India, Dec. 31 -- On December 25, India celebrated the 101st birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. As the Army Chief and Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee during his tenure, I had the good fortune to work with him closely, particularly during the Kargil War. A statesman par excellence, Vajpayee was genteel, soft-spoken, and a great listener. He was a persuasive leader - never dictatorial in our many strategic discussions.

My tenure under his leadership was marked by the nuclear weapons tests (Op Shakti), the Lahore Declaration, the Kargil War (Op Vijay), and the rescue mission in Sierra Leone (Op Khukri). On his directions, I also embarked on military-diplomatic missions to Myanmar, Israel, and beyond....