Kewal Singh
# Kewal Singh

Kewal Singh Choudhary (1915–1991) was an Indian diplomat, Foreign Secretary and India's ambassador to the USSR, Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan and USA. He was a 1955 recipient of the Indian civilian honour of Padma Shri.

## Early life and education

Kewal Singh was born into a Sikh family in the Lyallpur District of West Punjab on June 1, 1915. He was educated at the Forman Christian College, Lahore, the Law College, Lahore and at the Balliol College of Oxford University. He joined the Indian Civil Service in 1939 and served in Punjab in administrative positions until Independence after which he opted for the Indian Foreign Service. Between 1944 and 1946 he served as Colonization Officer, Nilibar. Then he served as district magistrate at Shahpur and Simla for the years 1946-47 and 1947-48 respectively.

## Diplomatic career

Kewal Singh served as First secretary of Indian Embassy in Turkey between 1948 and 1949. Then served in Indian military mission, Berlin during 1949–51. Later, he was appointed Indian Consul-General to French Indian enclaves in October 1953 succeeding R. K. Tandon and stayed in that position until the French ceded them to India in 1954. He also played prominent role in their integration into the Indian union. In the same year he became the Chief Commissioner of the State of Pondicherry and served until November 1956. He later served at Indian missions in Stockholm, London and in Germany.

Kewal Singh was India's Ambassador to Portugal in 1962 when India's annexation of Goa led to diplomatic relations between Lisbon and New Delhi being severed, while as High Commissioner to Pakistan in 1965, he similarly had to leave that country after the breaking off of diplomatic relations following the Indo-Pak War of 1965.

He served as India's ambassador to the USSR from 1966 to 1968, and as Ambassador to the United States from 1976 to 1977. He succeeded T. N. Kaul as foreign secretary, serving from November 1972 to October 1976. India took over Sikkim, its protectorate, following prolonged internal disturbances there while Singh was foreign secretary. During his tenure, India signed an agreement for demarcating the maritime boundary with Sri Lanka and led a series of talks with the then Pakistani Foreign Secretary Agha Shahi on normalising communications and travel between the two countries.

## Death and legacy

Following his retirement as the ambassador to USA, Kewal Singh taught at the UCLA and at Kentucky University's Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce where he was distinguished world statesman in residence until his death in 1991.He is survived by two children Mohinder and Gita. He authored a book, Partition and Aftermath: Memoirs of an Ambassador.

## Offices held

| Preceded byR.K. Tandon | Consul-General of India to the French Establishments in India October 1953 – 31 October 1954 | Succeeded byConsulate Abolished (Chief commissioner of French Establishments in India) |
| - | - | - |
| Preceded byGeorges Escargueil (Gouverneur Général de l'Inde française) | Chief commissioner of French Establishments in India 1 November 1954 – 16 November 1956 | Succeeded byMoti K. Kripalani |
| Preceded byN.A. | Ambassador of India to the Denmark c.1959 – 1962 | Succeeded byN.A. |
| Preceded byN.A. | Ambassador of India to the Finland c.1959 – 1962 | Succeeded byN.A. |
| Preceded byN.A. | Ambassador of India to the Sweden c.1959 – 1962 | Succeeded byN.A. |
| Preceded byT. N. Kaul | Deputy High Commissioner of India to the United Kingdom 1962 – 1965 | Succeeded byP. N. Haksar |
| Preceded byG. Parthasarathi | High Commissioner of India to the Pakistan 1965 – 1966 | Succeeded byS. Sen |
| Preceded byT. N. Kaul | Ambassador of India to the Russia 1966 – 1968 | Succeeded byDurga Prasad Dhar |
| Preceded byN.A. | Ambassador of India to the Mangolia 1968 – 1969 | Succeeded byN.A. |
| Preceded byKhub Chand | Ambassador of India to the Germany 1970 – 1972 | Succeeded byY. K. Puri |
| Preceded byT. N. Kaul | Foreign Secretary of India 4 December 1972 – 31 March 1976 | Succeeded byJ. S. Mehta |
| Preceded byT. N. Kaul | Ambassador of India to the United States 1976 – 1977 | Succeeded byNanabhoy Palkhivala |
