Talk:Natwar Singh

Cleanup

I've tried to format the article a bit. It needs a lot more basic information - like which constituency he represented in Lok Sabha (and whether he lost or did not contest at all in 1989 and subsequent elections, I am not sure so I marked my own sentence as disputed!) , which state he represents in the Rajya Sabha, a better description of his policies as MEA, more details on the scandal --Ravikiran 15:37, 9 November 2005 (UTC)

not sacked...

...In In the news section on Main Page, it is mentioned that K. Natwar Singh was sacked. He has only been stripped of his portfolio; he still remains a minister, albeit without porfolio, pending a judicial enquiry. --Gurubrahma 07:37, 10 November 2005 (UTC)

Rewrite/removal

I've just removed a bunch of material, and rewritten other parts. It may be possible to reintroduce some of that information, but only if it is carefully sourced. WP:BLP says that we may never include negative or contentious material on living persons unless that information is covered in highly reliable sources. Qwyrxian (talk) 07:12, 30 May 2011 (UTC)

Stop the usage of His Highnesss/ Maharaja etc for Individuals !!

Usage of titles like Maharaja/ His highness has been prohibited by the constitution of India by Article 18. Even the usage of Bharat Ratna or Padambhusan etc has been a bone of contention which has even led to the demand of abolition of these awards. Right to equality is among the fundamental rights of every citizens in India, Lets now use such title to create and promote differences of superiority or inferiority among Indians. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Raasbihari (talk • contribs) 06:37, 3 April 2012 (UTC)

I removed them. Please note, though, that my reason for removal had absolutely nothing to do with Indian law, which Wikipedia is in no way subject to. However, our guideline, WP:Honorific, says that we usually shouldn't use them, so I took them out. Qwyrxian (talk) 23:39, 3 April 2012 (UTC)

A Commons file used on this page or its Wikidata item has been nominated for deletion

The following Wikimedia Commons file used on this page or its Wikidata item has been nominated for deletion:

• Shri Natwar Singh assumes the charge of Union Minister for External Affairs in New Delhi on May 24, 2004.jpg

Participate in the deletion discussion at the nomination page. —Community Tech bot (talk) 21:55, 30 December 2020 (UTC)

Updated Introduction with Reliable Sources

I have recently updated the lead section of the Natwar Singh article. The earlier version lacked complete coverage and included some sources that were questioned for reliability. The current revision is based only on reliable and verifiable references, including:

• The Indian Express
• NDTV
• The Hindu
• Hindustan Times
• Times of India
• BBC News
• Government of India Padma Awards directory

The intention is to provide a neutral and comprehensive overview of his career — covering his diplomatic service, political roles, resignation in 2005, and later writings — while staying fully compliant with WP:RS and WP:NPOV.

I welcome feedback from other editors and would prefer consensus before any further reverts.

SatyamevJ (talk) 02:09, 1 October 2025 (UTC)

Proposed updated introduction

Hello editors,

I plan to update the introduction section of this article shortly. The earlier version contained multiple dead or 404 references, and I realize this weakened its verifiability — apologies for that.

I’ve rebuilt the lead using current live sources from The Indian Express, The Hindu, NDTV, BBC, Business Standard, India Today, and the Government of India’s Padma Awards database. All links are working and meet Wikipedia’s reliable sources standard.

Due to a temporary rate-limit lockout, I will be able to publish the edit in about 30 minutes. In the meantime, I wanted to note the proposed update here for transparency and to invite feedback.

Here is the proposed new lead section:

Natwar Singh (16 May 1931 – 10 August 2024) was an Indian politician, diplomat, and author. Born into an aristocratic family from the former Jat princely state of Bharatpur (before India’s independence), he entered the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) in 1953 and later became the first officer of the service to hold the office of India’s Minister of External Affairs, serving from 2004 to 2005. A long-time stalwart of the Indian National Congress (INC), Singh was recognised with the Padma Bhushan, India’s third-highest civilian honour, in 1984.

Thanks! SatyamevJ (talk) 02:27, 1 October 2025 (UTC)

@SatyamevJ I had improved the lead section; concised and working sources cited TheSlumPanda (talk) 04:50, 1 October 2025 (UTC)

Update to Political career section

Hello editors,

I have updated the *Political career* section of this article. The earlier version included outdated phrasing and relied on older or dead references. The new version:

• Uses live, verifiable sources including *The Hindu*, *Indian Express*, *Hindustan Times*, *Business Standard*, *The Tribune*, *Scroll.in*, *United Nations Digital Library*, and *The Times* (UK).
• Clarifies Singh’s international role, especially his election as President of the United Nations Conference on Disarmament and Development in 1987, using primary UN documentation.
• Removes non-neutral or evaluative language (e.g., “rewarded with a ticket,” “returned to the service of the Gandhis”) to better align with Wikipedia’s WP:NPOV and WP:ENC standards.
• Preserves all key political milestones while presenting them in a neutral, encyclopedic style.

