Diaspora Scholar J.C. Sharma is no more
Published Date: Friday, Jan 31, 2014
A well known diplomat and diaspora scholar Ambassador Jagdish Chandra Sharma (03.07.1944-31.01.2014) passed away today morning. He is known as a pioneer in the India’s diaspora policy especially his role as a member secretary of the High Level Committee on Indian Diaspora 2001. Mr. Sharma was also the Member Secretary of the Organizing Committee for the 1st and 2nd Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (Indian Diaspora Day) celebrations which paved the way for the formation of the New Ministry called Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs. Besides this Ambassador Sharma has outstanding achievements as soldier, writer and public speaker on international affairs, Hinduism etc. He is a regular panelist on T.V. programmes on Foreign and Security Affairs and diasporic issues.
Mr. Sharma joined the elite Indian Foreign Service in 1972 and has served as First Secretary (Consular & Political) and First Secretary (Commercial) in the Indian Embassies in Tokyo and Jakarta respectively. He also served as India’s Consul General in Vancouver (1984-88) when it was the nerve center of activities in support of terrorist movement in Punjab state of India. In fact it is during his Vancouver posting where he developed a deep interest in studying the impact of Diaspora on India’s external relation and economic development. Afterwards he took other assignment where he interacted with Indian diaspora in many places i.e he was Joint Secretary (Gulf) where he studied the issues and problems related to the Gulf migrants
Mr. Sharma has been providing his expertise in issues related to diaspora policy in other coutries too. He was invited by the Govt. of Ethiopia as UNDP Consultant to advice in formulation of its diaspora policy in 2008. Afterwards he was deputed as Consultant by International Organisation on Migration (IOM) to Ethiopia to finalise the report on diaspora policy in 2009. Mr. Sharma is also a visiting faculty of the Foreign Service Institute, Ministry of External Affairs.
Mr. Sharma left behind his wife Dr. Kavita Sharma, who is also a scholar on diaspora, son and daughter.