The following is an excerpt from the book, Through a Diplomat’s Lens: Capturing Momentous Times, written by Sudhir T. Devare, published by Konark Publishers Pvt Ltd.Interestingly, in one of my posts, Sikkim, the protectorate of India, I saw over a sustained period of four years, a continuous tussle between the people and the ruler for greater freedom and recognition of the rights of the former. The Chogyal, the ruler, belonged to the minority Bhutia community. However, the underprivileged Nepali and Lepcha majority suffered from discrimination and the denial of landownership and other economic aspects. This was not tolerated by the common people any longer and they rose in strong protests. They demanded representation in the governance and called for elections on the one-man-one-vote basis. The elections to an assembly were held in early 1974 when the Opposition scored a massive victory. Within a year, the assembly voted in favour of the state not only becoming free of the Chogyal’s rule but also sought Sikkim’s political integration with India. Sudhir T. Devare,,Through a Diplomat’s Lens: Capturing Momentous Times, Konark Publishers Pvt Ltd (December 2025).In Moscow in the mid-1960s, I had witnessed the Soviet communist rule at its zenith. While the Soviet military power was in full command, the citizens of the Soviet Union and its allies in Eastern Europe were under a constant fear of surveillance by security agencies and also detention. Suppression of the freedom of expression or restriction of movements was the order of the day. The Iron Curtain had divided Europe and several parts of the world between the free and Soviet-inspired states. The Soviet top-heavy and highly centralized system was, however, corroded from within and, therefore, had become unsustainable. It finally gave way in 1991 with the disintegration of the colossus into 16 states. I had seen the power of the Soviet Union during my first posting there and what a coincidence that I was sent to the three Republics—Ukraine, Armenia, and Georgia—to be the first Ambassador after they became independent of the Soviet rule.I witnessed first-hand the iron-clad, autocratic grip of the Burmese (now Myanmar) military over its hapless citizens during the early 1980s. Any form of dissent was ruthlessly dealt with. Freedom of expression was completely banned, and there were severe restrictions on movement within the country.There was a brief glimmer of hope when a democratically elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi came to power. Sadly, that promise was short-lived. On 1 February 2021, a military coup once again brought the junta back into control. Myanmar is one of the countries where military rule continues even today. Meanwhile, several ethnic rebel groups have not given up their fight for freedom and autonomy.India’s concerns over the situation in Myanmar have further grown, particularly due to the ongoing disturbances and violence in our state of Manipur that shares a porous border with Myanmar.When I arrived in South Korea in mid-1985, the military held full control over the country. Since 1980, student protests and dissident movements had been brutally suppressed, with hundreds losing their lives in the process. Yet, the courageous dissenters did not give up. Their movement got a boost, fuelled in part by the international pressure surrounding the upcoming Olympics Games.Following month-long demonstrations, led by students and supported by ordinary citizens, the autocratic military government had to finally surrender and agree to transfer power to the people’s elected representatives. I had the privilege of witnessing this historic shift first-hand in June 1987.My subsequent brush with democratisation in a foreign country was in Germany where I saw the coming down of the Berlin Wall in November 1989 and subsequent unification of West and East Germany. It was truly a historic development.The end of the Cold War coincided with an extraordinary change in which the communist state collapsed in the Soviet Union giving rise to potential democratic countries. I felt I had come a full circle. After living in the Soviet Union in its heyday, I was going to a newly independent state of Ukraine which was ideologically opposite to the country from which it had emerged, becoming a democratic state. Its people had fought hard for decades for its identity and the movement was steered by a leadership which had arisen from a collective group of people. I witnessed the process when I went to Ukraine to set up a new Mission. My experience in Ukraine was thus unique.After Ukraine, I was posted as Ambassador to Indonesia which, during my tenure, was an autocracy run by military authorities. For over 30 years, Indonesia was governed by the Soeharto regime where resentment against the latter had become sharp and was rising. Repression by the military, crony capitalism, rampant corruption, rising unemployment and poor governance had brought the country to a desperate level. The explosion against President Soeharto’s government took place in May 1998. Indonesia, a large pluralistic state became democratic after being under a totalitarian government. It was truly an amazing political transformation which I had the opportunity to watch at close quarters.I have attempted to describe here my individual experiences, my observations in the various countries where totalitarian rule gave way to democratisation. I felt that my professional life passed through a very distinctive period in history.The job of a diplomat is to help create an enabling environment for his country in which security, economic development and the socio-cultural progress of the country are protected, preserved and promoted. A diplomat’s professionalism is combined with patriotism. In a world governed by the nation-state concept, the national interest continues to determine the very basis of diplomacy. Comprehensive national strength is its currency, the acquisition of which always called for the highest priority in all our endeavours. Besides, there are concerns such as human rights, global commons, climate change or the environment, which are equally important since they are critical to our very existence. The diplomat in me was fully conscious of these realities. Obviously, I followed the basic norms of diplomacy with full vigour. But I must say that I also gave a good deal of thought to the human ideals of freedom, openness and democracy. That is why I enjoyed my postings in Sikkim, South Korea, Germany, Ukraine and Indonesia where extraordinary developments took place, ushering in people’s power to replace authoritarian rule. I also saw the Gandhian message of peace and satyagraha resonating among many leaders in Korea and Indonesia. I should thank my destiny that I had the opportunity to work as a diplomat of a responsible nation like India, marked by its civilisational richness, mature culture and democratic constitutionalism.Sudhir T. Devare worked in the Indian Foreign Service for 37 years during the Cold War period and afterwards. His assignments took him to key capitals such as Moscow, Washington D.C, Sikkim, Rangoon and Seoul.