RAW - India's External Intelligence - An Insiders Story

( Source- Outlook Magazine)

Just finished reading VK Sigh's insightful book on the working of one of the premier external Spy agency in the world. Though RAW was created late unlike its Pakistani counter part ISI in 1950's, it has managed to prove itself a formidabble force with in a short span of time. However, the author of the book laments that, much of its history is shrouded in secrecy, which even the senior most officers working for the organisation is not privy to. This is such a loss as the  agency' contribution, sacrifice and the efforts it took to secure  the nation from external threats will be never duly recognised. Its over 'unnecessary' stress towards secrecacy has left most of the citizens of this country from not truely appreacit it, laments the author. Whereas on the other hand other agencies like CIA, Mossad and MI5's history is quite well known to their public, including their higheracrchy and the structure of the organisation.


Since VK Singh, an earlier Signal Intelligence man from the army, the book mostly focuses on the SIGNIT in the RAW. Almost the entire book ( barring few chapters) is about this aspect and it gets a bit too technical for an uninterested reader. As owning to its over secretive nature and the author's short duration, there isn't worth any single interesting mention of any raw operation.


But the author finds ample ink to dwell on the red tapism within the organisation; making the reader wonder whether the imagined 'James Bond' type RAW operatives are infact your everyday idli sambar eating uncle Mururgan. With enough evidences and personal experinces, the author illustrates that rather than a toughie looking, risk taking, go-getters; RAW is a top heavy, bloated and highly bureaucratic organisation. Though, the author commneds the work they have done, he inssts that, the organisation needs to become a lean machine and appoint more work personnel rather than secretaries.


Singh also touches on  the aspect of intra rivalry between  the several security agencies in India because of the overlap. And also, partially beacuse of no clear mandate, leading to intra fights and embarassment. He suggests a co-ordiantion organisation something like USA's NSA to hadle the intelligence coming from different agencies. But that might not be possible in the near future (since the IB wants to maintain its independent domain) leading to loss of intelliegence ( ex. Kargil ), says the author.


Accountability is one aspect the author stresses vigorously over the book. In fact, the entire books' premise is about how our intelligence agencies should be held accoutable. Failing of which, warns the author, our agencies are working like organisations in the totalitarian regimes.