In the presence of an august gathering, the book Not An Accidental Rise was launched in Darjeeling, West Bengal, India on Thursday.
The book serves as a biography of Former Foreign Secretary of India and currently the Chief Coordinator for India’s G20 Presidency Shri Harsh Vardhan Shringla. It recounts the life and career trajectory of Shri Harsh Vardhan Shringla who hails from the region of Darjeeling and Sikkim. In addition to the English version of the book, a translation of the book in Nepali, the most spoken language in the region, was also launched digitally. A Bengali version of Not An Accidental Rise will also be out soon.
The book has been authored by Dr Dipmala Roka who is an Assistant Professor in Department of International Relations at Sikkim University, Gangtok, India. In Not An Accidental Rise, She attempts to condense the bilateral and multilateral experiences of Shri Harsh Vardhan Shringla’s four-decade long diplomatic career during which he handled most important diplomatic accounts of India. The preface to the book by Dr Dipmala Roka reads,”It is not an accidental rise. It is the story of each promotion being built on the achievements of the last”, as she reflects upon the sheer grit and hard work that went into chiseling a noteworthy diplomatic career.
At the launch of Not An Accidental Rise in his hometown of Darjeeling, Shri Harsh Vardhan Shringla sent a strong message regarding the potential of Darjeeling. Emphasising the success and capabilities of the youth in the region, he stated, “We need to impart to the younger people in our hometown, in our district and in our area the ability to seek better opportunities and better lives. We need to create capacities that are in house and provide skills.”Also present on the occasion, Shri Prem Bhandari, Chairman of Jaipur Foot USA, world’s largest non-profit organization for disabled, highlighted Shri Harsh Vardhan Shringla’s dynamic and efficient tenure as an Ambassador in the United States of America and elsewhere in the world by stating, “He is not only the darling of North East, he is the darling of 4.6 million Indian Americans and 14 million NRIs throughout the world”.
During his career as an ambassador, Shri Harsh Vardhan Shringla served as the High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh for three years from January 2016 to January 2019. Shri Harsh Vardhan Shringla has emphasised and worked for a productive engagement between India and Bangladesh to enhance economic cooperation, development, and connectivity in the region, meanwhile vouching for a more comprehensive cooperation in areas such as water conservation, fisheries, pollution, and flood management.
The release of Shri Harsh Vardhan Shringla’s biography Not An Accidental Rise in Bengali will make his insights and experiences accessible to the majority of people of Bangladesh. The book comes at an important time as Shri Harsh Vardhan Shringla currently serves in the capacity of Chief Coordinator for India’s G20 Presidency and India has invited Bangladesh as a guest country to the G20 Summit in 2023.
Chief Coordinator for India’s G20 Presidency Shri Harsh Vardhan Shringla has previously served as the High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh.
Bd-pratidin English/Tanvir Raihan
