ahsanshaheen
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It certainly is a monumental task for the informed Sri Lankan or for that matter anyone in the neighbourhood of India to keep a straight face when talking about the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) in India.
Formed in 1968, the predatory operations carried out by this external intelligence agency of India in the neighbouring countries, is perhaps the best example as to how a geographically advantageous nations bully their little neighbours.
A careful study of the RAW would spell out that its modus operandi include multi-nationals, non-governmental organizations and even cultural centres. Among its most ambitious operations that are currently underway is the move to separate Balochistan province from Pakistan by supporting Balochistan Liberation Army.
The RAW in Sri Lanka has a pretty colourful record.
Having raised, nursed and fortified the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam it later went through phases where it adopted rock the baby, pinch the baby approach towards the LTTE. While many thought the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi would have hardened the approach of the RAW towards the LTTE it really did not happen that way. While New Delhi was shattered by the death of Nehrus grandson the less emotional RAW moved on with rest of operation.In 2007 ripples were created in the spy agency when one of its Colombo based officers Ravi Nair of 1975 batch was found allegedly carrying on an affair with a woman working for a Chinese spy agency.
The crime was considered only second to what was committed by the RAW Joint Secretary Rabinder Singh in 2004 when he escaped with copies of several highly confidential documents and is believed to have passed them on to the CIA. This was after Singhs superiors confronted him with evidence that he had spent time with a Delhi based female US embassy officer at a resort down New Delhi- Jaipur highway.
The incident really rocked the RAW and forced it to go for several reforms which included strong counter-check measures on its officers.
Despite these measures within three years a second scandal broke out, this time in Colombo.
Following the embarrassment caused by Ravi Nair in Colombo, the RAW recalled the officer made it a point to post a lady officer to Colombo, probably thinking thats the best way to discourage Chinese spies.
The reports that the RAW is out to create mischief in the backdrop of recent military victories by Sri Lankan troops surfaced days after media reports that Pottu Amman who was pulled up by Prabhakaran over recent debacles, had slipped off to India.
That the RAW was planning to host a selected group of fleeing LTTE seniors in India with a view to checkmate Sri Lanka in the future was the speculation among many war analysts around this time. Many held that it would only be a surprise if it doesnt resort to such a counter- strategy given its record which included among others dozens and dozens of moves to weaken both SLFP and UNP led governments in Sri Lanka.
Then came the Times of India leak that a team of the RAW operatives and spy planes have been sent to spy across the Palk straits and yesterday the local dailies here went to town about the spy plane spotted in the skies above Mullaitivu and the Navy attempts to shoot it down. All this is little too much evidence for a cynic to dismiss that the whole thing is just a grand conspiracy theory, a rumour spread by the anti- Indian lobby in Colombo.
Sri Lanka is certainly in no mood to trust the Research and Analysis Wing of India.
Formed in 1968, the predatory operations carried out by this external intelligence agency of India in the neighbouring countries, is perhaps the best example as to how a geographically advantageous nations bully their little neighbours.
A careful study of the RAW would spell out that its modus operandi include multi-nationals, non-governmental organizations and even cultural centres. Among its most ambitious operations that are currently underway is the move to separate Balochistan province from Pakistan by supporting Balochistan Liberation Army.
The RAW in Sri Lanka has a pretty colourful record.
Having raised, nursed and fortified the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam it later went through phases where it adopted rock the baby, pinch the baby approach towards the LTTE. While many thought the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi would have hardened the approach of the RAW towards the LTTE it really did not happen that way. While New Delhi was shattered by the death of Nehrus grandson the less emotional RAW moved on with rest of operation.In 2007 ripples were created in the spy agency when one of its Colombo based officers Ravi Nair of 1975 batch was found allegedly carrying on an affair with a woman working for a Chinese spy agency.
The crime was considered only second to what was committed by the RAW Joint Secretary Rabinder Singh in 2004 when he escaped with copies of several highly confidential documents and is believed to have passed them on to the CIA. This was after Singhs superiors confronted him with evidence that he had spent time with a Delhi based female US embassy officer at a resort down New Delhi- Jaipur highway.
The incident really rocked the RAW and forced it to go for several reforms which included strong counter-check measures on its officers.
Despite these measures within three years a second scandal broke out, this time in Colombo.
Following the embarrassment caused by Ravi Nair in Colombo, the RAW recalled the officer made it a point to post a lady officer to Colombo, probably thinking thats the best way to discourage Chinese spies.
The reports that the RAW is out to create mischief in the backdrop of recent military victories by Sri Lankan troops surfaced days after media reports that Pottu Amman who was pulled up by Prabhakaran over recent debacles, had slipped off to India.
That the RAW was planning to host a selected group of fleeing LTTE seniors in India with a view to checkmate Sri Lanka in the future was the speculation among many war analysts around this time. Many held that it would only be a surprise if it doesnt resort to such a counter- strategy given its record which included among others dozens and dozens of moves to weaken both SLFP and UNP led governments in Sri Lanka.
Then came the Times of India leak that a team of the RAW operatives and spy planes have been sent to spy across the Palk straits and yesterday the local dailies here went to town about the spy plane spotted in the skies above Mullaitivu and the Navy attempts to shoot it down. All this is little too much evidence for a cynic to dismiss that the whole thing is just a grand conspiracy theory, a rumour spread by the anti- Indian lobby in Colombo.
Sri Lanka is certainly in no mood to trust the Research and Analysis Wing of India.
