RAW:
An Instrument Of
Indian Imperialism
By Isha Khan
13 October, 2007
Countercurrents.org
The
Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), created in 1968, has assumed a significant
status in the formulation of India's domestic and foreign policies,
particularly the later. Working directly under the Prime Minister, it
has over the years become and effective instrument of India's national
power. In consonance with Kautilya's precepts, RAW's espionage doctrine
is based on the principle of waging a continuous series of battles of
intrigues and secret wars.
RAW, ever since its creation,
has always been a vital, though unobtrusive, actor in Indian policy-making
apparatus. But it is the massive international dimensions of RAW operations
that merit a closer examination. To the credit of this organization,
it has in very short span of time mastered the art of spy warfare. Credit
must go to Indira Gandhi who in the late 1970s gave it a changed and
much more dynamic role. To suit her much publicized Indira Doctrine,
(actually India Doctrine) Mrs. Gandhi specifically asked RAW to create
a powerful organ within the organization which could undertake covert
operations in neighboring countries. It is this capability that makes
RAW a more fearsome agency than its superior KGB, CIA, MI-6, BND and
the Mossad.
Its internal role is confined
only in monitoring events having bearing on the external threat. RAW's
boss works directly under the Prime Minister. An Additional Secretary
to the Government of India, under the Director RAW, is responsible for
the Office of Special Operations (OSO), intelligence collected from
different countries, internal security (under the Director General of
Security), the electronic/technical section and general administration.
The Additional Secretary as well as the Director General of Security
is also under the Director of RAW. DG Security has two important sections:
the Aviation Research Center (ARC) and the Special Services Bureau (SSB).
The joint Director has specified desks with different regional divisions/areas
(countries):
Area one. Pakistan: Area
two, China and South East Asia: Area three, the Middle East and Africa:
and Area four, other countries. Aviation Research Center (ARC) is responsible
for interception, monitoring and jamming of target country's communication
systems. It has the most sophisticated electronic equipment and also
a substantial number of aircraft equipped with state-of- the art eavesdropping
devices. ARC was strengthened in mid-1987 by the addition of three new
aircraft, the Gulf Stream-3. These aircraft can reportedly fly at an
altitude of 52,000 ft and has an operating range of 5000 kms. ARC also
controls a number of radar stations located close to India's borders.
Its aircraft also carry out oblique reconnaissance, along the border
with Bangladesh, China, Nepal and Pakistan.
RAW having been given a virtual
carte blanche to conduct destabilization operations in neighboring countries
inimical to India to seriously undertook restructuring of its organization
accordingly. RAW was given a list of seven countries (Bangladesh, Sri
Lanka, Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan, Pakistan and Maldives) whom India considered
its principal regional protagonists. It very soon systematically and
brilliantly crafted covert operations in all these countries to coerce,
destabilize and subvert them in consonance with the foreign policy objectives
of the Indian Government.
RAW's operations against
the regional countries were conducted with great professional skill
and expertise. Central to the operations was the establishment of a
huge network inside the target countries. It used and targeted political
dissent, ethnic divisions, economic backwardness and criminal elements
within these states to foment subversion, terrorism and sabotage. Having
thus created the conducive environments, RAW stage-managed future events
in these countries in such a way that military intervention appears
a natural concomitant of the events. In most cases, RAW's hand remained
hidden, but more often that not target countries soon began unearthing
those "hidden hand". A brief expose of RAW's operations in
neighboring countries would reveal the full expanse of its regional
ambitions to suit India Doctrine ( Open Secrets. India's Intelligence
Unveiled by M K Dhar. Manas Publications, New Delhi, 2005).
