REMEMBERING SATTI AND THE CHAT CASTRO HAD WITH ARAFAT

On 12th April 2023, a most moving and well-attended meeting in the large and attractive Hall of the Lalit Hotel at Barakhamba Road was held.

The meeting was to remember Satinder Kumar Lambah, who passed away in June 2022 at the age of 80, after a prolonged illness that he faced with uncommon courage and good cheer. There was only standing room in the Hall. A large number of Satti’s relatives, friends, and former IFS colleagues were present.

The meeting was opened by Nina Lambah. She made a memorable and moving speech, recalling their very happy marriage and the exemplary work Satti did as a special envoy of six Prime Ministers to address and find a solution to the IndoPak problem. Satti and his Pakistani opposite number, Tariq Aziz got on well and made genuine efforts to move ahead. India could not have chosen a more accomplished, experienced, and unostentatious diplomat for so difficult a task.

I first met Satti (everyone addressed him by this endearing name) in Islamabad in July 1980, I was Head of the Mission, and Satti number two. I soon concluded that Satti knew the IndoPak situation like the back of his hand. Both he and Nina had several close Pakistani friends in the Foreign Office and in the generally hostile media. He made my task easy in India’s most troublesome foreign post. Lightheartedly I used to tell Pakistani diplomats how easy their job was, “When in doubt blame India. When not in doubt blame India.”

In the first week of March 1983, was held the seventh Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement in Delhi. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was to take over as Chairman at the afternoon session from President Fidel Castro. Shrimati Gandhi selected me to be Secretary General of the Summit. This came as a welcome surprise to me and a complete surprise to my senior colleagues. I selected Satti as Deputy Secretary General. Before doing so I mentioned my intention to the Prime Minister. Her answer was, “I do not know the man. You do what you think is best”.

During the lunch break, Satti came running to me, “Sir, we have a hell of a crisis on our hands. P.L.O Leader Yassir Arafat has conveyed to us that he was immediately leaving Delhi as he had been insulted at the opening session in the morning. He has asked his pilots to get his special plane ready.” I was both surprised and worried. What a ball the media would have. “Who insulted the P.L.O Leader,” I asked Satti who said that “the P.L.O Leader had been asked to speak after the King of Jordan.” I immediately spoke to the Prime Minister and requested her to come to Vigyan Bhawan and suggested that she bring President Castro with her. He was still the President of the NAM, till the afternoon when she would take over the Chairmanship.

The two soon arrived at Vigyan Bhawan. President Castro had got in touch with the P.L.O Leader asking him to join him and Indira Gandhi. I and Satti stood at a distance and watched the highpowered exchange between the high and mighty.

President Castro asked the P.L.O Leader, “Are you Indira Gandhi’s friend?”
Arafat: “Friend, Friend, she is my elder sister.”
Castro: “Then behave like a younger brother and attend the afternoon session.”

I was deeply impressed by the masterly manner in which the Cuban President handled the temperamental P.L.O Leader, who remained in Delhi for the next three days. Had Satti not kept his wits, Mr. Arafat would have caused a mass upheaval and all but ruined the Summit. Throughout this unsavory and unforgettable explosive episode, he kept his cool. I learned something that day from Satti, keep your distance when the great are meeting. Lesson two. Keep your mouth shut, eyes and ears open.

Rest in peace beloved friend. We all miss you.

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

K NATWAR SINGH The author is Former Minister of External Affairs of India