MEA secretary Amarendra Khatua: Mind of a diplomat, heart of a poet

THE government on Monday assigned an additional destination to current Director General of ICCR (Indian Council for Cultural Relations) and 1981 batch IFS officer Amarendra Khatua. He will also be secretary (special assignment) in the ministry of external affairs (MEA) till the date of his retirement, i.e. May 31, 2017. A career diplomat who had earlier served as Ambassador of India to Argentina, Khatua also held trade and economic positions in Indian Missions of Madrid, Mexico City, Karachi, Moscow and New York. But not to forget, Khatua is a poet in heart. Let’s first recite a few lines of one of his many poems:

Sahitya Academi Row: Those who “manufactured” a protest included a Rajasthan bureaucrat too!

Poet and Officer

MEET this bureaucrat who is among 33 writers who had returned their awards in the last few weeks to protest what they term a growing intolerance under Narendra Modi government at the Centre. Eminent poet Ambika Dutt Chaturvedi who is also a Rajasthan Administrative Service (RAS) officer won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2013 for his contribution to the Rajasthani literature. And this 59-year-old writer-officer too announced that he would be…

Meet Nirupama Rao, the poet; who are other bureaucrat-poets?

DID you know, India’s former foreign secretary and 1973 batch retired IFS Nirupama Rao has a private passion -- writing poems? The former diplomat on Thursday released two of her poems -- one on life in Jaffna (2005) and the other on women safety in Delhi (2011) in a social media site. Over a decade ago, Rao came out with a poetry book titled “Rain Rising Poems”. First, a part of a poem on city of Delhi written by Rao:

Corridors of Poetry: Haryana cadre IAS Sumita Misra turns poet

YET another senior IAS has turned a poet. Sumita Misra, a 1990 batch Haryana cadre IAS has come out with a collection of poems named Life of a Light, touching subjects like womanhood and aspirations of women and youth.

The collection of 45 poems was recently released by Haryana Governor Jagannath Pahadia. A masters in economics, Sumita Misra is currently posted as chief electoral officer of government of Haryana.

Yet her high point in career is bringing out innovative solution in the field of renewable energy. Under her leadership from March, 2005, the Haryana Renewable Energy Department and Haryana Renewable Energy Development Agency (HAREDA) emerged as national leader in the field of energy conservation.

In the corridors of poetry, Sumita Misra is not alone. Bishnupada Sethi, a 1995 batch Orissa cadre IAS is a confirmed poet with two poetry books already in his kitty. His latest book, My World of Words is a collection of poems with an underlining theme that words are central to human existence. Also, Amarendra Khatua, a 1981 batch IFS officer is known for his Oriya poetry.

Also Read
A diplomat and Poet
An IAS officer's World Of Words

UT adviser hints at introducing CNG buses in Chandigarh

KK Sharma, a 1983 batch IAS officer and newly appointed adviser of Union Territory of Chandigarh, has hinted that the capital city of Punjab and Haryana may follow the Delhi route in introducing CNG buses there. Sharma was the principal secretary in the Public Works Department in Delhi.

Poet By Heart: Bureaucrat Bishnupada Sethi’s World of Words

MEET this bureaucrat by mind but poet by heart. For Bishnupada Sethi, a 1995 batch Orissa cadre IAS and director, Census Operation of Orissa, life is a bigger canvas and poetry is his art. Bishnupada Sethi is a confirmed poet with two poetry books already in his kitty.
His latest book, My World of Words is a collection of poems with an underlining theme that words are central to human existence. After all, human experience, intelligence, belief etc. are linked to the world of words.

Sample this:

Lying quietly on a wooden cot,

kept on the verandah of a mud hut,

I move my eyes slowly

like the rare waves

in the cool waters of a static lake.

You may wonder about me-

Relating to people like you,

while knowing that I do not have any name,

like other old members of the tribe

as naming was never our old tradition.

This is Sethi’s one of many poems called “An Unknown Tribal” where he narrates what life means for a simple tribal villager. For the record, there has been a massive debate in Orissa about tribal rights vis-à-vis commercial utilization of its vast resources.

Sethi’s first book named, “Where Shall I Go” was published in 2005. The book became so popular that its Urdu version was published later in 2009, and its Oriya version in under print.

Amarendra Khatua, a 1981 batch IFS officer, is yet another bureaucrat-cum-poet. His Ek Kavi Ka Khamosh Ho Jana received accolades in the poetry circle.

Also Read

Meet poet Khatua, IFS

CG Somaiah's book on stand-alone officers

IAS Kalyani Chaudhuri's book on babus 

Actor IAS V Venu as manipulative contractor

Action and Appointments

a) Anil Kumar, a 1976 batch Nagaland cadre IAS, presently Principal Adviser, Planning Commission has been appointed as secretary, department of AYUSH, under the ministry of health and family welfare in place of Ms S Jalaja, a 1974 batch Bihar cadre IAS who is retiring on October 31, 2010.