P. L. Sinai

Peter Lynn Sinai was a Rhodes Scholar in 1954. He studied first in Bombay and then at St Stephen's College in Delhi before entering diplomacy. His career included the deputy leadership of the Moscow embassy, where colleague T.P. Sreenivasan remembered him handling economic work under ambassador D.P. Dhar. He held a Harvard fellowship in 1978–79 and served as ambassador to Iraq from December 1979 to June 1983. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Sinai also worked on the practical arrangements for President Jimmy Carter's visit to India. American diplomat Natale Bellocchi recalled negotiating with him over hotel accommodation as the visiting party grew far beyond its original size. Sinai later served as ambassador to Austria and, after his diplomatic career, settled in Bangalore. Historian Ramachandra Guha recorded his recollections of education and diplomatic life in a 2008 essay. 6, 2

Washington Appointments

  • India — Chargé d’affaires, 1984 (appointed)

Archival Sources

Archival references used in this account; descriptions and access vary by repository.

Sources

  1. The Rhodes Community: List of Scholars

    1954 entry

  2. The Impurity of Cultures

    Recollection of conversation with Sinai

  3. Our man in Moscow

    Moscow colleagues and economic responsibilities

  4. Weatherhead Center for International Affairs Fellows, 1958–2015

    PDF page 26, Peter Lynn Sinai

  5. List of previous Ambassadors of India to Iraq

    Peter Lynn Sinai row

  6. Ambassador Natale H. Bellocchi: Oral history

    PDF page 39: preparations for Carter visit

  7. Historical representation: British India

Biography checked 2026-10-28.

Cite or Reuse This Biography

P. L. Sinai. Chanceries Diplopedia. Biography reviewed 2026-10-28. Record 5f8c01596a3dd613. https://chanceries.org/diplopedia/people/p-l-sinai-04894cebc6/

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Biography: P. L. Sinai