Swati Singh
Although after independence , India had a decent intelligence body in Intelligence Bureau (IB) , the thought of having our own foreign intelligence agency originated in Indira Gandhi’s mind when Pakistan started playing dirty by supplying arms and ammunition to the Sikh militants , leading to the birth of Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), which is not classified as an agency , and hence does not have to classify any secrets it holds. Founded in 1968 by the legendary RN. Kao , RAW’s first focus was Pakistan and second, China (Because China was helping Pakistan as a strategic ally , against the common enemy being –India) .
India’s Pokhran test in 1974 triggered the arms race between India and Pakistan and being very wary of India’s fledging nuclear capabilities , Pakistan sought any help needed to build nuclear weapons for itself. Operation Kahuta, one of the deadliest missions of RAW was launched in 1974 with the motive to locate and confirm the existence of the Pakistan’s secret weapons program . It is said that Israel’s intelligence agency , Mossad , also helped RAW in its mission.
It took around a decade for RAW to build a network within Pakistan under the leadership of RN. Kao. RAW operatives inside Pakistan picked up on ‘chatter’ on a possible fissile material production facility . Priority of RAW was to pin point the location of the facility. It is important to remember that Pakistan kept this so close under wraps that even with the extensive network RAW had, our spies got only rumours. RAW establishes a good network inside Pakistan by late 1970’s . Although , they heard rumours about the Kahuta plant , but the main problem was how to confirm this intelligence , because trying to infiltrate the nuclear plant would be foolish and could take years . By then Pakistan would get it’s hands on rich fuel for atomic bomb.
As a result , a stunning intelligence operation was carried out by RAW agents in which they stole the hair samples from the barber shops in Kahuta where the nuclear scientists would come for hair cut. RAW agents went to the barber shops and stole samples of hair fallen down after cutting. Then these samples were analysed for radiation traces and boom! India knew that Kahuta plant was a plutonium refining plant to develop an atomic bomb. India now confirmed that Pakistan was indeed making nuclear weapons. Israel straightaway wanted to bomb the Kahuta plant. But there was a big screw up on the Indian side. Israel’s MOSSAD was also insecure about Pakistan acquiring nuclear arms. It partnered with RAW in gathering everything there was to know about the Pakistani nuclear program Then came the political betrayal from none other than Prime Minister Morarji Desai. There was a great distrust between the politicians and the 3 IB , RAW during his regime. As a result , RAW’s budget was reduced by as much as 30% to 40% which led to the RAW Founder R.N. Kao quitting marking a sad and an unfair end to an exemplary career. Not only this, it is said that , Desai also managed to isolate and get rid of K.S. Nair who was handed the RAW mantle when Kao left. The betrayal to our intelligence forces didn’t end here.
Worse was to come. In an informal conversation with Zia-ul-Haq, Morarji Desai revealed details of the RAW network in Pakistan and also confirmed that India was aware of the enrichment happening at the Kahuta facility.
There is no need to tell what would have happened next . Pakistan hunted the brave men across its land, killing many of them with such brutality which is beyond our imagination . The entire network was neutralised. This is how RAW carried out one of the most risky operation which would have been a huge success if there weren’t any political betrayal. Such betrayals aren’t a rarity. Jawaharlal Nehru deserted the Indian Army during the Indo-China war that resulted in the death of many soldiers, who didn’t even have guns in their hands to counter the invading Chinese. 4 Isn’t it strange as well as adventurous about getting to know about a country’s nuclear secrets, by going to a barber shop ? This shows not only brave , but exceptionally sharp minds were involved behind this operation.
A Salute!
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