Apa Pant

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Apasaheb Balasaheb Pant
File:Jomo Kenyatta Apa Pant and Acheing Oneko.jpg


Jomo Kenyatta, Apa Pant and Achieng Oneko

Office High Commissioner of India to the United Kingdom





Term start 15 September 1969
Term end October 1972
Predecessor S. S. Dhawan
Successor Braj Kumar Nehru





Born 11 September 1912
Born Aundh State, British India (present-day Maharashtra, India)
Died Template:Death date and age
Place of death Pune, Maharashtra, India






Alma mater University of Bombay
University of Oxford
Occupation Diplomat, freedom fighter


Appasaheb Pant (1912–1992), also known as Apa Pant,[1] Appa Pant, Appa Sahib Pant, Appsaheb Balasaheb Pant, Parashuram-rao Pant (Parashuram being his first name), was an Indian diplomat, Prince of Aundh, Gandhian, writer and freedom fighter.[2][3][4] A philosopher by nature and a mystic at heart, who served for over forty years as a career diplomat for the Indian Government. He served as the Indian Commissioner at various African countries such as Kenya, Uganda, Tanganyika, Zanzibar, Northern Rhodesia, Southern Rhodesia, Nyasaland and the Belgian colony of the Congo and, later, as the Indian ambassador to countries like Indonesia, Norway, Egypt, United Kingdom and Italy. He also served as the Political Officer for India in the Kingdom of Sikkim.[3] The Government of India honoured him in 1954, with the award of Padma Shri, the fourth highest Indian civilian award for his contributions to the society,[5] placing him among the first recipients of the award.

Biography

Appa Sahib Bala Saheb Pant was born on 11 September 1912[6] in the Aundh, Satara capital city of princely state of Aundh in the British India, presently near Satara in the Indian state of Maharashtra, as the second son of Bhawanrao Shriniwasrao Pant Pratinidhi,[7] the ruler of the state.[3] After schooling at local institutions, he graduated (BA) from the University of Mumbai and studied philosophy, politics and economics at Brasenose College, Oxford.[4][8] He continued his studies in London and passed Barrister at Law from Lincoln's Inn and returned to India in 1937 when the Indian freedom movement was gathering pace.[3]

Pant married Nalini Devi,[9] a medical doctor and a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1942 and the couple had three children, Aditi, Aniket and Avalokita.[4] He died, aged 80, on 5 October 1992,[6] succumbing to old age illnesses.[3]

Political and diplomatic career

Pant started his political and diplomatic career as the Minister of Education of the Aundh State in 1944 when his father was the ruler of the state.[4] His tenure lasted one year and during this period and thereafter, he was involved in the discussions related to the integration of the state into Indian Union.[3] After India's independence, he entered Indian Foreign Service, got deputed to Africa and worked in Kenya, Uganda, Tanganyika, Zanzibar, Northern Rhodesia, Southern Rhodesia, Nyasaland and the Belgian colony of the Congo.[4] In 1954, he was appointed as the Officer on Special duty with the Minister of External Affairs when India's relationship with China was strained.[4] He represented India at Bandung Conference in 1956 for the formation of Non-Aligned Movement. He also worked as the Officer in Charge of the missions of Tibet and Bhutan and Sikkim,[10] and as Ambassador to Indonesia (1961–64), Norway (1964–66), Egypt (1966–69),[11] United Kingdom (1969–72) and Italy (1972–75).[3][6]

Literary career

Apasaheb Pant was a former judge for the Templeton Prize,[12] an international recognition honouring the entrepreneurship of spirit,[13] He published[4] eight books towards the latter part of his life.[3] Template:Div col

  • Surya Namaskar, an Ancient Indian Exercise (1970)[14]
  • Towards Socialist Transformation of Indian Economy (1973)[15]
  • A Moment in Time (1974)[16]
  • Mandala: An Awakening (1976)[17]
  • Survival of the Individual (1983)[18]
  • Undiplomatic Incidents (1987)[19]
  • An Unusual Raja – Mahatma Gandhi and the Aundh Experiment (1989)[20]
  • An Extended Family of Fellow Pilgrims (1990)[21]

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Awards

In 1954, he was awarded with Padma Shri, the fourth highest Indian civilian award for his contributions to the society, placing him among the first recipients of the award.

See also

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References

  1. ↑ see for instance declassified file no. 7(4)-P, 1955 at the National Archives of India, available on line via https://www.abhilekh-patal.in/
  2. ↑ Stirring Africa towards India: Apa Pant and the Making of Post-Colonial Diplomacy, 1948–54. The International History Review({Template:Date).
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 Benegal. Benegal.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 Apa Pant in East Africa(1 November 2011).
  5. ↑ Padma Shri. Padma Shri.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 WMF Labs. WMF Labs.Template:User-generated source
  7. ↑ Free Library. Free Library.
  8. ↑ Principal's Blog: 16th February 2021, Bowers, John. Brasenose College, Oxford(2021-02-16). Retrieved 2022-02-02.
  9. ↑ Gaurav Desai, Commerce with the Universe: Africa, India, and the Afrasian Imagination, p. 75
  10. ↑ TH Library. TH Library.
  11. ↑ Middle East Institute. Middle East Institute.
  12. ↑ The Templeton Prize – Judges. Previous Judges. Templeton Foundation.
  13. ↑ Templeton About. Templeton Foundation.
  14. ↑ Surya Namaskar, an Ancient Indian Exercise{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Sangam Books(1970). ISBN 9788125013877
  15. ↑ Towards Socialist Transformation of Indian Economy{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Humanities Press(1973)
  16. ↑ A Moment in Time{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Hodder & Stoughton Ltd(1974). ISBN 9780340147900
  17. ↑ Mandala: An Awakening{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Sangam Books(1976). ISBN 978-0861310630
  18. ↑ Survival of the Individual{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Sangam Books(1983). ISBN 9780861314003
  19. ↑ Undiplomatic Incidents{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Majestic Books(1987). ISBN 9780861316908
  20. ↑ An Unusual Raja Mahatma Gandhi and the Aundh Experiment{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Oscar Publications(1989). ISBN 9780861317523
  21. ↑ An Extended Family or Fellow Pilgrims{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Oscar Publications(1990). ISBN 9780863111099

Further reading

  • Surya Namaskar, an Ancient Indian Exercise{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Sangam Books(1970). ISBN 9788125013877
  • Towards Socialist Transformation of Indian Economy{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Humanitites Press(1973)
  • A Moment in Time{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Hodder & Stoughton Ltd(1974). ISBN 9780340147900
  • Mandala: An Awakening{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Sangam Books(1976). ISBN 978-0861310630
  • Survival of the Individual{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Sangam Books(1983). ISBN 9780861314003
  • Undiplomatic Incidents{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Majestic Books(1987). ISBN 9780861316908
  • An Unusual Raja Mahatma Gandhi and the Aundh Experiment{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Oscar Publications(1989). ISBN 9780861317523
  • An Extended Family or Fellow Pilgrims{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Oscar Publications(1990). ISBN 9780863111099

Template:Padma Shri Award Recipients in Civil Service Template:Authority control

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