Transitions: India’s foreign policy guru Brajesh Mishra dies

Mishra, 84, died late Friday.

NEW DELHI:

India’s first national security adviser Brajesh Mishra, who played an instrumental role in shaping its foreign policy, has died, officials said on Saturday.

Mishra, 84, who died late Friday, served as national security adviser and principal secretary to former Indian prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee during his government from 1998 to 2004, acting as troubleshooter.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh paid tribute to Mishra, calling him “one of the most able and influential public servants of his generation” who brought “a sense of India’s destiny and place in global affairs”.

Mishra, a career diplomat, was closely involved in the planning for India’s 1998 nuclear tests and pushed for stronger relations with the US and sought warmer ties with Pakistan and China.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 30^th, 2012.