A diplomat and a gentleman

In most regional initiatives in South Asia, in crucial negotiations with China, through the sensitive post-Soviet years in Afghanistan, behi...

In most regional initiatives in South Asia, in crucial negotiations with China, through the sensitive post-Soviet years in Afghanistan, behind tough-talking, no-nonsense deliberations with Pakistan, stood the rock-like presence of J N ‘Mani’ Dixit. The floppy grey hair, ubiquitous pipe and gentle grin were a camouflage for this fiery champion of independent India. India’s former foreign secretary was not only a formidable intellectual. He was an equally tough strategist. He was an urbane and charming man, yet equally a seasoned and wise warhorse in many a diplomatic battle. As foreign secretary he brought an all-too-rare intellectual vibrancy to India’s external relations, perhaps one of a handful of high-ranking foreign service officers who served not in fashionable Western capitals but extensively in the conflict-ridden South Asian region. Mani Dixit didn’t ‘‘eat and drink for his country’’ as diplomats sometimes tend to do. Instead, he carried a sharp wisdom into the far interiors of South Asia. As National Security Adviser he was the UPA Government’s voice with China and Pakistan. His tragically untimely death has deprived India of a wise, uncompromising and committed guardian.

• ‘‘He knew very clearly where India’s interests lay and what her priorities were. Not too many officers have the ability to articulate it on the job, on the desk, in the course of a conversation. He understood what India was capable of and what it could not do. He was responsible for opening a new phase of Indo-American ties in 1993 where he negotiated in a very clear-headed manner…He was a tough guardian of Indian interests.’’
National Security Advisory Board member hamid ansari

• ‘‘He was a colleague and friend for 45 years and an outstanding member of the Indian Foreign Service. It would be difficult to fill the void.’’
External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh

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• ‘‘ Dixit played a central role in improving US-India relationship, most notably as foreign secretary in the early 1990s and recently as National Security Adviser…Dixit leaves behind many American friends and admirers.’’
A release by the US Embassy

• ‘‘In recent months, he was engaged in the efforts to promote composite dialogue between Pakistan and India.’’
Pakistan Foreign Ministry

• ‘‘He was a man who was very in control, balanced and never flustered. One was always sure that we had a man in that situation who would not panic and make mistakes. Another thing I admired about him was that even if he went home late from work, he would always write a few lines in his diary. As a result he had very correct records of important events and it is with the help of this, a tremendous memory and a deep understanding of the situations that he was able to write so many books.’’
Former ambassador to Japan, Italy and Vietnam Kuldip Sahdev

• ‘‘We went together to open the High Commission in Bangladesh in 1972. In our first few days, we all became a family…He was very pragmatic, had a no-nonsense approach and had a lot of integrity. He is the perfect example of a person who had not been to a public school but rose to such great heights. He should be the role model for all young diplomats.’’
Former ambassador to Germany, Russia and Hungary and high commissioner to Pakistan Satinder Lambah

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• ‘‘Not only was he at the right place at the right time, he was also the right man for the right job.’’
Former high commissioner to Pak G Parthasarathy

• ‘‘I have lost a close friend, a valued colleague and a great source of support
…The nation has lost a true patriot, a great diplomat and wise strategist.’’
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh

• ‘‘Dixit had a most difficult job as he had to deal with the outside world and he was of great help to the PM in this task…It will be very difficult to replace him.’’
M K Narayanan, Special Adviser to the PM

Canada, UK and Australia formally recognise a Palestinian state

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