My predominant sentiment was of fulfilment at reading the autobiography of an individual who has lived his life well and contributed immensely to happiness of many who came in contact with him.
New Delhi: It was with mixed feelings that I finished reading Ambassador Pascal Alan Nazareth’s recently published autobiography titled A Ringside Seat to History. I have enjoyed it immensely. I could have finished it in flat two sittings over two days. But I wanted to savour every bit of it. I hence read just a few pages at a time every day and stretched the pleasure to 30 days instead of a mere few days.
My predominant sentiment was of fulfilment at reading the autobiography of an individual who has lived his life well and contributed immensely to happiness of many who came in contact with him. He faced some of the worst tragedies in his life. But after every adversity he rose stronger and more determined to work towards making this world a better place to live in.
Ambassador Nazareth mentions that it was at the prodding of his son Andy that he decided to write his autobiography. But I have a sneaking suspicion that he always wanted to do it himself. Otherwise, there would have been no reason for him to have kept such minute details of occurrences in each of his postings. What is even more remarkable is that the author remembers names of each dramatis personae that he had come in contact with during his whole service in diplomacy. This is reflective of the personal connect that he was able to establish wherever he went which paid rich dividends in advancing the cause of India.
There is reference to only one individual whose name Ambassador Nazareth is unable to recall! This is of the Director, British Council (BC) (page 165) who had taken up the issue of non-issuance of visas to a well-known British theatre group with him when he was DG, ICCR. Matters came to such a pass that they were brought to the attention of the Foreign Secretary by the British High Commissioner. It transpired that Director, BC had not shared full details of his correspondence with Ambassador Nazareth with his boss. This led to acute embarrassment for the British HC, which resulted in immediate repatriation of the Director, BC back to London.
The book is full of nuggets of information and wisdom. It is also written in a most engaging and racy style. I would however suggest that the reader should take her/his time over it and nurse it like one’s favourite drink!
Another remarkable aspect of the book that I appreciate is the fulsome presence and recognition that Mrs Isobel Nazareth gets in these pages. Spouses play an extremely important role in fulfilling responsibilities of diplomats, particularly during her/his tenures abroad. Spouses, however, don’t get adequate recognition for their contributions or for their sacrifices. This is not true as far as the life experience of Ambassador Nazareth is concerned, not only in his capacity as a diplomat but also when he has travelled as a raconteur on various luxury cruises around the world. Mrs Nazareth comes out as one who constantly helped and supported Ambassador Nazareth in her typically understated but efficient manner. Be it in Peru where Mrs Nazareth organised a fundraiser to help the earthquake victims or in Ghana where she accompanied the wife of an NRI professional who had been taken for interrogation by the military, Mrs Nazareth is constantly lending her full support to advance the cause of India.
One member of the Indian Foreign Service who finds repeated mention in the book is Ambassador Maharaja Krishna Rasgotra. It is not difficult to understand why. Ambassador Rasgotra appears to have guided the march of Alan Nazareth through the corridors of Indian diplomacy at crucial junctures in his life and career. Nazareth recognises this as much and accords abundant gratitude to Ambassador Rasgotra for much of what he has been able to achieve by calling him his “guru” and “mentor”.
Although the book is a chronological account of the exploits, challenges and achievements of Ambassador Nazareth, it also brings out the subtle and somewhat mischievous sense of humour that the author abounds in. I will refer to just one instance to illustrate the point.
It occurs when Alan and his mother are looking for a suitable domestic help after reaching Tokyo. Alan gives an advertisement in some neighbourhood newspaper/journal for a housemaid in an Indian diplomat’s home. The first applicant is an “attractive, well dressed young woman” who is interested to work in their home as she is keen to improve her English before travelling to England for higher studies. Nazareth is keen to employ her. Unfortunately for him the decision is not left to him. His mother told her that she was “over qualified” for the position. The next applicant was a “plump, middle-aged and unattractive” woman who gets his mother’s nod and is engaged to work for the Nazareth household for Alan’s full tenure in Tokyo!
I was deeply saddened when I came to the last chapter because the author mentions about a heart-rending tragedy that befell him in a most unexpected way. It relates to the death of his daughter Seema in 1999 just after the two of them had travelled together on an enjoyable cruise from Phuket to Mumbai.
This calamity has been described with great dignity and pathos. The reader connects with the pain that Ambassador Nazareth and the family would have experienced at this devastating catastrophe. But this was not enough to keep him down.
The Indian diplomatic service is minuscule in numbers in comparison with its other sister counterparts like IAS, IPS etc. However, most members of the service don’t get an opportunity to work with each other during their service careers. Same was the case with Ambassador Nazareth and me. I did not have the opportunity and privilege to work with him during my service tenure. I think the only contribution I made to Ambassador Nazareth’s noble pursuits was to connect him with Vladimir Tolstoy, the great-grandson of Leo Tolstoy during my tenure as Director, Jawaharlal Nehru Cultural Centre in Moscow in the late 1990s when Ambassador Nazareth was setting up his Sarvodaya International Trust.
In a more substantive way, I came in contact with Ambassador Nazareth in 2011 when we invited him to Sweden to deliver a few talks on Mahatma Gandhi at the Swedish Parliament, at the prestigious Uppsala University and at the Embassy Residence when I was India’s Ambassador to Sweden and Latvia. Ambassador Nazareth’s visit was a remarkable success touching many lives and hearts. This also resulted in the translation of his first book, Gandhi’s Outstanding Leadership into Swedish.
Since my return to India after my retirement, I have had the joy of being in frequent touch with Ambassador Nazareth. I have been deeply impressed by his warmth, affection, humility, cheerful outlook, positivity and enthusiasm. I have discovered that he never takes “no” for an answer to any project that he has set his heart upon. This is one of his most admirable character traits which has got him where he is today.
I would whole-heartedly recommend this excellent memoir written with great understanding and empathy for the places and times Ambassador Nazareth has lived through and the cultures he has traversed.
I wish many more years of good health, positive energy and creative pursuits to Ambassador Alan Nazareth and Mrs Isobel Nazareth.
Ambassador Ashok Sajjanhar is President, Institute of Global Studies; Distinguished Fellow, Ananta Aspen Centre; former Ambassador of India to Kazakhstan, Sweden and Latvia; former Secretary/Principal Executive Officer, National Foundation for Communal Harmony, Government of India.