An Unfinished Journey

Yogesh Mohan Tiwari

An Unfinished Journey is the fascinating autobiography of the late Ambassador Yogesh Tiwari, who served in a number of key posts during his long and distinguished career. Here, through his revealing anecdotes and lucid accounts of diplomatic life, he produces an insightful history of India’s revolving attitudes toward the world, and the inner functionings of its government. From the Look East Policy to India’s nuclear deals, Ambassador Tiwari was on the diplomatic frontlines, and his memoirs are an educative and enjoyable read.

— Dr Shashi Tharoor, Mamber of Parliament and former UN Under-Secretary-General

Ambassador Yogesh Tiwari was India’s High Commissioner to Singapore at a time when Singapore’s relationship with India was going through a remarkable transformation. Although Tiwari modestly downplayed his own role in all this, he was a quiet and effective facilitator. In his lovely book An Unfinished Journey, he recounted a lifetime of service to India. Tiwari writes beautifully,andhis sketches of the people he met or worked with, including India’s leaders, are a delight to read.

— George Yeo, former Minister for Foreign Affairs of Singapore

In An Unfinished Journey Ambassador Yogesh Tiwari covers the extensive canvas of his diplomatic life to capture its travails and challenges with acuity, directness and flamboyance. As a distinguished Indian diplomat, Yogesh Tiwari was known for his intellectual precocity, varied talents and flair for the jugular. His memoirs will not please everyone, but no one can deny their candour and courage, verve and dignity.

— Ambassador Vijay Nambiar, IFS ‘67, former UN Under-Secretary-General and Deputy National Security Advisor

Yogesh Mohan Tiwari was born in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, to a family of teachers in 1944. After excelling in mathematics, in which he placed first in order of merit for his bachelor’s degree at Government Science College, Jabalpur, he won a scholarship to St. Stephen’s College in Delhi. Graduating once again first in order of merit for his master’s degree in mathematics, he turned down a scholarship to Cambridge University for a doctorate, and chose to become a civil servant. He entered the Indian Foreign Service in 1966.

In 1988 Mr Tiwari became one of the youngest Indian ambassadors of his time, and during his foreign service career headed the Indian missions in Austria, Slovenia, Cyprus, Kenya, Eritrea, and Singapore. Mr Tiwari led the division which handled Gorbachev’s landmark visit to India in 1986, was posted as high commissioner to Singapore during India’s opening to ASEAN in the early '?90s, and represented India at the IAEA following the 1998 Pokhran-II nuclear test explosions.

Ambassador Tiwari was a distinct breed of diplomat: a rich combination of patriotism, idealism, and realpolitik. He was an avid golfer and bridge player, and loved Hindustani and Western classical music, Russian literature, and Urdu poetry. Ambassador Tiwari passed away in late 2019, and is survived by his wife Uma, their three children Saloni, Bulbul, and Anuraag, and two grandchildren, Ameya and Vyom.

Contents

Preface

Frequently Used Abbreviations

Ambassador D. P. Dhar — A Tribute

Part I: East

Singapore & the Case of the Cane
A Beginning — the Look East Policy
Saudi Arabia &Mrs Gandhi

Part II: West

The Indo-Soviet Nuclear Deal
The IAEA & India After Pokhran-II
Saving UNIDO

Part III: Home

Digital Leaps in the Passport Division
Precepts & Lessons in Reform
Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi

Vignettes from Vienna

Appendix

Letter from Sardar Patel to Pandit Nehru, 1950 195
Indo-US Nuclear Deal: An Analysis