Raw In Row

RAW in ROW By Silveri Srishailam LL.M Columnist Email: [email protected]

“Madras Café” Hindi movie splashed mud on Research and Analysis Wing (RAW). It created controversy on the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, the former Prime Minister of India. "Madras Café” changes the political history of India. The movie director decorated conspiracy of RAW as the reason behind Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination. RAW is the very important external wing of the Intelligence Bureau. Rajiv Gandhi was forced to send Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) in 1987 to restore normalcy in Sri Lanka. The terrible mission of the IPKF was blamed by some sections of people in and out side India. Madras café movie focused lack of coordination between the IPKF and RAW. Madras Café is commercially successful movie but the story content may pose new threats to Indian military intelligence and RAW. All characters in the movie story threw RAW in to a viscous circle of ROW. It clearly manifested the security lapse and corruption allegations as major factors in assassination of Rajeev Gandhi. The film, set in India and Sri Lanka, is a political spy-thriller with the backdrop of ethnic clashes between Tamils & Sinhalese in Sri Lanka which grew into a guerrilla war between Sri Lankan Army and LTTE. In general it shows that former prime minister of India, Rajeev Gandhi’s assassination was due to security lapse only. How UPA government is taking the movie’s storyline and how Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) gave censor clearance for such a storyline are baffling questions. It is an unrevealed fact that Sri Lankan government indirectly invested on this movie to prevent next

generation civil war inside Sri Lanka. After the release of the trailer, Tamil political parties NaamTamilar besides PattaliMakkalKatchi called for ban on the film, citing that it is depicting the members of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam as terrorists. Other political outfits DMK and MDMK openly condemned the movie as a barbaric act of the director and producer of movie. Black day in history 21stMay 1991is one of the most painful day for Indian National Congress. Rajiv Gandhi, former Prime Minister of India, was assassinated on that day by suicide bombing in Sri Perumbudur, near Chennai, in Tamil Nadu. At that time India was involved, through the Indian Peace Keeping Force, in Sri Lankan Civil War. Assassination was carried out by Thenmozhi Rajaratnam, also known as Dhanu. The attack was blamed on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a separatist organization operating in Sri Lanka; Subsequent accusations of conspiracy have been probed by two commissions of inquiry. The investigation was given to a Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by Karthikeyan-IPS and chief investigation officer was Ragothamman. The SIT and Justice J.S. Verma Commission, Jain Commission and other high level committees accused military intelligence failures main reason for Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination. Both the commissions suspected and interrogated several people like self-made god man Chandra Swamy, self-styled converse man and politician Subrmanya Swamy and many top RAW officials. As per official sources the investigation is still going on. Recently newspapers published news item stating that CBI has sought extension of the term of the Multi-Disciplinary Monitoring Agency (MDMA) which is probing the conspiracy behind Rajiv Gandhi's assassination.

What is RAW? After the Indo-Pakistani war of 1965, it is very essential that India need a strong intelligence system to break through enemy countries. Around the end of 1967 the concept of a separate foreign intelligence agency began to take concrete shape. R. N. Rao, then a deputy director of the Intelligence Bureau, submitted a blueprint for the new agency. Basing on R. N. Rao recommendations, RAW was created on October 10, 1968, by a confidential executive order after Indira Gandhi

had taken over as Prime Minister. Rao was appointed as the chief of India's first foreign intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing. R&AW was given the responsibility for strategic external intelligence, human as well as technical, plus concurrent responsibility with the Directorate-General of Military Intelligence for tactical trans-border military intelligence up to a certain depth across the Line of control (LOC) and the international border.

