LIVING A LIFE

By Ravi Sawhney

LIVING A LIFE is an anecdotal account of Ravi Sawhney’s professional and personal life spanning around 40 years at the national and international levels.

Initially reluctant to join the Indian Administrative Service, he entered with a mindset to approach his responsibilities with pragmatism and often on his own terms, as is evident through his wide spectrum of experiences in Punjab, especially in dealing with politically explosive events such as the assassination of the Hind Samachar editor Lala Jagat Narain and the detention of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, as well as his hitherto undisclosed back channel efforts which, if fructified, might have changed the course of history and averted Operation Blue Star in Punjab.

At the international level, his long experience in the United Nations is highlighted by his initiating and conceptualizing BIMSTEC and coordinating technical assistance to the newly independent Central Asian countries in their transition to market economies.

While the book would be of definite interest to those in or aspiring to be in government service, it also gives insights about the recent history of Punjab for wider public interest.

RAVI SAWHNEY was born in Abbottabad, North-West Frontier Province. His childhood was spent in challenging times—in the midst of the Second World War, India’s freedom movement and the Partition, and when nascent independent India was struggling to redeem its ‘tryst with destiny’.

Educated at Bishop Cotton School, Shimla, he was awarded the President of India’s Medal for excellence in academics and sports. He graduated from St. Stephen’s College and earned an LLB from the Faculty of Law, Delhi University. After a brief stint in the legal profession, he joined the Indian Administrative Service and later served in the United Nations.

You can buy the book on Amazon India or Flipkart

(Hardcover)