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 his recent training in Paris and enquired whether Joshi would be willing to accept a job in that proposed department. As explained in the earlier chapter Joshi was keen for such a change that time and had said yes. “Please sit down. Be comfortable. What drink can I offer you?” asked the Assistant Director General of UPU as he shook hands and welcomed Joshi in his office. With that first warm gesture Joshi knew that he had entered an altogether different world. In his ten years of service in India no senior officer had welcomed him like that; as an equal. They sat down and began to talk. Joshi was briefed about his new responsibilities. Same day Joshi started his work formally. Other formalities like finding a house to stay, getting admission to school for the daughters etc. were also completed within a short time. Joshi was appointed in International Bureau (IB) of UPU. His official position was ‘Third Secretary’. Of course the word ‘Secretary’ did not have the same meaning as in India. The officers in UPU had seven levels – Third Secretary, Second Secretary, Secretary, Counselor, Director and then sixth level was of Assistant Director General. There were different departments headed by different Assistant Director Generals and one of them used to be appointed as Director General, which was the seventh and the highest level. Most of the staff was Swiss but the officers would come from different member nations. Switzerland was, and continues to be, called the heaven on earth and quite rightly so. Everything here is incredibly beautiful. The mountains, greenery, roads, houses, lovely flowers that adorn each house. Everything looks almost like a picture postcard! Apart from beauty, the country has a lot more. For several years now Switzerland has been amongst the nations having the highest per capita income. Many Swiss companies 50

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Sharad Joshi : Leading Farmers to the Centre Stage