Background
Rishi was born Waliati Ram Rishi at Makarampur (Karnal) on September 23, 1917.
Rishi was born Waliati Ram Rishi at Makarampur (Karnal) on September 23, 1917.
He completed an Master of Arts in Russian language and literature, and in 1950, another Master of Arts in English at Nagpur University.
He changed his given names to Weer Rajendra in 1948. Rishi worked in the Indian Embassy at Moscow (1950-1952) and later, at the Indian High Commissions at Singapore (1962-1965) and London (1969-1971). His Russian language skills allowed him to worked as interpreter for various Soviet dignitaries including Khrushchev, Marshal Bulganin, Marshal Voroshilov, Marshal Zakharov and Prime Minister Alexei Kosygin.
He also served as an interpreter for the ex-President of India, Doctor Rajendra Prasad, on an official visit to the Soviet Union in 1960.
Rishi retired from the Indian Foreign Service in 1973. Rishi then served as the Director of the Indian Institute of Romani Studies at Chandigarh and the editor of Roma - Half-Yearly Journal on the Life, Language and Culture of Roma.
He was later named Honorary President of the International Romani Union. He died in Chandigarh on December 1, 2002, aged 85.