Introducing: Satish Chandra

A career diplomat, Satish Chandra served as India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Offices in Geneva and later as High Commissioner to Pakistan. He, subsequently, in 1999 set up the National Security Council Secretariat which he headed till his demission from office in February 2005. He was Deputy National Security Advisor from February 2002 to February 2005.

He has authored two books, “A life Well Spent” which is biographical in nature, dwelling on his life and career, and “India Pakistan Relations: A Saga of Unending Disputes” which analyses the many disputes that have bedeviled ties between the two countries since their inception.

Tell us about your early years – which city you were born in, where you were brought up and your academic and other interests during your early years.

Belonging to a landed family hailing from Multan, I was born in Lahore in 1942. It was then the premier city of northern India. We moved to New Delhi in June 1947 when my father – a senior civil servant – was transferred there from Lahore in order to address the refugee problem which was beginning to engulf the subcontinent. While, on account of my father’s position and the timing of our move to New Delhi, we were spared much of the trauma that most refugees faced in 1947 we did, however, lose much of our properties in West Punjab. 

My pre-partition memories of Lahore are sketchy and for all practical purposes it would be true to state that New Delhi is where I was brought up.

Whilst I had a good scholastic record I was deeply interested and involved in various sports like cricket, tennis, badminton, swimming, and table tennis. It was, however, the last in which I excelled and had the good fortune to be coached by Victor Barna---a table tennis world champion several times over.

Tell us which academic qualifications you hold, and from which universities? What were the years in which you secured them?

I had all my schooling and college education in New Delhi.

My schooling, from 1947 to 1958, was at St Columba’s High School--- a Roman Catholic Christian Brothers institution, which prioritized studies over sports, was high on discipline, and instilled a strong work ethic and sense of values on all who entered its portals.

Having cleared the Senior Cambridge examinations at school with sufficiently high grades, I had no difficulty in securing admission to the prestigious St Stephens College in 1959, from where I secured a B.A. Honours degree in History in 1962.

What attracted you to your profession?

I had no special inclination towards a career in diplomacy. My entry into the world of diplomacy was, in many ways, accidental. However, the most important determining factor influencing me to joining the Foreign Service was my father’s advice. Himself a civil servant, he was of the view that the Foreign Service, as against the Administrative Service, afforded one much greater independence of action with little political interference. With hindsight, I have no regrets about my career choice, which turned out perfectly for me and from which I derived great satisfaction.

As pointed out by my father, it provided a work environment with minimal political interference, allowed considerable elbow room in determining one’s pace and style of work, enabled one to interact with the highest, both abroad and at home, and insulated one from the pulls and pressures of daily life on account of the diplomatic privileges associated with it. Though a diplomat, for about a quarter of my 40-year career, I was fortunate to work outside the Ministry of External Affairs, notably the Department of Economic Affairs for five years and the National Security Council Secretariat for five years which greatly widened my horizons.

Would you like to share your most fulfilling moments as a diplomat?

My most challenging assignment was as India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Offices in Geneva (PR Geneva) from 1992 to 1995, and my most satisfying one was as Secretary, National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) from 1999 to 2005.

My challenges as PR in Geneva arose primarily because my assignment coincided with Pakistan’s intense campaign against India on the Kashmir issue at a time when India was wracked by terrorism, was at its weakest economically and had few friends. It was imperative to neutralize Pakistan’s efforts to pass a Kashmir related resolution in the UN Commission for Human Rights as this would have paved the way for passage of similar resolutions in the UNGA and UNSC, which effectively would have internationalized the long dormant Kashmir issue, and given a fillip to militancy in Kashmir. Our success in checkmating Pakistan’s moves was thus something which one will always cherish, all the more so as it was not easy.

While the Human Rights issue was the more challenging part of my assignment, the more cerebral part of it was dealing with a host of disarmament-related issues in the Conference on Disarmament, the Disarmament Commission and the UN First Committee. Additionally, it was a great learning experience to deal with the many specialized Geneva-based international agencies such as WHO, ILO, WIPO, UNCTAD, etc.

My assignment as Secretary NSCS was intensely satisfying, both because it gave me unparalleled insights into our security structures and the opportunity to make meaningful contributions in fashioning and reforming our national security system. The fact that the National Security Council system and many of the new structures that were created whilst I was in service have not only come to stay but have gone from strength to strength is naturally gratifying and a matter of some pride.

How would you rate India’s present foreign policy vis-à-vis its aspirations of becoming a developed country by 2047? What are its key strengths and what more should it incorporate?

India’s foreign policy today, more than ever before, is suited to its emergence as a developed country by 2047. It is committed not only to an ‘India first’ approach but also to its civilizational values, the core element of which is based on the concept of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam or that the world is one family. This commitment explains why India is a force for peace and for conflict resolution through dialogue, why it is committed to the wellbeing of all humankind, why it is tireless in its campaign to address climate change and environmental degradation, why it favours pluralism and multilateralism, and why it steadfastly exercises strategic autonomy. All these elements of India’s foreign policy are inexorably geared to creating an environment conducive for its speedy economic development.

While India’s foreign policy today is, by and large, well-founded there is an urgent requirement to vastly increase the manpower in its Foreign Office, as it is currently grossly understaffed. India would also do well by giving much more attention to narrative building which has, unfortunately, suffered from decades of neglect.   

What do you consider India’s most notable diplomatic initiatives in recent times, and how are they shaping India’s global standing?

India’s global standing today is at a near all time high both due to its steadily increasing comprehensive national power and a more activist foreign policy. From being known as a country of snake charmers and beggars only three or four decades ago it is today recognized as the pharmacy of the world and a tech savvy country with notable and even spectacular achievements in many diverse spheres, such as space and digitization.

India’s outreach to its diaspora and to the Global South have, over the last few years, met with huge success. Both constitute important engines of support for the country in more than one way and India’s outreach to them is testimony to the fact that India regards the world as one family.

A vivid demonstration of India’s concern for the wellbeing of humankind was on display by its supply of vaccines and medications, often free of cost, to over one hundred countries during the covid epidemic. No other country did as much as India in helping diverse countries address the covid epidemic. In this context, it is noteworthy that India, through its Foreign Office, since the turn of this century is estimated to have provided financial assistance to over 65 countries worth over $48 billion. This amount comprised $14.74 billion in grants, $32.6 billion in lines of credit, and $656 million in capacity building and training programs. These figures are over and above other kinds of Indian support such as emergency financial assistance, multilateral aid and lending, and certain training programs conducted by other Indian government agencies. Over this period, India also conducted more than 20 major humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) missions and extended offers of training to over 128,000 individuals from other countries.

 Which current and evolving external factors can challenge India’s aspiration to rise globally? Is India well-positioned to manage those factors?

India’s determination to maintain its strategic autonomy has from time to time been resented by those wanting it to toe their line. Furthermore, there are also forces which view its rise with disquiet even though India has no hegemonic ambitions or designs, is a status quo power, and is committed to the maintenance of peace and stability. While such elements can slow down India’s progress, it is, with its vastly increased economic heft, much better placed to address them than ever before. Indeed, there is today the confidence in the country that these and other challenges can be turned into opportunities.

In the interest of its own ascent and for greater global stability, which countries/regions should India strengthen strategic ties with? Is India progressing well in that direction?

India is interested in having good relations with all countries irrespective of their clout, size, location, or form of government, based on mutual respect and benefit, on due regard for each other’s sovereignty, and on non-interference in each other’s internal affairs. Accordingly, India’s outreach is universal, extending equally to all states based on the belief that it has much to gain from each relationship and on the conviction that it also has much to contribute.