#books
Walking with Lions
by K Natwar Singh.
” Walking with Lions” makes enjoyable reading. He writes impeccable English prose.
Natwar joined the Indian Foreign Service after graduating from the prestigious St Stephens College Delhi, and had a distinguished career as a diplomat.
He had made his name as a columnist even as he was serving as a diplomat. Later he became a Member of Parliament and a Union Cabinet Minister serving in the Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and Manmohan Singh governments. Natwar had the rare opportunity to rub shoulders with the high and mighty all over the world.
Natwar Singh was a scion of the Bharatpur royals, and was son-in-law of the Maharaja of Patiala, and brother-in-law of the former Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh.
The book describes anecdotes from the period as a diplomat. I have learned something new about Africa – The Kalhari desert covers more than half of Botswana.
His proximity with the Nehru family from Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi had enabled him to provide some rare insights to the working of the family and the Congress. However he had a fallout with Sonia Gandhi after being forced to resign from the Cabinet following corruption charges ( he was later completely exonerated) and was out of the charmed circle of the Gandhi family in his twilight years.
– Joy Kallivayalil.
p.s: Natwar Singh passed away on 11 August 2024.
