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Raw : A History Of India's Covert Operations
About the Book
The Research and Analysis Wing, India’s shadowy external intelligence agency, is one of the country’s least understood institutions—at least in part by design. Perhaps fittingly for a spy agency, there is very little information about R&AW in the public domain. What is this organisation, its structure, its role and vision? Why was it set up? Who are the people that run it?
Set up in 1968, as a reaction to India’s massive intelligence failure during the war with China, R&AW played a crucial role in the formation of Bangladesh. It has since carried out highly successful covert operations in Fiji, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, and has countered and foiled Pakistani spy agency ISI’s machinations in the subcontinent. R&AW has operations in other parts of the globe too; it played an important role during the Iran–Iraq war, for instance.
No country can increase its global reach without intelligence support. That India has made enormous strides in its stature and influence is testimony to R&AW’s success. Yet, public accounts of its work exist only in highly romanticised fictional stories. Investigative journalist Yatish Yadav follows the lives of real agents and maps their actions in real situations. His conversations with Indian spies provide insight into how covert operations actually work. A History of India’s Covert Operations is the first comprehensive account of Indian spy networks and their intelligence gathering, and their role in securing and advancing Indian interests.
About the Author
Yatish Yadav is an investigative journalist based in New Delhi. Of the two-decade long stint in journalism, he has spent more than fifteen years covering intelligence and investigative agencies, and extensively reported on conflicts in Kashmir, Northeast and the red corridor. He entered the field of journalism during the early days of digital media, an opportunity that turned him into a professional photographer. Subsequently, he moved to television and learnt filmmaking. In 2005, he was bestowed with the Best Director Award at the New York International Film Festival for Ropes in their Hands, a documentary exposing an international human trafficking ring operating from Nepal. In his journalistic career, he has worked with prominent newspapers and TV networks of India and the United States. He has had a chance to break some big-ticket stories that defined the news coverage of the time. He also served as Bureau Chief of The New Indian Express in Delhi, handling a team of reporters to generate content for 22 editions and The Sunday Standard, and as Associate Editor at Network18. As a hobby, he occasionally paints his thoughts.
The Research and Analysis Wing, India’s shadowy external intelligence agency, is one of the country’s least understood institutions—at least in part by design. Perhaps fittingly for a spy agency, there is very little information about R&AW in the public domain. What is this organisation, its structure, its role and vision? Why was it set up? Who are the people that run it?
Set up in 1968, as a reaction to India’s massive intelligence failure during the war with China, R&AW played a crucial role in the formation of Bangladesh. It has since carried out highly successful covert operations in Fiji, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, and has countered and foiled Pakistani spy agency ISI’s machinations in the subcontinent. R&AW has operations in other parts of the globe too; it played an important role during the Iran–Iraq war, for instance.
No country can increase its global reach without intelligence support. That India has made enormous strides in its stature and influence is testimony to R&AW’s success. Yet, public accounts of its work exist only in highly romanticised fictional stories. Investigative journalist Yatish Yadav follows the lives of real agents and maps their actions in real situations. His conversations with Indian spies provide insight into how covert operations actually work. A History of India’s Covert Operations is the first comprehensive account of Indian spy networks and their intelligence gathering, and their role in securing and advancing Indian interests.
About the Author
Yatish Yadav is an investigative journalist based in New Delhi. Of the two-decade long stint in journalism, he has spent more than fifteen years covering intelligence and investigative agencies, and extensively reported on conflicts in Kashmir, Northeast and the red corridor. He entered the field of journalism during the early days of digital media, an opportunity that turned him into a professional photographer. Subsequently, he moved to television and learnt filmmaking. In 2005, he was bestowed with the Best Director Award at the New York International Film Festival for Ropes in their Hands, a documentary exposing an international human trafficking ring operating from Nepal. In his journalistic career, he has worked with prominent newspapers and TV networks of India and the United States. He has had a chance to break some big-ticket stories that defined the news coverage of the time. He also served as Bureau Chief of The New Indian Express in Delhi, handling a team of reporters to generate content for 22 editions and The Sunday Standard, and as Associate Editor at Network18. As a hobby, he occasionally paints his thoughts.
401 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 25, 2022
90 people are currently reading
45 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 17, 2023
The Prime Minister leaned in and whispered to the RAW chief, "Should I give him a Padma Bhushan?" The chief said, "No sir, the reward for a spy is the success of the operation. He doesn't need any other decoration."
We don't hear or know much about RAW. By design. But in this book, journalist Yatish Yadav opens up the vaults of this top secret organization to show us its inner workings, its successes in critical, dangerous and complex geopolitical situations, and its failures too.
From the aftermath of the Bangladesh liberation war, to a crowded and bloody theatre in Afghanistan, from neutralizing terrorist cells to re-establishing friendly relations with a hostile nation, the RAW has spies and "assets" across the world, working hard to protect India's interests in the long and short term. Not unlike any other intelligence agency in the world.
