Brajesh Mishra
{{Short description|Indian Diplomat and First National Security Advisor of India}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix = His Excellency
| name = Brajesh Mishra, IFS
(Retd.)
| image = File:The President, Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil presenting the Padma Vibhushan award to Shri Brajesh Chandra Mishra, at an Investiture Ceremony, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on March 24, 2011 (cropped).jpg
| caption = Mishra in 2011.
| office1 = 9th Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister of India
| primeminister1 = Atal Bihari Vajpayee
| term_start1 = 19 March 1998
| term_end1 = 22 May 2004
| office = 1st National Security Advisor of India
| primeminister = Atal Bihari Vajpayee
| term_start = 19 November 1998
| term_end = 22 May 2004
| predecessor = Office established
| successor = J. N. Dixit
| predecessor1 = N. N. Vohra
| successor1 = T. K. A. Nair
| office2 = Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations
| term2 = June 1979 – April 1981
| predecessor2 = Rikhi Jaipal
| successor2 = Natarajan Krishnan
| birth_place =
| birth_name = Brajesh Chandra Mishra
| birth_date = 29 September 1928
| death_date = 28 September 2012 (aged 84)
| death_place = New Delhi, India
| death_cause = Heart failure
| known_for = India's first National Security Advisor and prime minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee's principal secretary
| occupation = *Civil Servant (IFS)
| parents = Dwarka Prasad Mishra (father)
| relatives = Sudhir Mishra (nephew)
| party = Bharatiya Janata Party (1991–98)
| awards = Padma Vibhushan
}}
Brajesh Chandra Mishra (29 September 1928 – 28 September 2012) was an Indian politician and diplomat from the Indian Foreign Service who is best known for serving as the first National Security Advisor of India from 1998 to 2004. He also served as the principal secretary of then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.{{cite web |date=4 September 2000 |title=The Name Is Mishra, Brajesh Mishra |url=http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?209986 |access-date=14 August 2010 |publisher=www.outlookindia.com |archive-date=14 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121014232942/http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?209986 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web|url=http://www.rediff.com/news/2006/feb/07capbuz.htm |title=Brajesh Mishra is still listening in |work=Rediff.com |access-date=14 August 2010}}{{cite web|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_scrap-national-security-adviser-s-post-brajesh-mishra_1336787 |title=Scrap national security adviser's post: Brajesh Mishra – India – DNA |publisher=Dnaindia.com |date=20 January 2010 |access-date=14 August 2010}}{{cite web|url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/devils-advocate-brajesh-mishra-on-atal-vs-advani/100134-37.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090830174128/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/devils-advocate-brajesh-mishra-on-atal-vs-advani/100134-37.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=30 August 2009 |title=Devil's Advocate: Brajesh Mishra on Atal vs Advani – Politics News – IBNLive |publisher=Ibnlive.in.com |date=3 February 2010 |access-date=14 August 2010}} He received the Padma Vibhushan for his contributions.{{Cite web|title=Padma Vibhushan for Brajesh Mishra; Padma Bhushan for Surendra Singh|url=https://www.orfonline.org/research/padma-vibhushan-for-brajesh-mishra-padma-bhushan-for-surendra-singh/|access-date=2021-06-29|website=ORF|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|date=January 25, 2011|first=Indrani|last=Bagchi|title=Former national security adviser Brajesh Mishra awarded the Padma Vibhushan. Former foreign secretary and PM's special envoy on the nuclear deal, Shyam Saran awarded Padma Bhushan. - Times of India|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/former-national-security-adviser-brajesh-mishra-awarded-the-padma-vibhushan-former-foreign-secretary-and-pms-special-envoy-on-the-nuclear-deal-shyam-saran-awarded-padma-bhushan-/articleshow/7361594.cms|access-date=2021-06-29|website=The Times of India|language=en}}
Early life and family
He was born in Hindu Brahmin family{{Cite web|date=September 28, 2012|first=Manoj|last=Joshi|title=Brajesh Mishra, former National Security Advisor, passes away|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/former-national-security-advisor-brajesh-mishra-dead-117341-2012-09-28|access-date=2022-01-16|website=India Today|language=en}} on 29 September 1928 to Dwarka Prasad Mishra, who was a former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh.{{cite web|url=http://geocities.com/dakshina_kan_pa/art24/aug.htm |title=DKPA : Stamp Calendar - Stamps Issued by India in August 2001 |date=27 October 2009 |access-date=30 September 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091027173636/http://geocities.com/dakshina_kan_pa/art24/aug.htm |archive-date=27 October 2009 }} His father was considered a staunch politician from the Congress Party and very close to Indira Gandhi though they fell out later.{{cite news|title=Former Foreign Minister Natwar Singh pays tribute to Brajesh Mishra|url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/former-foreign-minister-natwar-singh-pays-tribute-to-brajesh-mishra/1/222837.html|access-date=1 October 2012|newspaper=India Today|date=30 September 2012}}
