In What the West Should Learn from India: Insights from a German Diplomat, Walter Johannes Lindner, former German Ambassador to India, offers a personal yet perceptive account of his time in the country. Blending memoir with diplomatic insight, the book reflects on India’s global relevance, internal diversity, and its ability to unsettle entrenched Western assumptions. It resonates with readers seeking to understand how India’s democratic resilience and cultural complexity offer fresh perspectives on global power relations, postcolonial legacies, and the everyday vitality of its society. To explore his motivations and reflections, Dr Manu Sharma interviewed Ambassador Walter Johannes Lindner.
What drew you to write this book on India after retiring and returning to Germany?
You won’t believe it—it wasn’t my intention at all. When I came back to Germany after retiring from India, I had other projects in mind. I’m also a musician and was giving speeches.