Former Minister Natwar Singh Passes Away

Former External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh has sadly passed away due to a prolonged illness. He died on Saturday at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram, where he was receiving treatment for the past couple of weeks.

A family member shared that his son was with him at the hospital, and other relatives were traveling from their native Rajasthan to Delhi for the last rites.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences on social media, highlighting Singh’s significant contributions to diplomacy and foreign policy. Modi also noted Singh’s intellect and writing talent, offering his thoughts to Singh’s family and supporters during this difficult time.

Natwar Singh was born in 1931 in the Bharatpur district of Rajasthan. He began his career as a diplomat and moved into politics, serving as India’s External Affairs Minister from 2004 to 2005 under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh‘s UPA government.

Throughout his impressive career, he held various notable positions and was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 1984 for his contributions to the nation.

Before entering politics, Singh was an Indian Foreign Service officer starting in 1953 and served in several significant diplomatic roles, including as India’s ambassador to Pakistan.

In addition to his political work, Singh was a prolific author, known for books such as ‘The Legacy of Nehru: A Memorial Tribute’ and ‘My China Diary 1956-88’, with his autobiography titled ‘One Life is Not Enough’

His career had its ups and downs, including a period of political exile after disagreements with then-Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao. However, he made a return to power in 2004, only to resign amid the oil-for-food scandal in 2005, which involved allegations of financial impropriety.

Natwar Singh is survived by his son Jagat Singh and wife Heminder Kumari Singh. He was close to many notable figures, including former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, who is his brother-in-law.