Apasaheb Balasaheb Pant | |
|---|---|
 Jomo Kenyatta, Apa Pant andAchieng Oneko | |
| High Commissioner of India to the United Kingdom | |
| In office 15 September 1969 – October 1972 | |
| Preceded by | S. S. Dhawan |
| Succeeded by | Braj Kumar Nehru |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 11 September 1912 Aundh State,British India (present-dayMaharashtra, India) |
| Died | 5 October 1992(1992-10-05) (aged 80) Pune,Maharashtra, India |
| Parent | |
| Alma mater | University of Bombay University of Oxford |
| Occupation | Diplomat, freedom fighter |
| Awards | Padma Shri (1954) |
Appasaheb Pant (1912–1992), also known asApa Pant,[1]Appa Pant,Appa Sahib Pant,Appsaheb Balasaheb Pant,Parashuram-rao Pant (Parashuram being his first name), was an Indian diplomat, Prince ofAundh,Gandhian, writer andfreedom fighter.[2][3][4] A philosopher by nature and a mystic at heart, who served for over forty years as a career diplomat for theIndian 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 .[3] TheGovernment of India honoured him in 1954, with the award ofPadma Shri, the fourth highest Indian civilian award for his contributions to the society,[5] placing him among the first recipients of the award.
Appa Sahib Bala Saheb Pant was born on 11 September 1912[6] in theAundh, Satara capital city ofprincely state of Aundh in theBritish India, presently nearSatara in the Indian state of Maharashtra, as the second son ofBhawanrao Shriniwasrao Pant Pratinidhi,[7] the ruler of the state.[3] After schooling at local institutions, he graduated (BA) from theUniversity of Mumbai and studiedphilosophy, politics and economics atBrasenose College, Oxford.[4][8] He continued his studies in London and passed Barrister at Law fromLincoln's Inn and returned to India in 1937 when theIndian freedom movement was gathering pace.[3]
Pant married Nalini Devi,[9] a medical doctor and afellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1942 and the couple had three children,Aditi, Aniket and Avalokita.[4] He died, aged 80, on 5 October 1992,[6] succumbing to old age illnesses.[3]
Pant started his political and diplomatic career as the Minister of Education of theAundh State in 1944 when his father was the ruler of the state.[4] 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.[3] After India's independence, he enteredIndian 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.[4] In 1954, he was appointed as the Officer on Special duty with theMinister of External Affairs when India's relationship with China was strained.[4] He represented India atBandung Conference in 1956 for the formation ofNon-Aligned Movement. He also worked as the Officer in Charge of the missions ofTibet andBhutan andSikkim,[10] and as Ambassador to Indonesia (1961–64), Norway (1964–66), Egypt (1966–69),[11] United Kingdom (1969–72) and Italy (1972–75).[3][6]
Apasaheb Pant was a former judge for theTempleton Prize,[12] an international recognition honouring theentrepreneurship of spirit,[13] He published[4] eight books towards the latter part of his life.[3]
In 1954, he was awarded withPadma Shri, the fourth highestIndian civilian award for his contributions to the society, placing him among the first recipients of the award.
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