Mihir Parekh's Reviews > The Kaoboys of R&AW: Down Memory Lane
The Kaoboys of R&AW: Down Memory Lane
by
by
“Every country gets the intelligence agencies it deserves…..R&AW is intelligence agency we deserve and not the agency that we need as one of the two rising powers in Asia.”
If you are expecting account of covert and clandestine operations of R&AW spies while liberating struggle of Bangladesh and then after, ‘The Kaoboys of R&AW: Down Memory Lane’ would disappoint you. This book does not narrate operations of R&AW on the line of operations of MOSSAD narrated by popular books on intelligence agencies. Rather, while praising role of R&AW in many occasions, this book equally revels serious operational problems in R&AW, its weaknesses, lack of cooperation between Indian security agencies and ego clashes at top most level in bureaucracy. B Raman narrated rare firsthand account of world of R&AW. Full of stories, this book it oasis for those who are interested in working of India’s external intelligence agency, it’s founding and functioning. Author honestly portrayed pictures of R&AW chiefs including founding Chief Rameshwar Nath Kao and other officers. Functioning of agency under different Prime Minister provides valuable inputs while evaluating performance of various Prime Ministers in terms of dealing with external and internal security problems. Events like Bangladesh war, Khalistan movement and terrorism in Panjab, assassination of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, inception of terrorism in J&K, Bofors scam, Demolition of Babari Masjid etc are described from intelligence point of view and are highly informative. Irony and dilemmas of intelligence agencies of world, Role of ISI, CIA and intelligence agencies of other countries in context of India, their liasoning network and their functioning are narrated, though not so lucidly, which provides glimpse in this secret world. However, some time book looks unorganized and author seems to wandering like spy, in toto, book provide good overall picture. B Raman does not forget to mention Late Shakti Bhatt, daughter of famous Gujarati writer Kanti Bhatt who died at young age of 26 due to brief illness, on whose insistence he agreed to write this book. Plenty of anecdotes, honest narrative and more than any other thing, subject of book itself makes this book highly readable.
If you are expecting account of covert and clandestine operations of R&AW spies while liberating struggle of Bangladesh and then after, ‘The Kaoboys of R&AW: Down Memory Lane’ would disappoint you. This book does not narrate operations of R&AW on the line of operations of MOSSAD narrated by popular books on intelligence agencies. Rather, while praising role of R&AW in many occasions, this book equally revels serious operational problems in R&AW, its weaknesses, lack of cooperation between Indian security agencies and ego clashes at top most level in bureaucracy. B Raman narrated rare firsthand account of world of R&AW. Full of stories, this book it oasis for those who are interested in working of India’s external intelligence agency, it’s founding and functioning. Author honestly portrayed pictures of R&AW chiefs including founding Chief Rameshwar Nath Kao and other officers. Functioning of agency under different Prime Minister provides valuable inputs while evaluating performance of various Prime Ministers in terms of dealing with external and internal security problems. Events like Bangladesh war, Khalistan movement and terrorism in Panjab, assassination of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, inception of terrorism in J&K, Bofors scam, Demolition of Babari Masjid etc are described from intelligence point of view and are highly informative. Irony and dilemmas of intelligence agencies of world, Role of ISI, CIA and intelligence agencies of other countries in context of India, their liasoning network and their functioning are narrated, though not so lucidly, which provides glimpse in this secret world. However, some time book looks unorganized and author seems to wandering like spy, in toto, book provide good overall picture. B Raman does not forget to mention Late Shakti Bhatt, daughter of famous Gujarati writer Kanti Bhatt who died at young age of 26 due to brief illness, on whose insistence he agreed to write this book. Plenty of anecdotes, honest narrative and more than any other thing, subject of book itself makes this book highly readable.
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Reading Progress
October 13, 2016
–
Started Reading
October 13, 2016
– Shelved
November 7, 2016
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Finished Reading