Satinder Kumar Lambah, commonly referred to as Sati Lambah, was born in 1941 in Peshawar, which is now part of Pakistan. In 1964, he commenced his career in the Indian Foreign Service, subsequently dedicating over four decades to diplomatic service and the distinguished roles across various global missions. His notable appointments include Deputy High Commissioner to Pakistan, 1978–1981; Ambassador of India to Hungary,1986-1989; Consul General of India in San Francisco, United States, 1989-1991; High Commissioner to Pakistan, 1992-1995; and Ambassador of India to Germany, 1995-1998. In between, he also served as Joint Secretary for Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran.
Lambah's expertise in economic diplomacy and relations with India's neighbouring nations significantly contributed to the establishment of the Indian Embassy in Bangladesh following its liberation from Pakistan. He was appointed Deputy Secretary-General of the 7th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement, which took place in New Delhi in March 1983, and later served as Coordinator of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in India. During his tenure as Ambassador to Hungary, Lambah played a pivotal role in facilitating the first export of an Indian automobile, the Maruti, to Budapest. Furthermore, he was instrumental in developing a strategic partnership agreement with Russia and was pivotal in securing Indian investments in the Sakhalin-I oil field during his diplomatic tenure in Moscow from 1998 to 2001.
Following his retirement from the Indian Foreign Service in August 2001, Lambah chaired a committee focused on the reorganization of the Ministry of External Affairs and India’s missions abroad. From November 2001 to July 2002, he served as India’s special envoy for Afghanistan. Furthermore, he was the Convener of the National Security Advisory Board (NSAB) and acted as the Prime Minister's special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan from 2000 to 2005 and again in 2014. In 2011, he was appointed co-chairman of the Task Force on National Security, holding this position until 2012. In August 2015, he was elected chairman of the Ananta Aspen Centre, a non-profit think tank.
In December 2015, Satinder Lambah was honoured with the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in recognition of his contributions to enhancing Germany–India relations.
He authored a significant work entitled In Pursuit of Peace: India-Pakistan Relations Under Six Prime Ministers, published posthumously by Penguin Random House India in March 2023.
Satinder K. Lambah passed away on 30 June 2022.
About the Collection: The collection of S.K. Lambah has been received for digitization from his daughter, Diya Lambah. This collection includes a compilation of his notes, statements, lectures, remarks, and writings on Pakistan, Bangladesh, China, and Afghanistan. These works pertain to various topics, including the Bonn Conferences, the prospects for peace and stability in Afghanistan, Indo-German relations, South Asian regional security and cooperation, the Indo-Russian strategic partnership, and economic diplomacy. Additionally, the collection features the R.N. Kao Memorial Lecture delivered by S.K. Lambah, transcripts of his oral history interviews, and significant extracts from books on diplomacy. Covering the period from 1991 to 2014, this collection serves as a valuable resource for studying India's relations with its neighbours. (Catalogue available)
Donor: Diya Lambah
Acquisition: 2023