The Amritsar elections will have an impact on India’s policy towards Pakistan

A privately funded Global Visa Application Center and US Consulate in Amritsar, Sandhu promised, are within reach given his vast trove of diplomatic connections. Sandhu confirmed that Abu Dhabi-based conglomerate Lulu Group International has agreed to set up a logistics and food processing center in Amritsar, while a group of Punjabi NRIs in the US have raised $100 million for the Viksit Amritsar initiative.

A few years ago, Bengaluru and Pune became alternatives to New Delhi for Indian Foreign Service officials who could live in retirement. Both cities employed retired foreign secretaries. Now Amritsar joins the list of host cities for former Indian diplomats. Navdeep Singh Suri was a pioneer in this when he moved to Amritsar last year. When Suri was ambassador to Abu Dhabi, he brought a group of businessmen from the United Arab Emirates to Punjab, who then set up food processing plants in the state and procured agricultural products for export.

Win or lose, Sandhu will make Amritsar his permanent home. “To those who ask whether I will leave Amritsar after the elections, I want to assure you that Samundri House is my home,” Sandhu recently told this writer. He was referring to his family home in the city.

The presence of these two former diplomats continues to raise Amritsar’s diplomatic profile due to their global connections. After the Lok Sabha results on June 4, this profile will increase.

(KP Nayar covered West Asia extensively and reported from Washington as a foreign correspondent for 15 years.)

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH.