Mohinder Pratap Singh
Ambassador of India to Mongolia
Ulaanbaatar (MONGOLIA)
Ancestry
Rawalpindi (undivided British India)
Birthplace
New Delhi (India)
Residence
Ulaanbaatar (MONGOLIA)
The Red Turban Protocol Officer
After joining the Ministry of External Affairs in allied services in 1985, he became one of the longest-serving Protocol Officers with the unique distinction of handling or organising visits of over 250 foreign Heads of State.
Mongolia, known for its eternal blue sky and severe winters, is a wonderful country where people – just like India – are extremely warm, friendly and hospitable. The 3 Ds – Dharma, Democracy and Development are the pillars of our centuries old friendship. Most Mongolians have a ‘bond of hearts’ with their ‘spiritual neighbour’ India.
Since I took over my responsibility in February 2019 as the Ambassador of India to Mongolia – a nation teeming with life and buzzing with activity despite the weather – it has been a great experience working in this wonderful country. Our commonality of views and goodwill for India in this beautiful nation reassures me of fulfilling my duties as Ambassador that is – to nourish, nurture and enhance our ‘strategic partnership’ and traditional friendship while striving to increase trade and commercial content into our relationship commensurate with goodwill.
Your good days are never so good that you are beyond the NEED of GOD and Your bad days are never so bad that you are beyond the REACH of GOD…
… was the lesson instilled by my parents, Sardarni Narinder Kaur and Sardar Kuljeet Singh. My parents’ family migrated from Rawalpindi and settled in New Delhi. I was born in New Delhi 55 years ago. My father was an Engineer in Northern Railways and Mom a fulltime homemaker. She has always been an affectionate mother, willing to sacrifice anything for the sake of welfare of her children. The spirit of perseverance, importance of patience, being honest in conduct and waiting for the right time, are some of the values she inculcated in me and my three sisters. I hasten to add that all these virtues flow from the three basic tenets of Sikh faith – Kirat Karo, Naam Jap and Vand Chacko (do good deed, never forget thy God and share what you earn).
I have few memories of my childhood in Lucknow and vivid recollection of being told stories of courage of my grandfather who served in British Indian Army with distinction in Kenya.
After shifting to Delhi at age seven, I attended Kendriya Vidyalaya, Tagore Garden, until grade 12 and later pursued BCom(Hons) from Shivaji College, Delhi University. Mindful of my father’s teachings that ‘education is the most powerful tool that can transform our lives and bridge the gap between where you are and what you are capable of achieving’, I persisted with studies. He was very principled, upright and disciplined.
One passion that continued from childhood is reading. I loved reading all kinds of books and magazines. My favourite pastime was to visit the ‘Old Book Street Market’ in Dariyaganj, Delhi, from where I used to buy Time magazine to catch up on international news. My collection of books from the market include some gems like Old Man and the Sea, War and Peace, The Good Earth, Nineteen Eighty-Four, Animal Farm, etc. Socialism influenced me as a teen though gradually this feeling gave way after travel to several countries exposed merits of free society.
While growing up, I loved playing and watching all sports though I excelled in Cricket and Basketball and represented both school and university. As a teenager, I was always overawed by the command and power that our Physical Education teacher enjoyed and always wanted to become one, but after school, dreams changed.
A meeting that changed my dream
While in college, I was introduced to a Foreign Service Officer who had just returned from a posting in Europe. Observing his nuanced yet positive approach to life, professionalism and work ethics, I felt encouraged to try my luck for the Foreign Service. I learnt that though foreign service is challenging and could mean dislocation of personal life, it nevertheless allowed one to travel the world over, gain better understanding of different cultures, people, history, customs and assimilate their unique experiences in the line of one’s duties. And of course, there is no better feeling than being able to represent your country abroad. That was the clinching point in my life and thus the dream of becoming a Physical Education teacher gave way to a new aspiration of a career in foreign service.
After completing college in 1984, I qualified for Officer Training School (OTS) in the Indian Army, but instead joined the Ministry of External Affairs in allied services in 1985. My 34 years of service in various parts including Vietnam, Thailand, Cuba, Canada, the UAE and the UK and travel to 105 countries across continents in the course of my protocol duties brought about a paradigm shift in my attitude and certainly transformed me into a different person.
I count my stays in Dubai and Canada where I headed the Community Affairs and Labour Welfare Departments in the Indian Consulates as the most challenging but most satisfying tenures where I was able to make differences in many a lives.
