Sudhir Devare, is a Foreign Service officer (1964-2001) who has served, post-retirement, as a member of the National Security Advisory Board (NSAB, 2001-03), Director-General of the Indian Council of World Affairs (2009-12), and Chairman, Society for Indian Ocean Studies (SIOS).
The book under review is a collection of his reflections drawn from his experiences during his professional career. It is divided into nine chapters covering USSR/Russia, Sikkim, Myanmar, Korea, Germany, Ukraine—where he was the first Indian Ambassador after the break-up of the USSR, and, of course, the Ministry of External Affairs.
The author notes that, unlike most diplomats, he had a ‘unique’ experience of witnessing three ‘cataclysmic events’ caused by, or leading to, political upheavals and power transformation; also, two ‘epoch-making’ events—Sikkim and South Korea—which resulted in the collapse of the established ruling authority.
Indeed, the post-War world has witnessed remarkable transformations. The collapse of the USSR leading to the reunification of Germany changed the map of Europe. Alongside, it created possibilities of, and prospects for, new landscapes of international security and global integration. The economic integration of Europe into the European Union was, in many ways, a realization of Jean Monnet’s vision of a peaceful, prosperous Europe that would no longer be at war with itself. Maastricht on the river Maas and Schengen on the river Moselle revolutionized money and mobility. It remains to be seen whether the propitious circumstances enable Europe to extricate itself from its fears and insecurities. The continuing war in Ukraine and the ongoing contretemps with the US are not helpful.
Asia has undergone an even more momentous shift. The defining trend of globalization in the 20th century is the movement of economic power from the West to the East. The region, it is estimated, will account for some 50% of global GDP by 2050. That Asia is a fast learner is exemplified by the emergence of regional economic organizations like ASEAN on the pattern of the EU.
The collapse of the Chogyal’s regime in Sikkim and its subsequent integration with India was a watershed moment in enhancing India’s security in the sensitive Himalayan region bordering China. The author was a proximate witness and narrates, with that vantage, the events leading to the agitation and its aftermath. Myanmar, he found ‘disquieting’. With good reason. Over five decades, little has changed. When he reached Myanmar in 1980, the situation was much the same as it is now. The difference perhaps is in the extent of violence. In these four decades plus, the country has experimented with democracy which was short-lived. It ‘remains a grey zone of uncertainty’. The ‘people deserve a better future’. Will that ever come to pass, wonders the author. Korea appears to be the author’s soft spot. Again, with good reason. Unlike Myanmar, South Korea has moved, in around the same time period, from being a despised dictatorship to a robust democracy. In 1983, in an infamous attempted assassination of the then President, the Korean Foreign Minister who had earlier been Ambassador in India was killed. Korea’s economic growth is exemplary. It has spawned global brands. It has joined the OECD. Indonesia followed the same trajectory though not with the same economic success. The German reunification was monumental. The collapse of the USSR was the trigger. The political union is a reality but the years since have not been easy on Germany or its people. The West feels it is burdened by the economic costs of unifying the East; the East feels the West is discriminatory and condescending.
There are personal touches about leaders which should surprise and delight readers. Soviet PM Kosygin’s demeanour was serious, even dour. The author narrates an incident during the visit of PM Indira Gandhi to the USSR in 1966 when Kosygin remained undeterred and continued exchanging stories with the children who had come to see Mrs Gandhi off, even while she waited for the departure ceremonies. His neighbour in Seoul, Kim Jong-pil, a notable political leader of his time, made him feel at home by tracing a ‘family bond’ through ancestry derived from the Princes of Ayodhya who had come to Korea and married King Suro several centuries ago and who were the progenitors of the Kim Hae Kim clan to which he belonged. Then there was Queen Sofia of Spain with no protocol and no security, standing unannounced at his doorstep, seeking Olympic memorabilia.
The book goes beyond a narration of incidents and events. The author covers the developments since his own stay in individual countries to allow the reader to update herself to contemporary times. Coming from a practitioner, it should be of interest to the lay as well as serious readers.
TCA Rangachari is former diplomat and former Director of the Academy of International Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi.