'Fine diplomat', 'cherished friend', batchmates bid emotional farewell to IFS officer

New Delhi, Mar 12 (PTI) Days after the demise of a 2011-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer here, his batchmates on Wednesday bid an emotional farewell to him, recalling his life as a young diplomat who "served his country devotedly and exhibited a sense of balance and empathy towards people".

Jitendra Rawat, 42, ended his life by jumping off the fourth floor of a residential building in the Chanakyapuri area on March 7, police said.

A native of Dehradun in Uttarakhand, Rawat was undergoing treatment for depression, a senior police officer said .

Rawat is survived by his wife, two sons aged 8 and 13 years, mother and father.

A condolence meeting was held on Wednesday in memory of the late officer, which was also joined virtually by many people.

Rawat worked in the Ministry of External Affairs, and prior to his last assignment, he also served in Indian embassies in Belgium, Myanmar and Japan, according to police.

"Adieu, dear Jitendra! Five days ago, India lost one of its young, bright and committed civil servants in the Indian Foreign Service, a promising and progressive diplomat of 2011-batch, an affable and dear batchmate," the condolence message said.

Rawat chose a career in civil services after having pursued engineering from NIT-Calicut and securing an MBA from IIT-Delhi, it said.

"In 2011, when he became part of the IFS fraternity, we knew that diplomacy would come to him effortlessly, courtesy his strong academic foundation and balanced demeanour. And in a stellar career spanning a little over 13 years in Delhi at the Ministry of External Affairs and in Indian Missions abroad, he contributed to India's foreign policy goals with deft and represented India with poise," his batchmates said in the emotional message.

They also recalled how Rawat was always eager to analyse and philosophise about India's standing in the world, and furthering national interests was always on his mind.

He delivered on important assignments entrusted to him during his stints in Delhi, Tokyo, Yangon and Brussels, his batchmates recalled.

"In his first posting in Tokyo, with his child-like curiosity, Rawat developed a deep interest and appreciation towards Japanese language and culture, culminating in his proficiency in Japanese. He always went the extra mile to do his bit to strengthen India-Japan bilateral relations," the message said.

In Brussels, despite the novelty and complexity of issues that came his way, he was a "quick learner" and "contributed to policy decisions on India-West Europe relations", it added.

Rawat also contributed significantly to the advancement of numerous initiatives spanning the critical spheres of infrastructure development, cultural heritage restoration, and connectivity enhancement during rather difficult times ridden with challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic and post-military takeover, civil unrest in Myanmar, his batchmates recalled.

"We would want his parents, wife and children to know that they were as much of a priority for Jitendra as his professional responsibilities. We hope his children know that he was truly a cherished friend and a fine diplomat of India," the message said.

"Jitendra served his country devotedly, even while he was struggling with health issues. We cherish him for his courage, resilience, and the joy he brought to our lives," Rawat's batchmates recalled. PTI KND ARI