The crowd that came to bid goodbye to former diplomat Nirupam Sen on Sunday reflected his commitment and legacy. Apart from teary-eyed former Indian Foreign Service colleagues, the Communist Party of India was represented by party general secretary Sudhakar Reddy.
As India’s envoy in important missions, Mr. Sen was known for his strict disciplinarian approach to work and intellectual integrity. His friends described him as a diplomat with deep concern about the welfare of the masses.
“Ambassador Nirupam Sen leaves behind a legacy of fearlessness in Indian diplomacy. He always took a stand on issues and held on to his position even if they differed from his seniors. It was this quality that earned him respect from his colleagues,” the former Foreign Secretary Lalit Mansingh said.
Nirupam Sen, who hailed from a family of officers in the central services, belonged to the 1969 batch of the IFS and served in Oslo, Sofia (Bulgaria) and Colombo. His most important assignment was in 2004 when he was appointed Permanent Representative of India to the U.N.
Anti-terror convention
Against the backdrop of the post-9/11 emerging world order, Mr. Sen championed a comprehensive anti-terrorism convention that did not curtail the freedom of the masses.
However, he featured in Wikileaks which revealed that his deputy in the Permanent Mission told a U.S. diplomat that South Block had given him the power to override Mr. Sen in view of his lack of sympathy for U.S. global policies.
A strong supporter of India’s tradition of non-alignment, Mr. Sen was perceived as close to Nehruvian policies in the Indian foreign policy establishment.
“He was close to the Leftist concerns and his work reflected that often. Most recently, he spoke about the centenary of the October Revolution and his introduction of the revolution impressed all,” Sumit Chakravartty, Editor, Mainstream , said.