Diplomatic career
Brajesh Mishra joined the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) in 1951. He served as chargé d'affaires in Beijing after the 1962 Sino-Indian War and was India's ambassador to Indonesia. He was also ambassador and India's Permanent Representative in Geneva. Mishra's last posting was as India's permanent representative to the United Nations from June 1979 to April 1981.{{cite web| title = Permanent Representatives of India to the United Nations| url = http://www.un.int/india/2013/pmi_prs.pdf| publisher = un.intl/india| access-date = 21 August 2013}}{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
As permanent representative, he voiced India's position on the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan at the sixth emergency special session of the United Nations General Assembly, but his disagreement with that position was part of the reason why he resigned from IFS and joined the United Nations in 1981; serving as 6th United Nations Commissioner for Namibia from 1 April 1982 to 1 July 1987.{{cite news|title=UN Debate|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=1u5UAAAAIBAJ&sjid=z5IDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1559,4251403|access-date=1 October 2012|newspaper=The Age (Australia)|date=14 January 1980}}{{cite news|last=Dikshit|first=Sandeep|title=Brajesh Mishra, strategic czar of Vajpayee era, passes away|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/brajesh-mishra-strategic-czar-of-vajpayee-era-passes-away/article3950457.ece|access-date=1 October 2012|newspaper=The Hindu|date=30 September 2012|location=Chennai, India}}{{cite web|last=Srinivasan|first=T P|title=Brajesh Mishra: Steely determination and a kind heart|url=http://www.rediff.com/news/column/brajesh-mishra-steely-determination-and-a-kind-heart-column/20121001.htm|access-date=1 October 2012}}
Principal secretary and National Security Advisor
In April 1991, Mishra joined the Bharatiya Janata Party and became head of its foreign policy cell.{{cite news|last=Malhotra|first=Jyoti|title=Brajesh Mishra combined guile with generosity as India's first NSA|url=http://business-standard.com/india/news/brajesh-mishra-combined-guilegenerosity-as-indias-first-nsa/189093/on|access-date=1 October 2012|newspaper=Business Standard|date=29 September 2012}} He resigned from the party in March 1998 on becoming the 9th Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister of India. After Brajesh Mishra, the post of principal secretary became such a powerful one that it eclipsed the status of cabinet ministers. As Vajpayee's troubleshooter, he was one of the most powerful principal secretaries the Prime Minister's Office had ever seen.{{cite news|title=Brajesh Mishra: India's first NSA, Vajpayee's troubleshooter|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/India-s-first-NSA-Brajesh-Mishra-passes-away/Article1-937356.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121209024451/http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/India-s-first-NSA-Brajesh-Mishra-passes-away/Article1-937356.aspx|url-status=dead|archive-date=9 December 2012|access-date=1 October 2012|newspaper=Hindustan Times|date=29 September 2012}}
From November 1998 to 23 May 2004, he was also the first National Security Advisor and was instrumental in creating an institutional structure for national security management.{{cite web|last=Gupta|first=Arvind|title=Brajesh Mishra's Legacy to National Security and Diplomacy|url=http://idsa.in/idsacomments/BrajeshMishrasLegacytoNationalSecurityandDiplomacy_agupta_300912|publisher=Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses|access-date=2 October 2012}} His batch as an IFS officer was the same as the Indian Administrative Service batch of K. Subrahmanyam, widely considered as the doyen of India's strategic affairs community, and made him the first convener of the National Security Advisory Board where they worked closely on many issues.{{cite web|last=Mishra|first=Brajesh|title=Annual Krishnaswamy Memorial Lecture|url=http://www.globalindiafoundation.org/Speech_Brajesh_Mishra%5B1%5D.pdf|publisher=Global India Foundation|access-date=2 October 2012}}
He was the key motivator of foreign policy and principal spokesman on major issues. He was actively involved in framing India's geo-political policies. He was closely involved in planning the 1998 Nuclear tests and played a crucial role in shaping India's policy regarding Pakistan and China.{{Cite web |last=Chopra |first=Sanjeev |date=2024-04-22 |title=Brajesh Mishra was the most powerful principal secretary in any PMO |url=https://theprint.in/opinion/brajesh-mishra-was-the-most-powerful-principal-secretary-in-any-pmo/2050639/ |access-date=2024-09-05 |website=ThePrint |language=en-US}}
He is stated to have played a major role in pushing and supporting the Bhutan to undertake Operation All Clear.
