COLOMBO : The High Commissioner-designate of India Gopal Baglay offered prayers to Lord Buddha through a video call each to the Most Venerable Warakagoda Sri Gnanarathana Mahanayake Thero of Asgiriya Nikaya and the Most Venerable Niyangoda Vijithasiri Anunayake Thero of Malwatte Nikaya on Monday morning.
The High Commissioner-designate arrived in Sri Lanka on Friday, May 8 2020 during the auspicious week of Vesak onboard a special aircraft carrying the fourth gift consignment of essential medicines and medical items weighing 12.5 tonnes from India to Sri Lanka.
The envoy prayed for health, happiness, peace and prosperity of the people of Sri Lanka and India.
Baglay also stressed that Buddhism is one of the strongest pillars connecting the two nations and civilizations from the time when the Great Indian Emperor Ashoka sent his children Arhat Mahinda and Theri Sangamitta to spread the teachings of Lord Buddha at the request of King Devanampiya Tissa of Sri Lanka. He sought Lord Buddha’s blessings in further strengthening the multifaceted ties between the two friendly maritime neighbours.
The Most Venerable Mahanayake and the Most Venerable Anunayake welcomed the High Commissioner-designate to Sri Lanka and blessed him for a happy and fruitful tenure here.
Before his current assignment, Baglay was serving as Joint Secretary in Prime Minister’s Office in India since 2017. In a distinguished career spanning nearly three decades in the Indian Foreign Service, Baglay has served in various capacities in the Ministry of External Affairs including as the Official Spokesperson of the Ministry, Joint Secretary (External Publicity) Division, Joint Secretary (Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran) Division, Joint Secretary (States) Division between the years 2014 to 2017 and as Director of External Affairs Minister’s office, Director (Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran) Division, Director (External Publicity) Division between 2008-2011, Director (United Nations Economic and Social) Division and as Deputy Secretary (Central Europe) Division between 2002 -2005.
An officer of the 1992 batch of the Indian Foreign Service, he also served as Deputy High Commissioner of India to Pakistan (2011-2014) and as Counsellor in charge of Press, Information and Culture in Embassy of India, Nepal.
Baglay began his diplomatic career in the Embassy of India, Ukraine as Third Secretary (1994-1996). Thereafter he served in the Embassy of India, Russia as Second Secretary (1996-1999) and as First Secretary (1999-2002) in High Commission of India, London, UK.
A Masters of Science in Chemistry, Baglay speaks Hindi, Urdu, Sanskrit, English, Ukrainian, Russian and Nepali languages. He is married to Ms Bina.