Ramu Damodaran was inside PV Narasimha Rao's PMO during the period of the Babri Masjid demolition and the upgradation of India's diplomatic relations with Israel. From serving as executive assistant to the Prime Minister of India in New Delhi, he went on to hold numerous leadership positions at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
Damodaran joins us as our guest on this episode of VIGILANT, hosted by The Quint’s editor-in-chief Raghav Bahl, and shares his experiences from a career traversing bureaucracy, diplomacy, and more.
The conversation also provides insights from up close about Rao's tenure as prime minister.
For instance, speaking about the Babri Masjid demolition in December 1992, Damodaran says, "I think he (Narasimha Rao) was very let down by a number of political personalities who we met in the few weeks before what happened at Babri Masjid who had really assured him there would be no violence."
Commenting on another notable moment from Rao's tenure, the announcement in January 1992 that India was establishing full diplomatic relations with Israel in a departure from past foreign policy, Damodaran remarks, "The decision to upgrade our diplomatic relations with Israel, I think was really completely his own (Rao's). It so happened that Mr Arafat was in town a few days before this decision was taken, and Mr Rao privately sounded him on it, and Mr Arafat was completely in agreement with that."
Damodaran also speaks about his experiences in various UN roles, including one where he served as Secretary of the UN Secretary-General’s mission to Kuwait in 1991, following the invasion by Iraq.
"We had a number of conversations with both Kuwaitis and observers who were there, to assess the extent of this damage. But what really struck me at that point, and I think is relevant today, is that when it comes to conflict or even war, one of the first targets is infrastructure," says Damodaran. "And when that infrastructure is threatened or damaged or destroyed, the entire landscape of global politics and politics in that particular region changes."
Additionally, he says, "This came through in Iraq and Kuwait, that you translate what Iraq did to a measure of political and even personal ambition. And one has to be vigilant on these factors when looking at any part of the world."
The podcast is a part of VIGIL, a new offering on The Quint that discusses and champions themes of pluralism and inclusivity in the Indian diaspora. VIGIL stands for Voice of India: Global, Inclusive, Liberal.
Watch the full conversation between Damodaran and Bahl, and follow VIGIL by The Quint on social media for the latest articles, interviews and podcasts from VIGIL.
Here's where to follow VIGIL on Instagram, LinkedIn, X.
Have an idea for a guest we should speak to on the podcast, or a topic we should discuss? Write to us at vigil@thequint.com and let us know!