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International

India the world’s biggest democracy

Interview with His Excellency

Mr. Indra Mani PANDEY

Your Excellency, could you tell us a little India has commenced 75 weeks long
Photos and edit : Sanjay Acharya so that you ended up in Geneva? independence, which will culminate in a
about yourself and how your career evolved celebration of the 75 anniversary of its
th
I joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1990. grand celebration on 15 August 2022. What
After my training, my first posting abroad was is the significance of this celebration and
in Cairo in January 1992, where my primary how do you assess the achievements of India
task was to study Arabic. In my diplomatic since its independence?
service of over 30 years, I have served at Yes, we have commenced, since 12 March
Indian–– Missions in Damascus, Islamabad 2021, 75-weeks long celebration of the 75
th
and Kabul. Later, I served as Consul Anniversary of India’s independence. It will
General in Guangzhou (China), as Deputy be our endeavour to highlight key facets of
Ambassador in Paris and as Ambassador in India@75, including various aspects of Indian
Muscat, the beautiful capital of the Sultanate civilization, our diverse society and unique
of Oman. This is my second assignment cultural traditions, our democratic polity and
in Geneva; I was posted in Geneva earlier the strides that we have made in development,
from September 2003 to December 2006 including in science and technology.
as Counsellor (Disarmament) and served
as India’s delegate to the Conference on In the past seven decades, India has emerged as
Disarmament. the world’s largest democracy; we have nurtured
political inclusion and empowerment through
You have a long and impressive career. Is our vibrant and participative democracy. We
there any particular place you served that is have succeeded in building institutions, which
close to your heart? have sustained our democratic polity. We have
Thanks! It certainly has been a long career. All taken democracy to the grassroots through
the places that I have been posted to presented our local self-governance institutions at the
unique challenges and opportunities and were village, block and district levels.
great learning and enriching experiences.
However, I always remember very fondly my India has also been successful in achieving
assignment in Kabul. Though it presented very inclusive and sustainable development. We have
unique challenges, including the perception emerged as the third largest economy of the
of threat to personal security, I feel happy world on purchasing power parity basis. In the
that I was able to contribute, in my own small aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic we set the
way, in the reconstruction and rebuilding of goal of building a self-reliant India, a country
Afghanistan, which made a direct and tangible that will be engaged with the world more than
contribution to the well-being of the Afghan ever through trade and investments and will
people. contribute to global growth and development.

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