In Dubai, 70 per cent of Indians are labour class, house maids, petty workers without much education or knowledge about their rights. Some noteworthy cases that come to my mind are repatriation of an Indian patient who lost memory for the last 25 years, reuniting a lady with her family in India after being in UAE prisons for 14 years, resolving flash strike case by about 4,000 Indian and south Asian workers in Fujairah, rescuing a group of 8 distressed ladies from remote part of the UAE after 12 months’ detention, successfully handing a sensitive case of killing of Indian fishermen by US marines, return of mortal remains of an Indian after 18 months. However, the most important institutional change for which I played a good part, was widening the scope of Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) which was later adopted by government of India in all its global embassies and led to establishment of the first ever Indian Workers’ Resource Centre (IWRC) offering 24X7 six-language helpline for distressed Indian workers and also offered free psychological, legal and financial counselling. I also facilitated formation of an NGO ‘Sarbat-da-Bhala’ in the UAE which has now pan-India presence. Another noteworthy mention is assisting Indian Association Sharjah (IAS) for construction of the first ever Hindu crematorium in Sharjah.
In Canada it was an altogether a different issue. Notwithstanding strong anti-India sentiments of a large section of Indian origin persons in Toronto, I managed to start for the first time ever an ‘India Day Parade’ and ‘full-day National Day’ celebrations in the Yonge-Dundas Square, Toronto. India Day Parade is continuing to this day. With the Guidance of Consul General, I also assisted in formation of Canada India Foundation (CIF) and revived Panorama, Federation of Indian Associations to foster support for stronger bilateral relations between both countries.
As one of the longest-serving Protocol Officers, I have the unique distinction of organising state visits to India of over 250 foreign Heads of State, including Queen Elizabeth, President Clinton, President George Bush and President Barack Obama, President Putin, Pope John Paul II, President Nelson Mandela, President Jacque Chiraq and many others. I was also instrumental in drafting the protocol guidelines of the Ministry of External Affairs for handling state visits and hospitality norms presently in use.
Before assuming charge in Mongolia, as Director (Conference) in the Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi, I successfully managed organization of 2nd FIPIC Summit in Fiji, World Hindi Conference in Mauritius, International Solar Alliance (ISA) Summit with 26 heads of state/governments and over 50 ministers, India-ASEAN Summit in New Delhi and Pravasi Bhartiya Divas (PBD) 2019 in Varanasi and also coordinated operations of the prestigious Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra (PBK) as ex-officio Chairperson of the PBK Operations Committee.
The best relationship is when you hold the hand of a person and the person walks with you without asking “Where” and “Why”
No matter how successful you are professionally, if you do not have your wife holding your hand tight, your life is incomplete. I am happy and lucky to have my better half in Gurmeet who also plays the role of philosopher, guide and spiritual mentor for me. Little do people know that we were neighbours in Delhi, but never thought we would one day get married. After her sister and my close friend suggested the alliance, we immediately agreed happily and got married on 3 October 1992.
Gurmeet is a trained physiotherapist. While in Cuba, she obtained Diploma in Physiotherapy and her passion is to work with differently abled children.
Our two sons, Harry (Jagjot) and Jesssie (Baljot) are Graduates in Economics from University of Toronto and SOAS, London. Jagjot, is also an avid weight lifter and working as a Data Analyst while Jessie is pursuing Masters in Global Affairs from Monk School, University of Toronto and loves photography.
To them, I have always advised to follow their own hearts while stressing the need to inculcate the essence of one of my favourite quotations:
Guide me on the way, Lord; I need not know the whole path.
Just give me enough light to SEE THE NEXT STEP.
Philosophy
What impacts the larger good of humankind over individual good is actually worthy of being considered as good karma. Whatever you give to the world, will eventually come back to you, MANIFOLD.
I love…
To learn more and more, read all kinds of books, like to travel. Whenever in doubt, I draw my inspiration from the living Guru, Shri Guru Granth Sahib.
I’d suggest the youth…
To EDUCATE, EMPOWER and ELEVATE themselves. The elevator to success is always out of order so take stairs instead, one or two steps at a time.
Success Mantra
The smallest GOOD DEED is better than the greatest GOOD INTENTION.
The world doesn’t know that…
Dr APJ Abdul Kalam and Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji often referred to me as the ‘Red Turban Protocol Officer’.
AKA
Ambassador Mohinder Pratap Singh | Ambassador of India to Mongolia
Gallery
ISBN : 9788193397695