Bangladesh
Indian intelligence agencies
were involved in erstwhile East Pakistan, now Bangladesh since early
1960s. Its operatives were in touch with Sheikh Mujib for quite some
time. Sheikh Mujib went to Agartala in 1965. The famous Agartala case
was unearthed in 1967. In fact, the main purpose of raising RAW in 1968
was to organise covert operations in Bangladesh. As early as in 1968,
RAW was given a green signal to begin mobilising all its resources for
the impending surgical intervention in erstwhile East Pakistan. When
in July 1971 General Manekshaw told Prime Minister Indira Gandhi that
the army would not be ready till December to intervene in Bangladesh,
she quickly turned to RAW for help. RAW was ready. Its officers used
Bengali refugees to set up Mukti Bahini. Using this outfit as a cover,
Indian military sneaked deep into Bangladesh. The story of Mukti Bahini
and RAW's role in its creation and training is now well-known. RAW never
concealed its Bangladesh operations.
Interested readers may have
details in Asoka Raina's Inside RAW: the story of India's secret service
published by Vikas Publishing House of New Delhi.The creation of Bangladesh
was masterminded by RAW in complicity with KGB under the covert clauses
of Indo-Soviet Treaty of Friendship and Co-operation (adopted as 25-year
Indo-Bangladesh Treaty of Friendship and Co-operation in 1972).
RAW retained a keen interest
in Bangladesh even after its independence. Mr. Subramaniam Swamy, Janata
Dal MP, a close associate of Morarji Desai said that Rameswar Nath Kao,
former Chief of RAW, and Shankaran Nair upset about Sheikh Mujib's assassination
chalked a plot to kill General Ziaur Rahman. However, when Morarji Desai
came into power in 1977 he was indignant at RAW's role in Bangladesh
and ordered operations in Bangladesh to be called off; but by then RAW
had already gone too far. General Zia continued to be in power for quite
some time but he was assassinated after Indira Gandhi returned to power,
though she denied her involvement in his assassination( Weekly Sunday,Calcutta,18
September, 1988).
RAW was involved in training
of Chakma tribals and Shanti Bahini who carry out subversive activities
in Bangladesh. It has also unleashed a well-organized plan of psychological
warfare, creation of polarisation among the armed forces, propaganda
by false allegations of use of Bangladesh territory by ISI, creation
of dissension's among the political parties and religious sects, control
of media, denial of river waters, and propping up a host of disputes
in order to keep Bangladesh under a constant political and socio-economic
pressure ( " RAW and Bangladesh" by Mohammad Zainal Abedin,
November 1995, RAW In Bangladesh: Portrait of an Aggressive Intelligence,
written and published by Abu Rushd, Dhaka).
Sikkim and Bhutan
Sikkim was the easiest and
most docile prey for RAW. Indira Gandhi annexed the Kingdom of Sikkim
in mid-1970s, to be an integral part of India. The deposed King Chogyal
Tenzig Wangehuck was closely followed by RAW's agents until his death
in 1992.
Bhutan, like Nepal and Sikkim,
is a land-locked country, totally dependent on India. RAW has developed
links with members of the royal family as well as top bureaucrats to
implements its policies. It has cultivated its agents amongst Nepalese
settlers and is in a position to create difficulties for the Government
of Bhutan. In fact, the King of Bhutan has been reduced to the position
of merely acquiescing into New Delhi's decisions and go by its dictates
in the international arena.
Sri Lanka
Post- independence Sri Lanka,
inspire of having a multi-sectoral population was a peaceful country
till 1971 and was following independent foreign policy. During 1971
Indo-Pakistan war despite of heavy pressure from India, Sri Lanka allowed
Pakistan's civil and military aircraft and ships to stage through its
air and sea ports with unhindered re-fueling facilities. It also had
permitted Israel to establish a nominal presence of its intelligence
training set up. It permitted the installation of high powered transmitter
by Voice of America (VOA) on its territory, which was resented by India.
It was because of these 'irritants'
in the Indo-Sri Lanka relations that Mrs Indira Gandhi planned to bring
Sri Lanka into the fold of the so-called Indira Doctrine (India Doctrine)
Kao was told by Gandhi to repeat their Bangladesh success. RAW went
looking for militants it could train to destabilize the regime. Camps
were set up in Tamil Nadu and old RAW guerrillas trainers were dug out
of retirement. RAW began arming the Tamil Tigers and training them at
centers such as Gunda and Gorakhpur. As a sequel to this ploy, Sri Lanka
was forced into Indian power-web when Indo-Sri Lanka Accord of 1987
was singed and Indian Peace-Keeping-Force (IPKF) landed in Sri Lanka.
