In November 1971, India’s external intelligence agency obtained advance warning of a planned Pakistani pre-emptive air strike on western air bases, allowing the Indian Air Force to prepare before hostilities erupted on December 3, leading to the surrender of the Pakistani Army in Dhaka thirteen days later and the birth of Bangladesh. Rameshwar Nath Kao led the organization, known as the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), which had been established in 1968 under Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
According to former R&AW Additional Secretary B Raman’s book “Kaoboys of RAW”, Kao instructed officers in the agency’s initial months to focus on intelligence collection regarding Pakistan and China, alongside covert operations in East Pakistan. Raman noted that while a little over two years is too short a time to build covert capabilities, the agency succeeded, even compromising General Yahya Khan’s communications to provide daily intercept extracts to Indira Gandhi and others entrusted with the conduct of the war.
Founding R&AW Under Prime Minister Indira Gandhi
Following the 1965 war with Pakistan, Prime Minister Gandhi and her principal adviser P N Haksar directed Kao to design a separate external intelligence organisation separate from the police-centric structure of the Intelligence Bureau. Kao brought in Sankaran Nair, an experienced officer with deep knowledge of Pakistan and the Islamic world, who helped shape the organisation. Nitin A Gokhale’s biography “R.N. Kao: Gentleman Spymaster” records that Nair viewed the structure Kao designed as his “magnum opus,” while former R&AW officer Vikram Sood recalled that Kao demanded precision in reports, returning substandard work marked simply with “off.”
The agency’s preparation for the 1971 conflict involved cultivating contacts with Bengali political leaders and resistance groups to sustain a campaign of attrition against Pakistani forces. V Balachandran, a former R&AW officer, stated that Kao recruited people with specialised skills outside normal bureaucratic channels, including a retired Army officer whose unit supplied the advance intelligence on Pakistan’s December 3 air attack.
Did You Know?
Established in 1968, R&AW completed its 58th year of existence on September 21, having grown from a newly formed external intelligence body into an agency that coordinated critical resistance elements and communications intercepts during the 1971 war.
Childhood Hardships and the Path to Intelligence
Kao maintained a low profile throughout his career, a discretion rooted partly in personal history. Following his father’s death when Kao was five, his family struggled financially, and his school years in Baroda involved social difficulties, including mockery regarding his obesity and mispronunciations of his surname, as detailed in Gokhale’s biography. Kao recalled that these experiences made him acutely conscious of being watched and fostered an introspective withdrawn approach to life in general.
Before entering intelligence, Kao studied English literature, history, and Persian at Lucknow University, completed an MA in English at Allahabad, and joined the Indian Police in 1940. After Independence, he transitioned to the Intelligence Bureau under B N Mullik, eventually taking charge of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s security and establishing international contacts with foreign intelligence chiefs.
Post-Bangladesh Operations and the Emergency Era
Following the 1971 war, R&AW played a major role in the events surrounding the integration of Sikkim in 1975. However, the agency faced questions regarding the August 1975 assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in Dhaka. Balachandran disputed claims that R&AW was caught unprepared, stating that Kao had traveled incognito to Bangladesh to warn Mujibur of a brewing conspiracy, though the warning was ignored.
During the Emergency, opposition figures accused R&AW of being the government’s handmaiden, but Balachandran rejected these claims, stating that the Intelligence Bureau carried out arrests while Kao attempted to keep R&AW away from palace politics. Following the Janata government’s takeover, Kao retired prematurely in 1977 amid government suspicion and budget and power reductions.
Post-Retirement Influence and Second Government Innings
Retirement did not end Kao’s influence. In 1977, R&AW chief N F Suntook enlisted Kao to help persuade Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Homi Sethna to advise Prime Minister Morarji Desai against signing the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. In 1981, after A C N Nambiar recommended his return, Indira Gandhi appointed Kao as Senior Adviser in the Cabinet Secretariat, a role Balachandran described as effectively performing what would today be described as the National Security Adviser’s role.
During this second tenure in 1981, when international diplomatic and intelligence channels failed to gain sufficient traction regarding Pakistan’s clandestine nuclear weapons program, Kao advised using the international press, prompting Balachandran to facilitate a meeting between a senior Paris-based journalist and The New York Times team investigating the “Islamic bomb.” Kao’s second innings concluded abruptly in October 1984 when Indira Gandhi was assassinated while Kao was in Beijing exploring a possible opening with China. He asked to be relieved after her cremation and never held formal government office again.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was R&AW established?
R&AW was established in 1968, completing its 58th year of existence on September 21.
What was R&AW’s role in the 1971 war?
The agency cultivated contacts with Bengali resistance groups, sustained a campaign of attrition against Pakistani forces, intercepted General Yahya Khan’s communications, and provided advance warning of Pakistan’s planned December 3 air strike.
Did R&AW anticipate the 1975 assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman?
According to V Balachandran, Rameshwar Nath Kao traveled incognito to Bangladesh in 1975 to warn Mujibur of a brewing conspiracy, though Mujibur did not take the warning seriously.
? How did Rameshwar Nath Kao shape India’s external intelligence framework before retiring permanently in 1984?