This is intended to strengthen the article by ensuring reliability of sources and compliance with policy. Please review, and if there are concerns, let’s discuss improvements here before further reverts.

SatyamevJ (talk) 09:21, 3 October 2025 (UTC)

Updates to "Writing career" and "Later years" sections for accuracy and neutrality

Hello editors,

I have revised two sections of this article for clarity, neutrality, and sourcing:

Writing career

• Replaced dead links with live, reliable references (The Hindu, The Times, India Today, Reuters, etc.).
• Highlighted Singh’s early literary association with E. M. Forster at Cambridge.
• Covered his historical works on Maharaja Suraj Mal and Maharaja Bhupinder Singh, noting his family connections.
• Expanded on Walking with Lions (2013), mentioning portraits of Fidel Castro, Lord Mountbatten, Nelson Mandela, and his friendship with artist M. F. Husain.
• Noted Treasured Epistles (2018) and his autobiography One Life is Not Enough (2014), situating it alongside Sanjaya Baru’s The Accidental Prime Minister as part of a wider wave of political memoirs.
• Improved the “Books published” list with consistent formatting and working links.

Later years

• Limited unnecessary focus on the Oil-for-Food controversy that has already been discussed.
• Clarified that in February 2008 Singh used the occasion of a Jaipur rally to announce his resignation from the INC.
• Added that in later years he focused on his writing career — publishing books, columns, and reviews — rather than political office.
• Keptthe section biographically focused on Natwar Singh himself.

All edits are intended to improve neutrality, readability, and verifiability. Please review and share any further suggestions.

Thanks, SatyamevJ (talk) 13:40, 3 October 2025 (UTC)

Rewording of Diplomatic Career Section

Hello editors,

I have reworded the "Diplomatic career" section to improve readability and balance. The changes do not introduce any new information but simply restructure the existing content with the same references and hyperlinks as before.

Key adjustments:

• Smoothed the flow from early postings to later multilateral roles.
• Made the language clearer and less fragmented, while still neutral and factual.
• Retained all existing citations without alteration.

This version highlights the breadth of Singh’s diplomatic service in a more cohesive way, without changing the substance.

Please let me know if there are any concerns or further improvements needed.

SatyamevJ (talk) 14:31, 3 October 2025 (UTC)

Early life and education section reworded

I have slightly reworded the “Early life and education” section to improve readability and neutrality. The edits do not introduce new information — they retain the same details (family background, education at Mayo College, St. Stephen’s, Cambridge, and Peking University) but are expressed in clearer language.

I also added internal hyperlinks where appropriate and ensured the references used are live and verifiable. Content accuracy remains unchanged.

SatyamevJ (talk) 14:58, 3 October 2025 (UTC)

Request for Stability and Neutrality Enforcement

Over the past few weeks, this article has undergone repeated re-insertions of unsourced or sensational material. I restored the version from 3 October 2025, which was fully cited, neutral, and written according to encyclopedic standards.

Recent edits (4–21 October 2025) added non-neutral and speculative language without discussion here. I’ve raised concerns each time through edit summaries and Talk comments, but the same material keeps returning without reliable sourcing or consensus.

I have now requested page protection (pending changes or semi-protection) at Wikipedia:Requests for page protection to preserve stability while we discuss sourcing and neutrality here.

Editors are welcome to propose revisions, but please: Support all statements with reliable, verifiable sources (WP:RS). Avoid sensationalism or undue weight (WP:NPOV). Use Talk-page consensus before re-adding disputed content.

Once the page stabilizes, I’m happy to help re-add balanced, properly referenced material. SatyamevJ (talk) 08:50, 23 October 2025 (UTC)

Restored Neutral Version (3 October 2025) and Ongoing Unverified Additions

The article has seen repeated insertion of unsourced or non-neutral material after 4 October 2025. I restored the 3 October 2025 version, which was fully sourced and written in line with WP:NPOV and WP:RS. My previous request for semi-protection was declined on the basis that this is a content dispute, so I’m opening formal discussion here.

I invite other editors (including those who added recent changes) to justify their edits with specific reliable sources. Until then, the restored version should remain per WP:BURDEN — unsourced content may be removed.

If disruptive or unverified additions continue without consensus, I will request dispute resolution or pending changes protection. SatyamevJ (talk) 16:44, 25 October 2025 (UTC)