The Ministry of External
Affairs was also upset at RAW's role in Sri Lanka as they felt that
RAW was still continuing negotiations with the Tamil Tiger leader Parabhakran
in contravention to the Indian government's foreign policy. According
to R Swaminathan, (former Special Secretary of RAW) it was this outfit
which was used as the intermediary between Rajib Gandhi and Tamil leader
Parabhakaran. The former Indian High Commissioner in Sri Lanka, J.N.
Dixit even accused RAW of having given Rs. five corore to the LTTE.
At a later stage, RAW built up the EPRLF and ENDLF to fight against
the LTTE which turned the situation in Sri Lanka highly volatile and
uncertain later on.
Maldives
Under a well-orchestrated
RAW plan, on November 30 1988 a 300 to 400-strong well trained force
of mercenaries, armed with automatic weapons, initially said to be of
unknown origin, infiltrated in boats and stormed the capital of Maldives.
They resorted to indiscriminate shooting and took high-level government
officials as hostages. At the Presidential Palace, the small contingent
of loyal national guards offered stiff resistance, which enabled President
Maumoon Abdul Gayoom to shift to a safe place from where he issued urgent
appeals for help from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Britain and the United
States.
The Indian Prime Ministe
Rajiv Gandhi reacted promptly and about 1600 combat troops belonging
to 50 Independent Para-Brigade in conjunction with Indian Naval units
landed at Male under the code-name Operation Cactus. A number of IAF
transport aircraft, escorted by fighters, were used for landing personnel,
heavy equipment and supplies. Within hours of landing, the Indian troops
flushed out the attackers form the streets and hideouts. Some of them
surrendered to Indian troops, and many were captured by Indian Naval
units while trying to escape along with their hostages in a Maldivian
ship, Progress Light. Most of the 30 hostages including Ahmed Majtaba,
Maldives Minister of Transport, were released. The Indian Government
announced the success of the Operation Cactus and complimented the armed
forces for a good job done.
The Indian Defense Minister
while addressing IAF personnel at Bangalore claimed that the country's
prestige has gone high because of the peace-keeping role played by the
Indian forces in Maldives. The International Community in general and
the South Asian states in particular, however, viewed with suspicious
the over-all concept and motives of the operation. The western media
described it as a display of newly-acquired military muscle by India
and its growing role as a regional police. Although the apparent identification
of the two Maldivian nationals could be a sufficient reason, at its
face value, to link it with the previous such attempts by the mercenaries,
yet other converging factors, indicative of involvement of external
hand, could hardly be ignored. Sailing of the mercenaries from Manar
and Kankasanturai in Sri Lanka, which were in complete control of IPKF,
and the timing and speed of the Indian intervention proved their involvement
beyond any doubt.
Nepal
Ever since the partition
of the sub-continent India has been openly meddling in Nepal's internal
affairs by contriving internal strife and conflicts through RAW to destabilize
the successive legitimate governments and prop up puppet regimes which
would be more amenable Indian machinations. Armed insurrections were
sponsored and abetted by RAW and later requests for military assistance
to control these were managed through pro-India leaders. India has been
aiding and inciting the Nepalese dissidents to collaborate with the
Nepali Congress. For this they were supplied arms whenever the King
or the Nepalese Government appeared to be drifting away from the Indian
dictates and impinging on Indian hegemonic designs in the region. In
fact, under the garb of the so-called democratization measures, the
Maoists were actively encouraged to collect arms to resort to open rebellion
against the legitimate Nepalese governments. The contrived rebellions
provided India an opportunity to intervene militarily in Nepal, ostensibly
to control the insurrections which were masterminded by the RAW itself.
