Prime Minister of India - Dr. Manmohan Singh

PM Expresses grief at the loss of a valued colleague

The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, attended the funeral of J.N. Dixit who died on January 3, 2005, at Baikunth Crematorium, Delhi Cantt. today. Expressing grief over the demise of "a personal friend and a valued colleague", the Prime Minister said:

"I am deeply shocked and grieved by the sad and untimely demise of Shri J.N. Dixit, the National Security Advisor. He was someone who touched each one of us, those whom he knew and with whom he worked.

A vibrant and multifaceted personality Shri J.N. Dixit, distinguished himself as an outstanding officer of the Indian Foreign Service and played a crucial role in the field of diplomacy articulating India's interests and defending them at the national and international levels. He had the distinction of becoming the First High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh after its liberation. Through his immense talent and dedicated service he rose to become the Foreign Secretary of India and gave new dimension and approach to our foreign policy perspective and diplomatic orientation. His pragmatic approach to foreign policy and national security issues provided substance to our thinking and aspirations and gave greater depth and content to them. Only on Sunday, I had spent a few hours interacting with him and discussing a variety of subjects which had a bearing on our foreign policy and national security. His considered advice born of his deep understanding of our core national interests and the foreign policy issues always provided significant inputs for decision making and helped to formulate our policies and strategies to protect the best interests of our country.

Shri Dixit will be remembered as a prominent strategic thinker whose writings dealt with wider dimensions of the emerging world order and India's role in it. His perceptive analysis was stimulating and inspiring to readers and all those who reflect on foreign policy issues. A prolific writer his numerous books and articles on our external affairs provided new insights to our relations with other countries and suggested ideas and concepts to understand and frame policies for the purpose of outlining India's role in the new world order and face the emerging challenges. A diplomat with deep understanding of the post Cold War world order, Shri Dixit was a reservoir of knowledge on many complex matters confronting our nation. In his death, the country has lost a seasoned diplomat and a man with a talent for articulation and literary bent of mind, ever striving to achieve excellence in the areas which he dealt with. In his untimely passing away, I have lost a personal friend and a valued colleague and the country a veteran diplomat from whose expertise, vast experience and wisdom, the Government derived necessary inputs for formulating our foreign policy.

On this sad occasion, I convey my heartfelt condolences to his beloved wife and other members of his bereaved family and to his numerous friends, associates and admirers. I pray for peace for the departed soul and hope that the Almighty will give strength and fortitude to the mournful members of the family to bear this irreparable loss".