Directly from beautiful Chile, we received a postcard from Subrata Bhattacharjee, former ambassador of India to Serbia. H. E. Mr. Bhattacharjee, who now serves as Indian Ambassador to Chile, shared with us new experiences while he explored the cultural and natural wonders of this South American country. He also revealed to us what he misses the most from the Serbian capital besides his favorite view of Belgrade from the Kalemegdan fortress.
What have you been doing since you left Belgrade?
I left Belgrade in July 2021 and came straight to Santiago as Indian Ambassador to Chile. In the initial days of my stay here, Chile still had pandemic restrictions. But after some months, these were eased. During my stay of the past 1 to 1 ½ years in Chile, I have organized a number of activities. These include Ministerial visits, cultural events, and business meets. More importantly, I have been to many areas of Chile. To foreign visitors, Chile offers phenomenal diversity such as the desert in the north and the glaciers in the south. A few thousand Indians and Indian-origin persons live in Chile. Indian cuisine is available in plenty, with more than 30 Indian restaurants operating in Santiago. I am very much enjoying my professional life and my stay here.
What (and who) do you miss the most from Serbia?
Serbia was a very satisfying posting for me, and I loved every moment of my stay there. Serbia is a country that shows a great understanding of India’s viewpoint. It was not only the Serbian Government officials but also many common Serbians with whom I felt this affinity. Serbians took a spontaneous interest in Indian literature, Indian dances, Yoga, Ayurveda, and almost anything Indian. This is the reason why I remember the Serbians most. I also miss my friends in the Serbian government and would be happy to meet them again. I enjoyed moving around in Serbia. In Belgrade, I often went to Kale (the fortress) and spent time walking around there and looking at the confluence of the Sava and the Danube. I certainly miss that. Serbia has one unique India connection. During my time, many Indian movie production companies were coming to Serbia to shoot some parts of these movies. It gave me the opportunity to interact with the renowned Indian movie actors coming for this. On these occasions, I also spoke at length with the film crew members and learned a lot about movie making. I deeply miss that. Serbia produces an amazing variety of fruits – fresh cherries, strawberries, berries, and apples, just to name a few. There are also many types of honey; I brought a few bottles of these with me to Santiago. I do miss this. Last but not least, I miss my Serbian colleagues at the Indian Embassy in Belgrade.