It's amazing to me, this life that its field agents choose. One of danger and anonymity. Of course being a field agent is not the only way of contributing to a nation's intelligence, the RAW also employs sharp individuals as analysts who assimilate and interpret the information coming in.
I enjoyed learning about the various activities that the Indian spy agency has been part of and its motivations that are reflective of the foreign policy stances the government wants to take.
The life of a spy, as told in this book, is very different from what we see in spy movies. The spy wars are fought with the mind, with strategic and patient interventions, through establishing information networks.
When I was younger I somewhat naively believed in the notion of a world without borders, and I still get where that comes from. But the truth is that there ARE borders, geopolitical realities that are hard to change, and threats that countries regularly face, threats that can disrupt normal functioning and damage life, property and psyches.
And a country has to be vigilant, have foresight, and one ear to the ground to detect and tackle these.
This book has been an education. Not always fast, it also has long-winded memos and complex backstories, but a must read nevertheless.
We don't hear or know much about RAW. By design. But in this book, journalist Yatish Yadav opens up the vaults of this top secret organization to show us its inner workings, its successes in critical, dangerous and complex geopolitical situations, and its failures too.
From the aftermath of the Bangladesh liberation war, to a crowded and bloody theatre in Afghanistan, from neutralizing terrorist cells to re-establishing friendly relations with a hostile nation, the RAW has spies and "assets" across the world, working hard to protect India's interests in the long and short term. Not unlike any other intelligence agency in the world.
It's amazing to me, this life that its field agents choose. One of danger and anonymity. Of course being a field agent is not the only way of contributing to a nation's intelligence, the RAW also employs sharp individuals as analysts who assimilate and interpret the information coming in.
I enjoyed learning about the various activities that the Indian spy agency has been part of and its motivations that are reflective of the foreign policy stances the government wants to take.
The life of a spy, as told in this book, is very different from what we see in spy movies. The spy wars are fought with the mind, with strategic and patient interventions, through establishing information networks.
When I was younger I somewhat naively believed in the notion of a world without borders, and I still get where that comes from. But the truth is that there ARE borders, geopolitical realities that are hard to change, and threats that countries regularly face, threats that can disrupt normal functioning and damage life, property and psyches.
And a country has to be vigilant, have foresight, and one ear to the ground to detect and tackle these.
This book has been an education. Not always fast, it also has long-winded memos and complex backstories, but a must read nevertheless.
December 31, 2023
Ended the year with RAW, which, as the name suggests, covers some of R&AW's more daring operations through the years.
It was rather disappointing that it made a fascinating subject such a drab and boring read. For example, in the first 'story' (1975s Bangaladesh), I was roughly 60 pages in and I still didn't know if I was reading a book about R&AW or a book on Bangladesh's foundling governments immediately after its secession from Pakistan. It was only in the last few pages of that chapter that got to the meat of the matter.
It got into way too many political and historical details, which, while interesting, strayed far from the subject and confused the reader. As an investigative journalist, the author must have felt the need to include many interviews, but they could have been shorter with only the salient points being used or paraphrased (with correct accreditation, of course).
Frankly, a lot of it was like reading a collection of old newspaper articles and interviews.
I do wish I had enjoyed it more.
It was rather disappointing that it made a fascinating subject such a drab and boring read. For example, in the first 'story' (1975s Bangaladesh), I was roughly 60 pages in and I still didn't know if I was reading a book about R&AW or a book on Bangladesh's foundling governments immediately after its secession from Pakistan. It was only in the last few pages of that chapter that got to the meat of the matter.
It got into way too many political and historical details, which, while interesting, strayed far from the subject and confused the reader. As an investigative journalist, the author must have felt the need to include many interviews, but they could have been shorter with only the salient points being used or paraphrased (with correct accreditation, of course).
Frankly, a lot of it was like reading a collection of old newspaper articles and interviews.
I do wish I had enjoyed it more.
November 29, 2023
Good
A well written book giving insight int😆working of RAW. But it also raises a question whether speaking out about modalities of a spy agency. Knowing certain things from external sources is different from knowing first hand
A well written book giving insight int😆working of RAW. But it also raises a question whether speaking out about modalities of a spy agency. Knowing certain things from external sources is different from knowing first hand
February 11, 2024
An Excellent Read
Excellent insights. Ring side view of what it takes to safeguard your country. Thanks Satish. You have taken the pain to bring out stories which otherwise would have gone down the history untold.
Excellent insights. Ring side view of what it takes to safeguard your country. Thanks Satish. You have taken the pain to bring out stories which otherwise would have gone down the history untold.
September 5, 2023
a bland and dreary account of a vital intelligence organisation with a fetching acronym, but limited oomph and tradecraft.
September 17, 2025
Fantastic; save for the slightly random ending, felt a bit abrupt.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews