By Gulshan Luthra
My very close Friend Shekhar Dutt, former Governor Chhatisgarh and Defence Secretary of India, passed away this evening. He was 80, and had a heart attack.
Shekhar was also Secretary Defence Production, and contributed to modernisation of the Indian armed forces during his long tenure at MoD. As an Artillery Officer in the Indian Army, he pounded the Pakistani positions effectively during the 1971 War, and was awarded the Sena Meda. Later, he joined IAS, India’s primary civil service.
Mr Dutt was a distinguished Member of India Strategic’s Editorial Board.
We had become Friends around 1974, when we started our careers, and met and chatted often. He was gracious to release India Strategic, started in 2006, a couple of times.
Above picture is from February 2025, when we were boarding the same flight. Shekhar is on my left, and the last in the row is Air Vice Marshal Ajay Shukla.
Tears and Prayers, My Friend. May God Keep You.
