RAW (Research and Analysis wing) is India’s External Intelligence agency. It came into existence on September 21st, 1968, after the Sino-Indian War of 1962 and the India-Pakistan War of 1965 need for a separate external intelligence agency was felt. Headquartered at New Delhi. Before 1968, Intelligence Bureau (IB) was responsible for India’s Internal as well as External Intelligence. Some interesting facts of RAW are discussed in this article.
RAW (Research and Analysis wing) is India’s External Intelligence agency. It came into existence on September 21st, 1968, after the Sino-Indian War of 1962 and the India-Pakistan War of 1965 need for a separate external intelligence agency was felt. Before 1968, Intelligence Bureau (IB) was responsible for India’s Internal as well as External Intelligence. Headquartered at New Delhi. RAW’s first director was Rameshwar Nath Kao.
The objective of the organisation was to strengthen its capability for intelligence gathering on Pakistan and China and for the action in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). Further objectives of RAW (Research and Analysis wing) are broadened like monitoring the military and political developments in adjoining countries, India’s national security and in the formulation of its Foreign Policy, seeking the control and limitation of the supply of military hardware to Pakistan mostly from European countries, The United States and China.
Top Facts about RAW (Research and Analysis wing)
1. In 1971, RAW played an important role in the creation of Bangladesh.
RAW played an important role in supporting Mukti Bahini a Bangladeshi guerrilla organisation by providing them training, intelligence and ammunition. Pakistani army’s movement in East Pakistan was also disrupted by RAW. And finally Bangladesh was created.
2. Operation Meghdoot
In 1984 RAW provided an information about Pakistan that they are planning an incursion in the Siachin glacier to capture Saltoro Ridge as a part of operation Ababeel. So, Indian Army launched Operation Meghdoot and around 300 troops were deployed there. As a result Pakistan Army pushed back its troops to capture the strategic peak.
3. RAW kept India’s first nuclear test secret successfully i.e. Operation Smiling Buddha
Also in 1974 RAW played a vital role in keeping the secrecy of the first India’s nuclear test. Even countries like China and USA were unaware about such activity by India.
4. ‘The Black Tiger’ Ravindra Kaushik, who was he and what he did?
Ravindra Kaushik was a famous theatre artist and placed as a spy by RAW officials in 1975 to Pakistan where he managed to join Pakistani army and rose to the rank of ‘major’. He saved thousands of Indians lives by sending valuable information to the Intelligence agencies. And so, he was given the title ‘Black Tiger’ by RAW.
5. Operation Cactus
The People’s Liberation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE), a militant Tamils invaded Maldives in November 1988. President of Maldives, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom asked help from India. Then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi ordered and 1600 troops of Indian Army were sent by air to Mal;divian island Hulhule to restore the order in the Maldives and RAW provided the army necessary intelligence. Finally within hours Indian paratroopers were able to restore the Government rule.
6. Supported Northern Alliance
India decided to side with the Northern Alliance a resistance force against Taliban government and the Soviet Union after the rise of Pakistan and American backed Taliban in Afghanistan. At Farkhor Air Base in 1996 RAW had built 25 bed military hospital. The airport was used by the India’s Aviation Research Centre, an arm of RAW to repair and operate the northern aerial support. With this the relationship was further cemented in 2001 Afghan war. India supplied Northern Alliance high altitude warfare equipment and it was the first intelligence agency to determine the extent of Kunduz airlift.
7. Kargil War
Successfully RAW tapped the telephonic conversation between Pakistan army chief General Pervez Musharraf , he was in Beijing and his chief of staff Lt. Gen. Mohammed Aziz in Islamabad. This tape was instrumental in proving Pakistani involvement in the Kargil incursion.
8. Operation Chanakya
To restore peace in Kashmir and to infiltrate separatist groups RAW undertook operation Chanakya. Main success of them was to neutralise the terrorist activities in the valley and also successfully they have collected the evidence regarding ISI’s involvement with the separatist groups and other terrorist. Also able to create a split in the terrorist organisation Hizb-ul-Mujahideen and create pro Indian groups in Kashmir.
9. Do you know that RAW successfully tapped the conversation of terrorist about 2-6 months before Mumbai attacks?
But due to coordination failure none of the action was taken against Pakistani-based terrorist. RAW technicians monitored the six phones used by the terrorists and recorded conversation between the terrorists and their handlers.
10. Snatch Operations
In this operation suspect is nabbed in the foreign country, brought to India, interrogated at unknown sites and then formally arrested at an airport or at border post. In the neighbouring countries RAW is performing Snatch Operations and successfully with the help of this operation arrested Lashkar militant Tariq Mehmood and Abdul Karim Tunda, one of the handlers of Mumbai attacks, Sheikh Abdul Khwaja and Yasin Bhatkal leader of terrorist organisation Indian Mujahideen etc.
These secret warriors work day and night for the safety of us and we should be proud of them that these silent warriors are protecting our country.