The primary function of RAW is collection of external intelligence and counterterrorism. RAW has been organized on the lines of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the principal intelligence-gathering agencies of the United States federal government. The architects of RAW keenly examined the other developed countries’ military intelligence systems like United Kingdom (UK) Government Communications Headquarters and its internal wing Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) and Republic of China principal intelligence agency National Security Bureau and other developed countries. RAW focused on Financial and economic analysis, Space Technology, Information Security, Energy Security and Scientific knowledge. After formation of RAW it’s engaged on ELINT operations in Himalayas this operation is supervised by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). After China tested its first nuclear weapons on 16 October 1964 at Lop Nur, Xinjiang, India and the USA shared a common fear about the nuclear capabilities of China. As well as RAW conducted very important operation in 1970-71 Creation of Bangladesh and aftermath and Operation Smiling Buddha was the name given to India's nuclear programme. RAW unorthodoxly handled major operations in the interest of nation. As on today RAW operated cases like Amalgamation of Sikkim, Kahuta's Blueprint, Operation Meghdoot, Kanishka Bombing case, Operation Cactus, Operation Chanakya, Kargil War, Operation Leech, and recent terror attacks in India. RAW could catchsome notorious wanted persons like Bhupinder Singh Bhuda of the Khalistan Commando Force, Lashkar militant Tariq Mehmood, Abdul KarimTunda, Sheikh Abdul Khwaja and Indian Mujahidin supreme Yasin Bhaktal.

Corrupt ROW The Republic of India having two premier intelligence agencies the IB and RAW, IB is looking after internal and RAW external intelligence, important operations. Both function independently, without any restriction and supervision. In developed countries like USA Federal Governments are giving much priority to the internal and external security. In a Globalization process the communication and digital technology is very expensive. The major objective of RAW is keeping surveillance of internal and external threats to nation for this we have to spend huge amounts and resources to get information. In Madras Café movie John Abraham, the lead actor plays the role of Vikram Singh, a military officer who is sent to Jaffna to head RAW's covert operations. To catch hold Anna Bhaskaran, the leader of the fictional LTF rebels. The character closely resemble the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) leader Velupillai Prabhakaran. Actor Tinu Menachery acted as a Tamil rebel in Jaffna. Hedemandshugecache of arms and ammunition to retaliate against Anna Bhaskaran for which RAW agent supplies arms and ammunition to Tamil rebel to counter Anna Bhaskaran. This part of movie indicates that operations of RAW are very expensive. These type of covert operations involve huge financial implications and other national interest risky factors. Government of India failed to provide sufficient financial resources to organs of defence, resulting in few corrupt officers selling important defence secrets to enemy countries. There could be hundreds of officers in defence establishment who resemble “Bala” in Madras Café movie, played by Marathi actor, Prakash Belawadi, the key person to leak important information to opponent, who was Major Vikram Singh's superior in Jaffna. Since last five decades it is unfortunate that major scandals took place inside defence establishment that shook the nation. It is fact that first scandal in independent India is the “Military Jeeps Scandal” in 1948. V.K. Krishna Menon, the then Indian high commissioner to Britain, ignored protocols and signed a Rs 80 lakhs contract for the purchase of army jeeps with a foreign firm. The RAW is also in many controversies, the main allegation on RAW is its mono decisions. There is no transparency and answerable mechanism inside RAW. The

main controversy which has plagued RAW in recent years is overbureaucratization of the system with allegations about favoritism in promotions, corruption, ego clashes, lack of financial accountability, inter-departmental rivalry, and undemocratic bossism. Recently media exposed victimization of RAW Ex-officer, Mr. S. Natarajan who was victimized by undemocratic bossism. Ironically, Natarajan was charged of having links with LTTE. He had to work as home tutor to feed his family. While ordering NataRajan’s restoration, the CAT slammed his superior, a deputy commissioner, calling his action as unwarranted. Conclusion Since last three decades, Indian defence growing in all aspects. As Indians we have to be proud about our atomic & nuclear technology. It is very unfortunate that since last 60 years, more than 1,000 scandals have tarnished the image of defence establishment which are demoralizing the nationalism of people of this nation. The important role of intelligence reports in decision making regarding the safety and security of nation and the failure on the part of intelligence agencies or the correctness of the information may result in heavy human causalities and the sovereignty of nation. It is also important that the political system responds appropriately in time. It is high time that the political system wakes up and clean the system. At the same time the intelligence agencies should balance their functioning between the need for transparency & accountability and the need for keeping the intelligence information to the level of confidence required to ensure safety and security of the nation and its people.

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