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Business Standard
a day ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
A S Dulat's new book explores betrayal, belief and Farooq's Kashmir
An Unlikely Friendship: The Chief Minister and the Spy Published by Juggernaut 289 pages ₹79 Anyone who knows A S Dulat will know that there cannot be a more unlikely spy: He is amiable, friendly, and operates on trust. His book about his friendship with one of Kashmir's tallest leaders, Farooq Abdullah, is as much a window into some of the most tumultuous and defining decades in the politics of the state as it is a gentle and non-judgemental appraisal of a complex and unpredictable political personality. Sheikh Abdullah and Farooq Abdullah have been the subject of many fascinating studies, including an outstanding biography of the Sheikh by Chitralekha Zutshi (though Mr Dulat differs with Zutshi on some facts and interpretations of events). The relationship between the father and son is important as it is part of Farooq's political inheritance: A mistrust of Delhi and a perennially thorny relationship with Pakistan which never forgave the father or the son for siding with India. The book explores Farooq's relationship with New Delhi under different dispensations. But on one point it is unequivocal — that he never, ever considered independence of Kashmir as a solution. The book describes his meeting with secessionist leader Yaseen Malik of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) at which Farooq lambasted him for violence against Kashmiris and about the JLKF's dreams of 'azaadi', telling him he was naive and living in a fool's paradise. Given this reality, the book argues, Delhi should have trusted Farooq unquestioningly — which it did not. In full knowledge that Farooq's succession had not been smooth and was challenged by his brother-in-law, Gul Mohammad Shah, in 1984, Delhi put its weight behind the Gul Shah faction of the National Conference, deputing Congress leader Mufti Mohammad Sayeed to support a coup against Farooq's government, dislodging him. There was a background to this, as there always is. But Mr Dulat notes regretfully that Kashmir ought to have been kept out of the kind of power politics that was in place elsewhere in India — it was too important to be trifled with. Farooq got the full-throated support of the Opposition. But it was, at the end of the day, the Opposition. He felt he had been betrayed twice over, Mr Dulat writes: Once by his family and then by the Congress led by Indira Gandhi, his extended family. Other betrayals followed. His right hand man, Saifuddin Soz, was working to undermine him by conducting a dialogue with the Kashmiri underground and the government. Rajiv Gandhi had little time for him, though the two had been good friends. The V P Singh years came and went but Farooq did not get his due. The problem was: No one knew whom to talk to in Kashmir. Dialogues with separatist leaders of the Shabir Shah variety were the flavour du jour. But Mr Dulat says he knew that the only currency that would work, both for Delhi and Srinagar, would be Farooq Abdullah. In 1993, P V Narasimha Rao's government installed the Department of Kashmir Affairs, headed by Rajesh Pilot. In 1994, the US changed its position, openly calling Kashmir disputed territory. Mr Dulat moved minor mountains to persuade the government to see reason and bring Farooq back in from the cold. This was done by making Farooq part of an all-party delegation to clarify to the world that no human rights violations were taking place in Kashmir as alleged by Pakistan. Farooq was superb. Not only did he speak as an Indian, he also challenged Pakistanis to speak to him in Kashmiri The 1996 Assembly elections in Kashmir were a turning point for the state and for Farooq himself — not the least because of kindly, understanding and benevolent statesmen in power in Delhi for however short a tenure, such as H D Deve Gowda and I K Gujral. When Atal Bihari Vajpayee came to power the Jammu & Kashmir Assembly passed a resolution seeking autonomy. Mr Dulat emphasised that the demand was for autonomy, not independence. At around this time, Farooq was made an offer that made his eyes sparkle. What if he were made vice-president of India? Vajpayee was agreeable, and things might have been different if that had happened, Mr Dulat says. It didn't and one more betrayal was added to the layer of mistrust. The National Conference lost the 2002 polls. By now, Omar Abdullah was set to replace Farooq. But as with the Sheikh and Farooq, Omar and Farooq too had their ups and downs.
