ADVERTISEMENT
Veteran diplomat A K Damodaran passes away at 91
New Delhi, January 31, 2012
ADVERTISEMENT
Veteran diplomat and writer A K Damodaran passed away in a private hospital here today after a prolonged illness.
He was 91. Diplomat Ramu Damodaran, who served as private secretary to then Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao, is his son.
Born in 1921, Damodaran belonged to the 1953 batch of the Indian Foreign Service and served as India's Ambassador in Sri Lanka, China, Russia, Germany and Italy.
A respected writer, Damodaran wrote "Jawaharlal Nehru as a Communicator" and edited "Selected Works of Jawaharlal Nehru" and "Indian Foreign Policy: The Indira Gandhi Years".
Damodaran was also a freedom fighter and had gone to jail during the Quit India movement for more than 12 months. He also taught English at Delhi University for some time.
Damodaran retired from the foreign service in 1980.
Vice-President M Hamid Ansari, himself a former career diplomat, condoled the death of Damodaran, describing him as a doyen of the Indian Foreign Service who provided leadership, wisdom and vision to Indian diplomacy during its formative years.
"His distinguished work in the Policy Planning Division of the Ministry of External Affairs and his writings have made a lasting contribution. His demise is an immense loss to Indian diplomacy and the nation.
"My wife joins me in sending heartfelt condolences to the members of the bereaved family and the wide circle of his friends and admirers. We pray to the Almighty to grant them the strength and fortitude to withstand this tragedy," Ansari added.
NNN
ADVERTISEMENT