Final years and death
After demitting office, Mishra had initially expressed reservations against the India–United States Civil Nuclear Agreement. Following this, the then Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh briefed specially to address his concerns about the deal.{{cite web|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1121001/jsp/frontpage/story_16038818.jsp#.VCElV5SSxp5
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121006050609/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1121001/jsp/frontpage/story_16038818.jsp#.VCElV5SSxp5
|url-status=dead
|archive-date=6 October 2012
|title= Mishra's last tribute to Atal - Support to nuclear deal to preserve mentor's legacy|newspaper=The Telegraph|access-date=23 September 2014}} Thereafter, Mishra extended his support and publicly endorsed the deal.
In 2011, he was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian award.{{cite news|title=Brajesh Mishra, Azim Premji, Montek in list of 128 Padma awardees|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Brajesh-Mishra-Azim-Premji-Montek-in-list-of-128-Padma-awardees/articleshow/7361816.cms|access-date=21 June 2012 | work=The Times of India}}
Mishra died on 28 September 2012 at Fortis hospital, Vasant Kunj in New Delhi.{{cite web|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/India-s-first-NSA-Brajesh-Mishra-passes-away/Article1-937356.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121209024451/http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/India-s-first-NSA-Brajesh-Mishra-passes-away/Article1-937356.aspx|url-status=dead|archive-date=9 December 2012|title= India's first National Security Advisor Brajesh Mishra passes away|newspaper=The Hindu|access-date=29 September 2012}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category|Brajesh Mishra}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20120630151015/http://outlookindia.com/peoplehome2.aspx?pid=4294&author=Brajesh+Mishra Articles at Outlook India on Brajesh Mishra]
- [http://news.rediff.com/interview/2010/oct/28/interview-former-nsa-feels-obama-visit-wont-be-successful.htm Brajesh Mishra's Interview with Rediff.com]
- [http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?282419 Brajesh Mishra (1928–2012) – An Assessment by B Raman, Additional Secretary (retd), Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India]
- [http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/man-who-was-bharat-sarkar/article3951970.ece Man who was ‘Bharat sarkar’ – Gopalkrishna Gandhi]
- [http://www.vifindia.org/article/2012/october/05/brajesh-mishra-india-s-first-intelligence-tsar Brajesh Mishra: India's First Intelligence Tsar]
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{{succession box
| before = Office established
| title = National Security Advisor
| years = 1998–2004
| after = Jyotindra Nath Dixit
}}
{{s-end}}
{{Padma Vibhushan Awards}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mishra, Brajesh}}
Category:Vajpayee administration
Category:Recipients of the Padma Vibhushan in civil service
Category:Permanent representatives of India to the United Nations
Category:Permanent representatives of India to the United Nations Office at Geneva
Category:Ambassadors of India to Indonesia
Category:Indian Foreign Service officers
Category:Madhya Pradesh politicians
Category:Bharatiya Janata Party politicians from Madhya Pradesh
Category:Principal secretaries to the prime minister of India