Ajay Singh (diplomat)

Early life

Ajay Singh was born on 15 August 1950. His father Captain Bhagwan Singh, IAS (Rtd) was born in village Jaingara, Kerawli Tehsil, District Agra in Uttar Pradesh. After a distinguished career in the Army and the IAS (he belonged to the first batch of the Service), He retired as India's High Commissioner to Fiji, Tonga, Nauru and other Pacific Islands.

His mother, Shanta Singh was born in Bharau village, Sadabad Tehsil, District Mathura in Uttar Pradesh. He has three sisters. Abha Singh, married to Karan Pal Singh, Vibha Singh, married to Maharaj Digvijay Sinh of Wankaner in Gujarat and younger sister Shubha Singh married to Yatinder Kumar. While Abha is settled in USA, Shubha (who lives in New Delhi) is a prominent journalist and author.

He is married to Shiromani Tiwari Singh, daughter of Shreedhar and Sumitra Maharaj of Fiji. She is a 3/4th generation Fiji Indian, born and brought up there. She came to India to do BA (Hons) in English Literature from Miranda House, Delhi University before returning to join the Fiji Civil Service as an officer. Her forefathers hailed from Dhakiya village, District Faizabad in Uttar Pradesh.

He studied at Delhi's prestigious Modern School before graduating in English (Hons) Literature from St Stephens College, Delhi University in 1971. In school, he was adjudged the "Best Sportsman of the Year (1967) and captained the school hockey, swimming and water polo teams. He captained the College as well as the University swimming and water polo teams, participating in inter State and inter University championships from 1965 to 1971.

He did his post graduate studies at the School of Journalism, University of Canterbury (1974), Christchurch, New Zealand and later worked as Publicity and Promotions Officer with Television One, Avalon, Lower Hutt, in Wellington. He returned to Fiji as Senior Sub Editor with The Fiji Times before coming back to India after five years at the end of December 1976.

From 1977 to 1980, he worked as Assistant Editor Surya India (a monthly magazine), News editor India Today and Deputy Editor in charge of Morning Echo (an English tabloid daily of The Hindustan Times group).

In 1980 he took over as managing trustee of the Kisan Trust and Editor-in Chief of its publications: Asli Bharat (Hindi Weekly newspaper), Asli Bharat (Urdu weekly magazine) and Real India (English weekly magazine). These journals were Oppositionist papers devoted to espousing the cause of rural India, hence their names. The Hindi weekly newspaper (later converted into a monthly magazine) won a wide and devoted readership, particularly in rural areas of the Hindi heartland. As a monthly, it was acclaimed as one of the leaders in “alternative” journalism as opposed to the “mainstream”.

As Managing Trustee of the Kisan Trust, he worked closely with veteran Socialist leaders Madhu Limaye and George Fernandes, Shri Biju Patnaik, Karpoori Thakur Bihar, Biju Patnaik (Orissa) and Mulayam Singh Yadav. His close colleagues were Sharad Yadav, Ram Vilas Paswan among others. They were all Trustees of the Trust and its chairman was Ch Charan Singh. After CHaran Singh’ death in 1987, all the veteran leaders unanimously elected him Chairman in his place.

He was elected to the Legislative Council of Uttar Pradesh unopposed in 1986. In 1989 he won the Lok Sabha Parliamentary seat from Agra defeating a family that had held the seat since Independence. He served as Union Deputy Minister for Railways in Mr VP Singh’s government.

He later served as Chairman of the Centre for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT), an autonomous body with the Human Resources Ministry. Later as chairman, Governing Body of the Sri Aurobindo College, Delhi University.

In 2005 he was appointed India’s High Commissioner to Fiji Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Cook Islands. A rare honour because his father had held the same post thirty years earlier. He served there till June 2007.

Besides being a sportsperson, a journalist/editor of prominent journals, a member of UP’s Legislative Council, of the Lok Sabha, a Union Minister, an educationist, and a diplomat, Ajay Singh has been asked by elders of his community to head their organisations.

Offices

He was the Member of Parliament from Agra constituency in 1989. He was minister of state for railways in the Indian government in 1989 and 1990. On 14 July 2005, he was also appointed as the High Commissioner of India to the Government of Tuvalu.

Ajay Singh elected as the President of All India Jat Mahasabha on 30 March 2013.

On 30 March 2013 from 11.00 am to 4.00 pm.The Akhil Bharatiya Jat Maha Sammelan held at Mavalankar Hall in Vitthal Bhai Patel House at Rafi Marg New Delhi. This was venue where earlier historical Akhil Bharatiya Jat Maha Sammelan took place and Ch. Dara Singh was elected President for All India Jat Mahasabha.

The Sammelan was presided over by Shri Balram Jakhar former Speaker of the Lok Sabha and Governor. During the Sammelan a number of prominent leaders spoke about the need for unity amongst the Jat Community .

The community elected Shri Ajay Singh former union minister and High Commissioner as the President of All India Jat Maha Sabha. Shri Vijay Punia tied the Turban on his head. Kunwar Natwar Singh (former External Affairs Minister of India) proposed his name and Shri Bhupinder Singh Hooda (chief minister, Haryana) seconded it. Dr. Balaram Jakhar along with all the leaders present on the dais blessed Shri Ajay Singh as president and wished him well. The audience supported the election by raising their hands.

The convention was addressed by Kunwar Natwar Singh, former Union Minister, Shri Bhupinder Singh Hooda Chief Minister of Haryana, Shri Manpreet Singh Badal, former Finance Minister, Punjab State, Smt. Kiran Choudhry Minister Harayana, Smt. Chandrawati, former Lt. Governor, Puducherry, Shri Vijai Punia, Shri Raghu Thakur (senior and respected Socialist Leader and President of Loktantrik Samajwadi Party), Mr. Harendra Malik, former M.P, Col.(Rtd) Sonaram Jat, former M.P. and Smt. Kushal Singh, former Chief Secretary of Rajasthan.