It was an active replay of the Indian performance in Sri Lanka and Maldives
a few years earlier. RAW is particularly aiding the people of the Indian-origin
and has been providing them with arms and ammunition. RAW has also infiltrated
the ethnic Nepali refugees who have been extradited by Bhutan and have
taken refuge in the eastern Nepal. RAW can exploit its links with these
refugees in either that are against the Indian interest. Besides the
Nepalese economy is totally controlled by the Indian money lenders,
financiers and business mafia ( RAW's Machination In South Asia by Shastra
Dutta Pant, Kathmandu, 2003).
Afghanistan
Since December 1979, throughout
Afghan War, KGB, KHAD (WAD) (former Afghan intelligence outfit) and
RAW stepped up their efforts to concentrate on influencing and covert
exploitation of the tribes on both sides of the Pakistan-Afghanistan
border. There was intimate co-ordination between the three intelligence
agencies not only in Afghanistan but in destabilization of Pakistan
through subversion and sabotage plan related to Afghan refugees and
mujahideen, the tribal belt and inside Pakistan. They jointly organized
spotting and recruitment of hostile tribesmen and their training in
guerrilla warfare, infiltration, subversion, sabotage and establishment
of saboteur force/terrorist organizations in the pro-Afghan tribes of
Pakistan in order to carry out bomb explosions in Afghan refugee camps
in NWFP and Baluchistan to threaten and pressurize them to return to
Afghanistan. They also carried out bomb blasts in populated areas deep
inside Pakistan to create panic and hatred in the minds of locals against
Afghan refugee mujahideen for pressurizing Pakistan to change its policies
on Afghanistan.
Pakistan
Pakistan's size, strength
and potential have always overawed the Indians. It, therefore, always
considers her main opponent in her expansionist doctrine. India's animosity
towards Pakistan is psychologically and ideologically deep-rooted and
unassailable. India's war with Pakistan in 1965 over Kashmir and in
1971 which resulted in the dismemberment of Pakistan and creation of
Bangladesh are just two examples.
Raw considers Sindh as Pakistan's
soft under-belly. It has, therefore, made it the prime target for sabotage
and subversion. RAW has enrolled and extensive network of agents and
anti-government elements, and is convinced that with a little push restless
Sindh will revolt. Taking fullest advantage of the agitation in Sindh
in 1983 and the ethnic riots, which have continued till today, RAW has
deeply penetrated and cultivated dissidents and secessionists, thereby
creating hard-liners unlikely to allow peace to return to Sindh. Raw
is also involved similarly in Balochistan.
RAW is also being blamed
for confusing the ground situation is Kashmir so as to keep the world
attention away from the gross human rights violations by India in India
occupied Kashmir. ISI being almost 20 years older than RAW and having
acquired much higher standard of efficiency in its functioning , has
become the prime target of RAW's designs, ISI is considered to be a
stumbling block in RAW's operations, and has, therefore, been made a
target of all kinds of massive misinformation and propaganda campaign.
The tirade against ISI continues unabated. The idea is to keep ISI on
the defensive by fictionalising and alleging its hand is supporting
Kashmiri Mujahideen and Sikhs in Punjab. RAW'S fixation against ISI
has taken the shape of ISI-phobia, as in India everyone traces down
the origin of all happenings and shortcomings to the ISI . Be it an
abduction at Banglaore or a student's kidnapping at Cochin, be it a
bank robbery at Calcutta or a financial scandal in Bombay, be it a bomb
blast at Bombay or Bangladesh, they find an ISI hand in it ( RAW :GLOBAL
AND REGIONAL AMBITIONS" Edited by Rashid Ahmad Khan and Muhammad
Saleem, Published by Islamabad Policy Research Institute, Asia Printers,
slamabad, 2005).
RAW over the years has admirably
fulfilled its tasks of destabilising target states through unbridled
export of terrorism. The India Doctrine spelt out a difficult and onerous
role for RAW. It goes to its credit that it has accomplished its assigned
objectives due to the endemic weakness in the state apparatus of those
nations and failure of their leaders.
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