The Research and Analysis Wing: India's External Intelligence Agency

Establishment Post-1960s Conflicts

After the 1962 Sino-Indian War and the 1965 Indo-Pakistani War, the   Government of India recognized the limitations of relying solely on the Intelligence Bureau for all intelligence activities. While the Intelligence Bureau continued to focus on internal adversaries, the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) was established in September 1968 to gather and analyze intelligence on external threats in South Asia and beyond, including adversaries’ intentions, capabilities, infrastructure, and plans. Founded with approximately 250 personnel, RAW was led by its first chief, Rameshwar Nath Kao, a former Intelligence Bureau officer, appointed by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Unlike global counterparts like the CIA or MI6, which report to defense ministries, R&AW operates directly under the Prime Minister’s Office.

Operations Against Sikh Separatism in the 1980s

RAW has played a significant role in countering the Sikh separatist movement, viewed by the Indian government as a national security threat. In the 1980s, R&AW established the Counter Intelligence Team-J (CIT-J) to target Sikh separatist groups, with operations notably conducted in Pakistan. During this period, RAW’s activities extended to countries like the United States and Canada, targeting Sikh diaspora networks.

Modern Operations and Global Ranking

Today, R&AW is consistently ranked among the top 10 intelligence agencies worldwide. It recruits operatives from elite government sectors, including police services and armed forces, rather than directly from the public. The agency employs a combination of human sources (including espionage networks) and open-source intelligence, such as social media platforms, to gather critical information.

Controversies and Allegations

Recent decades have seen R&AW implicated in controversial operations. Former chief Samant Kumar Goel has been associated with 128 enforced disappearances and extrajudicial executions related to the during the Sikh independence struggle of the 1980s’ and 90s’, while current chief Parag Jain has been linked to the 1993 extrajudicial execution of Sukhdev Singh. In 2019, a German Sikh couple, Manmohan Singh and Kanwal Jit Kaur, were indicted for spying on Sikh separatists in Germany for R&AW. Singh received an 18-month suspended sentence, and Kaur was fined.

In 2023, former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau raised concerns about potential Indian government involvement in activities targeting Sikh activists. In October 2024, Royal Canadian Mounted Police Commissioner Michael Duheme disclosed that investigations revealed Indian diplomats and consular officials in Canada had allegedly engaged in clandestine activities, including intelligence collection for the Indian government through proxies. That same month, the United States charged former R&AW official Vikash Yadav with “murder-for-hire” and “money laundering” in a foiled assassination plot against Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, leader of Sikhs for Justice. Yadav remains at large and is currently on the FBI’s Most Wanted List.

Ongoing Concerns

R&AW’s decades-long campaign to suppress Sikh separatism has raised significant concerns about human rights and the safety of Sikh advocates exercising their right to self-determination, fueling debates over the agency’s methods and the risks they pose to the well-being of Sikhs abroad

References

  1. India’s External Intelligence Agency – R&AW EXPLAINED By Former Chief
  2. RAW – Origin of India’s External Intelligence Agency
  3. 10 Top Intelligence Agencies in the World
  4. Top Intelligence Agencies in the World: Masters of Secrets, Shadows & Strategy
  5. Samant Kumar Goel
  6. Sukhdev Singh
  7. Germany indicts Indian couple with spying on Sikh opposition
  8. German court sentences Indian couple for spying on Kashmiri and Sikh groups

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