Jaswant Singh

Jaswant Singh is married to Sheetal Kanwar. They have two sons, the elder of whom, Manvendra Singh, is a former Member of Parliament from Barmer.

In 2014, he had a fall at his residence and suffered severe head injuries. He was in the hospital for four months and has still not recovered fully.

Jaswant Singh was born into a Rajput family on 3 January 1938 at village Jasol, Barmer district, Rajasthan. His father was Thakur Sardara Singh and mother was Kunwar Baisa.

He grew up to be a confused teenager and was looking for a direction when he decided to join the army on a whim. As a 15 year old in 1953, he became a cadet in what was then called the Joint Services Wing (JSW), intended to train cadets of all the three services.

Military training was an enriching experience for the young boy, and he learned the importance of discipline, self-control, and time management. The intensive physical training taught him the value of good health and physical fitness.

Jaswant Singh was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Indian Army in December 1957. He opted for the Central India Horse (CIH) and was selected for it. He was amongst the top ten in the Passing Out Order.

He served in the army for about nine years until November 1966. Even though he was initially enthusiastic about becoming a commissioned officer at the age of 19 in 1957, soon he became disillusioned with army life and resigned from service in 1966.

By this time he had developed a keen interest in politics and was very determined to establish himself in a political career. However, the next few years were difficult for him and he struggled to find a foothold in Indian politics.

He started tasting success in the 1980s. BJP stalwart Bhairon Singh Shekhawat took him under his wing and became his political mentor. Jaswant Singh was initiated in the Jan Sangh and soon selected for the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of Indian parliament.

In 1986, he was re-elected to Rajya Sabha for a second term. From 1986 to 1989, he served as a member of Public Accounts Committee, Committee on Public Undertakings, and Committee on Privileges. He was also a member of Consultative Committee constituted under the Punjab State Legislature (Delegation of Powers) Act, 1987.

As India’s External Affairs Minister, Jaswant Singh is much lauded for his efforts in handling relations with the United States which were strained after the 1998 Indian nuclear tests. As a skilled negotiator and diplomat, he helped to ease the relations between the two nations.