Former Foreign Minister Natwar Singh has passed away at the age of 93 after a prolonged illness.
Singh served as India’s External Affairs Minister from 2004 to 2005 under the UPA-I government led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Arpit Pattnaik
Former External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh passed away on Saturday night after a prolonged illness, according to family sources. He was 93 years old. He took his last breath at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram near Delhi, where he had been admitted for the past few weeks. Singh was born in 1931 in the Bharatpur district of Rajasthan.
He was a career diplomat who brought a wealth of experience in diplomacy to his political career and was a prolific author on subjects ranging from the life of a maharaja to the nuances of foreign affairs. During his distinguished career, he held many roles, and for his service to the nation, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1984.
"A family source told PTI late Saturday night, 'His son is at the hospital, and many more family members are coming to Delhi from his native state for the last rites planned in Delhi. He was not keeping well for some time.'" He died late Saturday night, the source said.
A former Congress MP, Singh was India’s External Affairs Minister from 2004 to 2005 during the UPA-I government led by the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. He also served as ambassador to Pakistan and was attached to the office of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi from 1966 to 1971.
Veteran politician Randeep Surjewala paid tribute to the former External Affairs Minister in a post on X. He wrote in Hindi, "The news of the demise of former Foreign Minister Natwar Singh ji is sad. May God give strength to his family to bear this loss and grant peace to the departed soul," and also posted a photograph of Singh.
Singh authored several books, including "The Legacy of Nehru: A Memorial Tribute" and "My China Diary 1956-88." His autobiography is titled "One Life is Not Enough."
