3.
Years in Switzerland May 1, 1968. Thirty-three-year-old Sharad Joshi stepped out of the Geneva International Airport. He had been to Switzerland twice before but that was as an officer with the Indian Postal Service; just for a week or so. This time he was here to do a job. With him were his 25-year-old wife Leela and two daughters Shreya and Gouri. He soon reported at the headquarters of Universal Postal Union (UPU) in the Swiss capital Bern. UPU regulated the international postal services. Established in 1874 this was the second international organization. The first was International Telegraph Union established in 1865, nine years earlier. Mutual communication was essential for peaceful relations and for that Post and Telegraph were the only two means available in those days. For many years the headquarters of both these organizations were in Bern. Later in 1947 both became affiliate bodies of the United Nations. After that the name of the International Telegraph Union was changed to International Telecommunications Union and its headquarters were shifted to Geneva. However, UPU continued to remain in Bern. It was suggested that there should be a department of statistics in UPU. Considering Joshi’s educational background and experience in India in a senior position for ten years he was ideal for this job. One assistant Director General of UPU, who had met Joshi once before, happened to meet Joshi again during Years in Switzerland
Q
49
