Gokhale - R.N Kao

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First published 2019

Copyright Nitin A. Gokhale, 2019

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ISBN: 978-93-89449-30-3

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To all unnamed
and faceless R&AW sleuths

Contents

T his initiative of the Research & Analysis Wing (R&AW) to publish the memoirs of its founding father, Rameshwar Nath Kao, is a pioneering effort that needs to be commended.

For any member of Indias intelligence community, it would be a cherished ambition to be called upon to write a foreword for a book on one of its tallest doyens, such Ramji Kao, as he was known to his friends, relatives and well-wishers. I am no exception.

Ramji Kao straddled the world of secret intelligence in Indias formative years as a nation. Deputed to the Intelligence Bureau (IB) in 1947 and trained under the watchful eyes of the legendary Bhola Nath Mullik post-Independence, Mr Kao emerged as an institution builder par excellence and an epitome of professional excellence and exemplary personal conduct. Humble, suave, intellectual and modest, Ramji Kao left an indelible imprint on anyone he met or interacted with.

His exploits are legendary. Whether it was the professionalism with which he conducted the Kashmir Princess probe in the mid-1950s, his contributions in the liberation of Bangladesh in 1971 or the role in ensuring Sikkims merger with India, he always brought to bear his sage counsel and leadership qualities to deliver desired results.

Ramji Kao also had many firsts to his credit. A close adviser and security chief to three Indian Prime Ministers, he was one of the founding fathers of the Directorate General of Security (DGS) in the aftermath of the disasterous Sino-Indian conflict in 1962.

Later, he went on to head, as the first Chief, the Aviation Research Centre (ARC) and the Research & Analysis Wing (R&AW)two of Indias foremost intelligence agencies that were created in the 1960s. It is a fitting tribute to his leadership skills that within three years of the creation of the R&AW in September 1968, the organisation went on to play a sterling role in the 1971 India-Pakistan War.

A multi-talented genius, Ramji Kao also pursued his passions in the artistic and creative fields. Being a quintessential sculptorhe was good with wood, clay and stone, according to the authorit is no surprise that he used this talent to curate some of the finest intelligence organisations in Independent Indias history. He also mentored two generations of R&AW sleuths, many of whom have come to be known as Kaoboys. Those who worked with him swear by his human qualities, eye for detail, meticulous grooming and affable nature.

What is less known about Ramji Kao is the fact that in the months before his death, he meticulously recorded for posterity his reminisces in a tape-recorder. He even corrected the transcripts, but with the proviso that these tapes should be gradually opened to the public after his death.

I am happy that finally Mr Kaos work is being organised in the form of a biography. Written by well-known strategic affairs analyst and author, Nitin A. Gokhale, it is a worthy tribute to man who nurtured important institutions through their fledgling years. Gokhale, who has an impressive body of work on national security affairs, has aptly captured the professional journey of Kao and simultaneously flagged key milestones in the R&AWs journey so far.

Personally, blessed by Ramji Kaos 99-year-old wife, Malini Kao, I am sure this book will be read with great interest not only by intelligence professionals but also by common citizens in the years to come.

W here does one begin to chronicle the life and times of a colossus like Rameshwar Nath Kao? Does one begin with his greatest moment of glory in contributing to the liberation of East Pakistan and the formation of Bangladesh in 1971? Or the fact that he was the founder of one of the worlds best spy agencies, the R&AW? Does one talk about his fiercely private personality? Or his wide-ranging contacts in the secretive world of espionage? For an author like me, it had to be a combination of the personal and the professional to try and capture the essence of Kao, the man, the legend.

Somewhere deep in the archives of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML), in the heart of New Delhi, lies a set of papers that researchers and historians interested in recording the history of Indian intelligence would love to get their hands on. Alas, only part of those paperstranscripts of tape-recorded dictations left behind by Kaoare currently available. Three crucial files on Bangladesh, the merger of Sikkim and Mrs Indira Gandhis assassination will not be open until 2025, according to instructions left behind by him, months before he passed away in January 2002.

Since those tapes and papers are not public, this biography of Rameshwar Nath KaoRNK or Ramji to his friends, colleagues and familyhad to depend on the personal memories of a vast array of individuals who knew him in different capacities and their interpretation of his personality and contribution, apart from his correspondence with varied intelligence professionals.

The task was made doubly difficult by the fact that Kao was by nature a very private person. He was rarely photographed. Except for a tape-recoded interview to Pupul Jayakar, one of Mrs Indira Gandhis closest friends, RNK is not known to have given any public statements or formal interviews with any journalist. So, when I was requested to undertake this task, it seemed impossible. But thanks to help proffered by the Kao family, the three personal files of Kao that are now open for researchers and scholars at the NMML, the P.N. Haksar papers and R&AWs former officerssome of them retired as chiefs of the organisationI was able to put together this first full account of the personal and professional journey of Ramji Kaothe sensitive, compassionate man behind the faade of a distant, stern spymaster.

Not everyone who made this book possible can be named but some who can be are: Shakti Sinha, Director of NMML, for his generous and quick cooperation in locating and making available the Kao files; Vikram Sood, former R&AW Chief, himself an author, for his timely and critical interventions in reading the early draft of the manuscript; Vappala Balachandran, former R&AW officer, prolific writer and columnist for sharing copies of his correspondence with RNK and recounting some important anecdotes about him; my colleagues in BharatShakti.in and sniwire.com , the two digital platforms I own and run; Soumitra Bobby Banerjee, my former boss in early days of my journalism career (for reasons which will become apparent when you read the book in detail); the most supportive team of Paul Kumar, Jyoti Mehrotra, Rajbilochan Prasad and Satyabrat Mishra of Bloomsbury; and, last but not least, the Kao family.