Vivek Mahapatra's Reviews > The Kaoboys of R&AW: Down Memory Lane

Most contemporary Indian history I know comes from coffee table conversations between my parents and aunty-uncles. Naturally noticeable was the partisan bent in which way the interpretation of actions and events go. A personal history blending into an institutional history from a person belonging to possibly the most secretive arm of our government feels strangely similar to sitting around listening to an uncle talk.

It does feel unvarnished, with numerous instances talked about where RAW could have done better, and where the Indian Government itself could do better in terms of facilitating intelligence. The bullet point analysis at the end corroborates the alleged razor sharp skills of the author in the same, and while there would have been more hope of transparency at the time the book was written, in our present central consolidation of power, it is less likely to come to pass.

There is a regrettable amount of stepping on each other's toes when it comes to the question of National defense, rather than the seamless cooperation that we would wish for.

There is some amount of idolisation of Indira and Rajiv Gandhi, from an intelligence policy perspective, but to be honest, I think they might deserve it. Considering the bias is tough when the full picture isn't out. Maybe a full picture is a mirage, and we should try and get to our opinions. What I took away most, other than all the interesting contemporary history, is that we need more such books to make up our own minds.