Hardeep Singh Puri

Hardeep Singh Puri (Punjabi: ਹਰਦੀਪ ਸਿੰਘ ਪੁਰੀ; born 15 February 1952 in Delhi) is a 1974-batch Indian Foreign Service officer who served as the Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations from 2009 to 2013.^[1][2]

He also served as Chairman of United Nations Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee.

Early life and education

Hardeep Singh Puri was born in Delhi. His father was a diplomat, and he attended boarding school in India as his father was posted in countries where there were no options for English-language education.^[1] He pursued Bachelor's and postgraduate study at Hindu College, University of Delhi, and worked as a Lecturer at St. Stephen's College, Delhi.^[3]

Career

Puri has been stationed at important diplomatic posts in Brazil, Japan, Sri Lanka, and the United Kingdom. Between 1988 and 1991, he was the Coordinator of the UNDP/UNCTAD Multilateral Trade Negotiations Project to help Developing Countries in the Uruguay Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations.^[4] He also served as the chairman of the United Nations Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee from January 2011 to February 2013, and as President of the United Nations Security Council in August 2011 and November 2012.^[5][6][7]

Ambassador Puri joined International Peace Institute as a Senior Advisor in June 2013.^[8] Puri joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in January 2014, expressing an admiration for the party's approach to national security.^[9][10]

Personal Life

Hardeep Singh Puri is married to Lakshmi Puri, who is currently Assistant Secretary-General at United Nations.

Perilous Interventions

On the 21st of August 2016, Puri released his debutante, non-fiction book called 'Perilous Interventions - The Security Council & the Politics of Chaos'.

Based on his experiences in the UN and in the Indian Foreign Services, the book covers the consequences and the actions that lead to them, in some of the largest man-made disasters in the history of International Politics, such as - Iraq in 2003, Libya in 2011, Syria, Yemen and Ukraine. It also describes at length the inside stories and misdirections that lead to India's own crisis with Sri Lanka.

The book received extensive praise by the international community for the insight it provides into the working of the International Political community & especially the UN Security Council.

Comments on Uri

With reference to the 2016 cross-border strife between India & Pakistan, that began with attacks on Uri allegdly by Pakistan, Puri released an article on his^[11] page stating, "Little comfort can be drawn from the fact that many countries at the highest political levels of leadership, including the UN Secretary-General, have said that they side with India in the fight against terror. Outreach to the international community and sensitizing them will not produce the results India seeks if Pakistan continues to be in denial. If past evidence is anything to go by, India can produce all the evidence it wants of Pakistan's harbouring of terrorists, hosting of terrorist training camps, and allowing their soil to be the staging grounds for attacks against India. "

He opined that Pakistan's actions on the matter and in the past have left India with very few choices & went on to comment that, "We will have to fend for ourselves in order to produce sufficient safeguards to ensure that Pakistan pays a price to rethink its involvement with the terror machine."

Comments on US Election 2016

With reference to the 2016 Presidential elections between candidates Hillary Clinton & Donald Trump, Hardeep Singh Puri commented in a note on his official Facebook page stating, "It is still too early to call the election, but what is clear is that both candidates have received historic unfavourable ratings so far. The evolving political discourse is deeply disturbing as Clinton, with an unfavourable rating of 55% and Trump at 61% seem to be competing with each other to dumb down the discourse, in their vicious attacks on each other, as well as their commitment to the idea of protectionism in trade. "

He also commented on the overall spirit and manipulative sentiment of the election campaign stating, "Elections are best fought on a positive and upbeat agenda of hope and change for the better. A constant harping on the negative and playing on the people’s insecurities and fear does not enhance democratic functioning. "

References

[[Category:<ref>https://www.facebook.com/notes/hardeep-singh-puri/uri/662917377189410</ref>]] [[Category:<ref>hardeepsinghpuri.com</ref>]] [[Category:<ref>perilousinterventions.com</ref>]]