Of Spy Chronicles

B L Saraf
The Book Spy Chronicles RAW ISI and Illusions of Peace is in news, probably for valid reason. First, it is a joint venture of two spy masters belonging to two different nations who in the past have headed respective spy agencies. The two nations, unfortunately, have not been on best of the terms since their incarnation, in 1947. The other reason is that, usually, a spy agency is blamed for harboring  an interest detrimental to that of the other. Each agency is perceived to be a fall guy by the other nation if something goes wrong there and vice versa. As we are told that war between the nations is generally fought by the spy agencies, this joint exercise assumes some significance. Because, it is also said that often peace between the nations owes its endurance to these spy agencies.
This piece is not intended to be the critical appreciation of the book. That indeed is a huge task. However, there are certain interesting matters in the book which need to be flagged for the benefit of a discernible student of Indo-Pak relations.
The book is in a dialogue format of what spymasters A S Dulat formerly of India’s RAW and Asad Durrani of Pak ISI, ” say to each other, around a table, their guards dow.” And, according to the Sutredaar, Aditya Sinha, it “counts for something.”  As a window of opportunity for good will between the people of the nations may be closing, Sinha says, the dialogue is recorded “to keep that window open and show that through the window one may see endless possibilities, that this book has been written.”
Pakistan’s ISI has travelled far away from its original role devised by its creator, the British Indian Army Major General Robert Cawthome who was the Deputy Chief of PAK Army, soon after the partition. He selected Col Shahid to setup the agency. Its aim was to keep a watch across on the Soviet Union. Romeshwer nath Kao created RAW as an external intelligence gathering agency, on the advice of PM Indira Gandhi, in 1968.
We get to know how former Pak PM Nawaz Sharif was present on 26 May 2014 to attend PM Modi’s oath ceremony. According to Dulat ” two notables from Kashmir wanted Nawaz Sharif on the oath ceremony,.” However GOI sought confirmation whether Sharif could make to it, if invited -. Dulat says that required confirmation came from a Pak Army General.  “Generals in Pakistan are generally right ” quips Daulat.
How inscrutable are the ways spy games play out. They conduct cold war between the nations in continuity. But at times work in tandem. In the book we get information how RAW tipped off ISI about the Pak militants attack on Pervez Mushraf – Ex President of Pakistan: thus saved his life.
We get the confirmation that radicalism has made serious inroads in the State Government and has infiltrated in the J K Police. Central jail Srinagar is the hub of radical indoctrination. And that Hurriyat is a “Pakistani team in Kashmir.” Assad Durani admits that there is a need to have a Pakistani political front in Kashmir and Hurriyat fits the bill.
There may be some truth in the statement of Dulat that Islamic State and Pan Islamic Jehad hasn’t attracted Kashmiri militants. Nonetheless, that doesn’t distract from the fact that death and mayhem created by these militants is no less cool blooded than created by the ISIS in the Arab world or elsewhere. In an interview, AS Dulat explained certain salient features of the book. He says Kashmiriat is not dead and that radicalization in Kashmir can be reversed. For that he suggest to get Geelani involved. It is said that about return of Pandits that Geelani and Mirwaiz must take a stand. They must go to them and express desire to have them back. Except at times just to appear politically correct, the Hurriyat leaders have never shown a positive intent to get Kashmiri Pandits back. On the contrary, whenever suggestions of their return came from the Central Government or well meaning civil society members in Kashmir, Hurriyat leaders thwarted the move, by equating Pandit’s return with bringing in Mossad, RAW and Israel settlements etc. There is no harm in involving Hurriyat – it is most desirable – but will Pakistan allow its proxies the luxury of independent thinking on the issue.
If not for anything else, just for the reason that it is a joint effort of two ” adversaries ” who propagate the idea to have two intelligence agencies of both India and Pakistan meet occasionally, it can be said that book has done some service to the cause of peace.
AS Dulat seems to be fascinated by ABVajpayee. He writes in the introduction ” situation in Kashmir like our relations with Pakistan are going nowhere. It waits for another Vajpayee.” But he admits that Modi has made an effort.
Dulat seems to be in a love -hate relation with present NSA, Ajit Doval, whom he credits with having done a good work in the past. However he is not enamored of Doval’s “Hawkish” image. Dulat wants Doval to travel to Pakistan off and on. Durrani describes Doval as “just more hardliner.” But he credits him with ”doing what his boss wants done.”
The books makes an apt observation that when there is peace in Kashmir New Delhi is not interested in talks and when things are not right Hurriyat doesn’t want to talk.
PS: Asma -Khan – Lone daughter of late Amanuallah Khan – founder of JKLF- has taken umbrage on her father being called Amanuallah Gilgati in the chapter in the book Amanuallah Gilgati’s Dream of Independence. In an article published in a daily she has taken both Dulat and Durrani to the task for suffixing Gilgati instead of Khan to her father’s name. She says her father had a pan J&K ( Of Maharaj Gulab Singh) view on the independence and never looked parochial.
Asma Khan has accused Dulat of having soft corner for Farooq Abdullah and the National Conference. Which, according to her, is not a bad idea ” so long as it doesn’t cloud his (Dulat’s) ability for critical thinking and reasoned judgment – which evidently it does, he loses the plot very early on.” Well, going through this book as also the earlier one penned by Dulat, Asma Khan may not be totally off the mark.
We hope the book lives up to its expectation of keeping window of possibilities open between India and Pakistan to talk to each other, in quest for a lasting peace.
(The author is former Principal District & Sessions Judge)
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