First NSA,strategic pioneer passes away

Former foreign secretary Lalit Mansingh,who interacted closely with Mishra when the latter was in the PMO,recalled him as somebody who was sharp,quick and prompt in decision-making.

The secret of his success was that he would cut to the heart of the issue very quickly,and once he understood,he would point towards a solution. He would take decisions within minutes and hours of being presented with a problem, Singh said.

Describing him as the Chanakya of the modern times,Singh said Mishra was instrumental in the creation of the strategic doctrine on nuclear issues with the components of minimum credible deterrence and no first-use policy built in.

Former Indian ambassador to the US,Ronen Sen,said Mishra,along with P N Haksar,was among the most effective principal secretaries to the PM. He was a man of impeccable intellectual integrity…a patriot in the true sense of the word,always had national interest in his mind. He was never partisan in his views…he had some initial reservations on the India-US nuclear deal,but once he was convinced about its benefits,he supported the deal, said Sen,who was one of the key interlocutors of the deal.

Mishras father D P Mishra,was the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh. Brajesh Mishra served as ambassador and permanent representative in Geneva and was also the Indian ambassador to Indonesia. He was also Indias permanent representative to the United Nations from June 1979 to April 1981. He continued with the United Nations,on deputation,until June 1987.

In April 1991,he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party,which he quit in March 1998 to become the principal secretary to the Prime Minister.