The Hindu
29-04-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
War not an option and it's the right time to restore statehood to J&K: A.S. Dulat
Amarjit Singh Dulat, former chief of India's external intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), and an expert on the Kashmir question, speaking to The Hindu in Bengaluru in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, said, despite jingoistic calls, war was not an option. 'I have always maintained war is not an option. Let us hope there is no war. Even if it comes to that, it is not just the last option but the last bad option. Neither country can afford a war,' he said. Asked about other offensive options before the Government of India to create a deterrence against such attacks on Pakistan, he said while that was for the government to decide, deterrence could be built 'by increasing security, and ensuring the local Kashmiri is happy and is on our side'. 'I agree with the Prime Minister when he says the perpetrators of this attack should be found and punished. So let us find them,' he said. On restoring statehood Mr. Dulat stressed on the importance of taking the Kashmiris along and expressed concern about some actions by the Union government in the region in the aftermath of the terror attack. 'For the time being, everybody in Kashmir is one and all the Kashmiri leaders have said they are with Delhi. This is a rare opportunity that should not be squandered away. The local Kashmiri should not suffer for whatever has happened. But slowly, there is a concern developing. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah have also made statements that locals should not be targeted. The demolition of houses in this fashion is a concern to me as well,' he said. He suggested that, as a confidence-building measure, this was a good time to restore the statehood for Jammu and Kashmir. 'Whatever the Government of India does, it should take the local Kashmiri along. In this context, it is not a bad time to restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. The elected government in J&K should be supported and given credibility,' he argued. 'Tourism is not normalcy' When quizzed about the narrative that claimed that a large number of tourists going to Kashmir as proof of 'Naya Kashmir', where violence had come down, Mr. Dulat said, 'Clearly terror has not gone away and tourism is not normalcy in Kashmir.' 'Violence had indeed come down. But it comes down and spikes again. Our armed forces have come under increasing attacks in the thickly forested Poonch Rajouri region for the past few years. In the last year, there have been more attacks in Jammu. Recently, there were a few attacks in Kathua, and it came up close to Udhampur. That's where you start climbing to the [Kashmir] Valley, and [it] is the route to Pahalgam. Obviously, these terrorists seem to have created some bases in this belt; it is not as if they are coming and going every day. So, if you see this pattern, terror has not gone away,' he said. Making a passionate argument for restoration of statehood to J&K, he said, in fact, a short period of peace in the [Kashmir] Valley was after the recent Assembly election in which the National Conference swept the polls. 'The common Kashmiri felt finally there was a government of his (the voter's) in power. He slowly realised that it's only a half government. This needs to be corrected,' he said.
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Business Standard
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
What A S Dulat said about Kashmir, threats a day before Pahalgam attack
Dulat feels that Bangladesh needs to be watched, and recalls a Kashmiri leader telling him that in creating Bangladesh, India helped create another Muslim nation, and that one day, they would unite Premium Aditi Phadnis Listen to This Article 'Courtly' comes to mind when describing AS Dulat (85) as we negotiate the venue for lunch. We agree on Delhi's Claridges hotel and opt for Chinese cuisine — not for any geopolitical reasons, simply because it is lighter on the tummy. He gallantly turns vegetarian for the afternoon in deference to me. The menu, when it arrives, is fiendishly complicated, locked in some sort of tablet that asks for many personal details before it can be opened. We toss it aside, ask for hot and sour soup and a selection of dim sum. Then we go straight to the four
Mint
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Pahalgam is a lapse, but no security or intelligence detail is foolproof: Ex-RAW chief AS Dulat
Pahalgam Terror Attack: While there was certainly a lapse in the Baisaran valley, located in South Kashmir's famed tourist resort of Pahalgam, it would be instructive to remember that no security or intelligence is fool proof and perfect, says former RAW chief and India's leading Kashmir specialist, AS Dulat. "No intelligence or security detail is foolproof. If that was the case, Mrs Indira Gandhi would not have been assassinated, 9/11 could have taken place and more recently, Hamas would not have launched a surprise assault on Israel in October 2023,' Dulat told this reporter. Some media reports have speculated about a possible intelligence failure in the case where 26 people were killed by Pakistan-sponsored terrorists. All but one of them were Indian citizens. New Delhi swiftly pointed the finger at Pakistan, downgraded ties and suspended its participation in the crucial Indus Water Treaty between the two countries. Nonetheless, how was it possible that there was no security detail for miles at a holiday destination in a state where the security cover is intense, particularly for VIPs? "It is certainly odd but if you look at the Anantnag district, the site of this massacre is not too far from the Amarnath yatra route, which is