Apa Pant Explained

Honorific Prefix:His Excellency
Honorific Suffix:PS
Apasaheb Balasaheb Pant
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
Birth Date:11 September 1912
Birth Place:Aundh State, British India (present-day Maharashtra, India)
Death Place:Pune, Maharashtra, India
Occupation:Diplomat, freedom fighter
Alma Mater:University of Bombay
University of Oxford
Father:Bhawanrao Shriniwasrao Pant Pratinidhi
Awards:Padma Shri (1954)

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 . 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. After schooling at local institutions, he graduated (BA) from the University of Mumbai and studied philosophy, politics and economics at Brasenose College, Oxford.[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.

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. He died, aged 80, on 5 October 1992, succumbing to old age illnesses.

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. 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. 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. 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. 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).

Literary career

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

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

Further reading

Notes and 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. Guyot-Réchard . Bérénice . 2022 . Stirring Africa towards India: Apa Pant and the Making of Post-Colonial Diplomacy, 1948–54 . The International History Review . 44 . 4 . 892–913 . 10.1080/07075332.2022.2093941 . 250598023 . 0707-5332.
  3. Web site: Benegal . Benegal . 2015 . 30 March 2015.
  4. Web site: Apa Pant in East Africa. Awaaz Magazine . 1 November 2011 . 30 March 2015. dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150402125304/http://www.awaazmagazine.com/index.php/component/k2/item/170-apa-pant-in-east-africa . 2 April 2015 .
  5. Web site: Padma Shri . Padma Shri . 2015 . 11 November 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20151015193758/http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf . 15 October 2015 .
  6. Web site: WMF Labs . WMF Labs . 2015 . 30 March 2015.
  7. Web site: Free Library . Free Library . 2015 . 30 March 2015.
  8. Web site: Bowers. John. John Bowers (lawyer). 2021-02-16. Principal's Blog: 16th February 2021. 2022-02-02. Brasenose College, Oxford.
  9. Gaurav Desai, Commerce with the Universe: Africa, India, and the Afrasian Imagination, p. 75
  10. Web site: TH Library . TH Library . 2015 . 30 March 2015.
  11. Web site: Middle East Institute . Middle East Institute . 2015 . 30 March 2015.
  12. Web site: The Templeton Prize – Judges. Previous Judges . . 2015 . 30 March 2015.
  13. Web site: Templeton About . Templeton Foundation . 2015 . 30 March 2015.
  14. Book: Surya Namaskar, an Ancient Indian Exercise . Sangam Books . Apa Pant . 1970 . 9788125013877.
  15. Book: Towards Socialist Transformation of Indian Economy . Humanities Press . Bhuleshkar, Ashok V. . Pant, Apa B. . 1973.
  16. Book: A Moment in Time . Hodder & Stoughton Ltd . Pant, Apa B. . 1974 . United Kingdom . 9780340147900.
  17. Book: Mandala: An Awakening . Sangam Books . Apa B. Pant . 1976 . 218 . 978-0861310630.
  18. Book: Survival of the Individual . Sangam Books . Apa Pant . 1983 . 9780861314003. 13215863 .
  19. Book: Undiplomatic Incidents . Majestic Books . Pant Apa B. . 1987 . 9780861316908.
  20. Book: An Unusual Raja Mahatma Gandhi and the Aundh Experiment . Oscar Publications . Apa Pant . 1989 . 9780861317523.
  21. Book: An Extended Family or Fellow Pilgrims . Oscar Publications . Apa Pant . 1990 . 9780863111099.