heavily guarded. Also, in the history of Kashmir, this holy yatra has not been disturbed by terrorists, save for 2017. So, I would say that such a killing is not just a shame but practically unprecedented,' he said. The one major exception, Dulat acknowledged, was the Chittisinghpura massacre where 35 Sikh villagers were killed on 20 March 2000. Situated in the Anantnag district, the slaying took place on the eve of the US President Bill Clinton's state visit to India. The massacre was a turning point in the history of a troubled Kashmir, where Sikhs had usually been spared terrorist violence. The Baisaran killings came when the US Vice-President JD Vance was visiting India on a four-day trip. Asked if there was a change of mind in Islamabad with the new army chief, Gen Asim Munir, spewing the Two-Nation theory publicly, Dulat said that appeared to be the case. `"His predecessor was much less of a hawk. It is unfortunate that the current army chief is speaking a language, which no one in a responsible position should do,' he said. A prolific author, Dulat is the first Indian spymaster to write a memoir entitled A Life in the Shadows, a book that was well received. He is also the author of two bestselling books, Kashmir: The Vajpayee Years (2014) and The Spy Chronicles: R&AW, ISI and the Illusion of Peace (2018). Dulat's views on India, Pakistan and Kashmir are well-known and sought after. This month, Dulat's revelations in his new book, The Chief Minister and the Spy, have triggered a political storm in Kashmir. Did he believe that the Pahalgam slaying could be a false flag operation staged by India, given state elections later this year and the rise of Hindutva forces, as some in Pakistan are claiming? According to Dulat, he expected Islamabad to say just that, but it was wide off the mark and totally incorrect. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vowed to track down the killers and India must do it, even if they have slunk back into Pakistan. ``The killers should be hunted down in Kashmir if they are here or tracked down in Pakistan. We have the wherewithal,' Dulat said. No intelligence or security detail is foolproof. Was Pakistan ready to initiate another border skirmish, now that Kargil was a couple of decades old, Dulat said he could not offer a comment. ``You will need to ask the Pakistani Army that question,' he quipped. Asked the way ahead in Kashmir, the former RAW chief said that Delhi and Srinagar need to be on the same page. `"While the Prime Minister and Chief Minister (Omar Abdullah) are coordinating well, it is also important to take the Kashmiris along. They should not feel alienated,' Dulat explained. First Published: 25 Apr 2025, 03:07 PM IST
New Indian Express
22-04-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Former R&AW chief Dulat pitches for restoration of J&K statehood, dialogue with Pakistan
NEW DELHI: Former Research & Analysis Wing (R&AW) chief AS Dulat on Tuesday strongly pitched for restoration of statehood to Jammu & Kashmir and favoured resumption of talks between India and Pakistan. Speaking at the 25th edition of the 'Delhi Dialogue' programme hosted by TNIE , Dulat said that the most pressing issue currently facing Jammu & Kashmir is the restoration of its statehood. 'The restoration of statehood to J&K would not only help in improving the credibility of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, but also of Delhi. This will restore the dignity of people of Jammu & Kashmir,' he said. When asked if the statehood would be restored anytime soon, Dulat said, 'You know, I was there for Omar's swearing in Srinagar and on my return from there I thought it might happen. But, now I don't see it happening, but only time will tell whether I am right or wrong.' On the issue of India resuming talks with Pakistan, the former spymaster quoted YD Gundevia, who served as the last Foreign Secretary of India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, as he said, '…sands are running out. Time is on nobody's side. We need to move on.' 'I don't know why, but we need to talk to Pakistan. Both Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, two main leaders in Kashmir, have repeatedly been saying we should talk to Pakistan and I believe that is the way forward,' Dulat said, adding that otherwise 'terrorism is not going to go away.' When asked about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership and whether his top advisers were making any efforts to engage Pakistan in dialogue, the ex-R&AW chief said, 'I don't know S Jaishankar, the External Affairs Minister, but I know National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval, as we had been colleagues and also friends. I have great regards for Doval. So his thinking has to be the same as the Prime Minister's thinking. They have to be on the same page. So obviously, if we are not talking to Pakistan, it has to be the NSA's thinking and also the Prime Minister's thinking.' Dulat went on to say, 'I can't see anybody around who can replace him (Ajit Doval).' Terming Pakistan as an important neighbor as China, Dulat said, it has been the right that terror and talks can't go together, which the government of India has been saying for a long time. 'The stand is justified, but I say, we will not talk about Kashmir. Let us talk about terror. Let's talk about visas. Let's talk about coming and going.' On the reasons as to why terrorists shifted their attack targets from the Kashmir Valley to the Jammu region, Dulat said, 'The main reason is that the Kashmiris are tired and sick of guns and getting killed. So, even Pakistan realised why get Kashmris killed. It is better to get Hindus killed in Jammu. There is an area in Jammu region called Pir Panjal where time and time again, there have been attacks.'
