VEEKAYS NEWSLETTER – 2007
Dear Friends,
Another year has gone, and like always, it appears to have literally flown. For me and my family, it has been eventful, sometimes even traumatic. Most of you must be aware of the problems associated with my book India’s External Intelligence – Secrets of the Research & Analysis Wing (RAW). The book was published in June 2007 and for some time there was talk that it would be banned. This did not happen but three months later the CBI raided my house after registering a FIR based on a complaint from RAW that by writing the book I have revealed secrets that are harmful to the country’s security and sovereignty, thus violating the Official Secrets Act 1923. Fearing the worst, I applied for anticipatory bail, hearings for which are still going on. About 15 days back I and my publisher were questioned by the CBI, which is likely to file charge sheet soon.
Of course, this is not the only book about intelligence agencies in India. A book entitled Inside RAW: The Story of India’s Secret Service was written by Ashok Raina in 1981. In July 2007 a book entitled Kaoboys of R&AW written by B. Raman was released. The most recent book called Inside IB and RAW by K. Sankaran Nair has been published in November 2007. Two years ago, M.K. Dhar wrote a book on the IB called Open Secrets: India’s Intelligence Unveiled. If anything, these books are more explicit than the mine. However, only my book has invited the ire of the Government, or rather, the RAW chief, Ashok Chaturvedi. Apparently, he is annoyed because of the mention of an incident concerning a senior officer who did not attend office for several months after he was overlooked for promotion. Though he was not named in the book, this was known to everyone and later became public knowledge after it was reported by the media.
It is obvious that I am being harassed because I am a soldier and was an outsider in RAW, unlike Raman and Sankaran Nair. This is not the first time this has happened. Captain BK Subba Rao, a Naval officer was falsely implicated in a case under the OSA in the early nineties. After spending almost two years in jail, he was acquitted, with not a word of apology from the Government. But when Iftikhar Gilani, correspondent for the Kashmir Times was arrested in 2002 under the OSA on trumped up charges, the whole of the media and the political establishment rose in his defence. A personal appeal by 50 members of parliament forced the Government to withdraw the FIR against him.
This was not the only traumatic event that we went through. In July, Kumud’s brother, Colonel Jitendra Singh, a retired Armoured Corps officer who lives in Jaipur, was referred to Apollo Hospital by ECHS for blockages in his arteries including a 100% block in his left leg. He was operated on by Dr. Naresh Trehan who grafted a new artery in his leg. He was discharged from hospital after about two weeks and went back to Jaipur. Two months later he back in Apollo with an infection in the graft. He was discharged after a minor operation. A month later, he was re-admitted to Apollo after it was found that there was no blood supply to the lower part of the left leg. His leg was amputated to avoid gangrene spreading to the rest of the body. After spending a month in Apollo, he was shifted to Base Hospital, where a Doppler test revealed that the graft was blocked. He was moved to RR Hospital where the graft was removed. It was found to be totally blocked and infected. Until the time he was discharged from Apollo, doctors there had been saying that it is functioning up to 70%. Apparently, they did not wish to confirm that it was totally blocked, since this would have confirmed that the initial operation went wrong, resulting in the amputation. Apparently, even a world renowned surgeon like Dr. Naresh Trehan is not infallible.
My own health has not been very good either. About four months ago my back was out for almost a month. I am suffering from lumbar canal stenosis with prolapsed discs, which causes pain in the left leg. I keep it under control with extension exercises for my back. Early this month, I got up from my chair and felt a searing pain in my left leg. I had to sit down. I tried again after some time but the pain persisted. I went to the hospital in the evening and was examined by a neuro surgeon who advised complete rest for a week and a fresh MRI – the earlier one was done in 2002. The forced rest helped and I am now much better. But I have discovered the root cause of the problem – low car seats; the pain comes back whenever I get out of a car after a long drive. I had a Tavera that I sold about a year back. I think I will have to go in for a vehicle with higher seats, like the Tavera, Scorpio, Safari or Innova.
This year we had a wonderful holiday in the hills. We were a large party of 16, including children, in four cars. We spent four days in Chakrata, which I had last visited exactly 40 years back, as a school boy. We followed it up with 4 days in Mussourie, which has become overcrowded and resembles Karolbagh or Sarojini Nagar market in Delhi. But the kids could not get enough of the place. Perhaps I am getting older.
We are still staying in ABHIMAUR-VIKUM, in Palam Vihar, where we moved in May 2004. My daughter, Mauravi and her family stay with us on the ground floor, while my son Abhimanyu is on the first floor, with his wife Jasmine, and their two children, Bhuvanyu and Khushi, who are 5 and 3 ½ respectively. Mauravi’s two girls - Mriggya and Eshaana – are 5 and 3 now. Bhuvanyu and Mriggya are in the same class – Prep – in DPS, Sushant Lok. Abhimanyu is still running his company, Trinity Education Services. Last year we lost one member of the family when Sophia, our Golden Retriever passed away at the ripe old age of 14. Early this year, Misha, our Dalmatian died after prolonged illness aggravated by old age. That leaves only Red, the Irish setter, who 10 years old, but still quite active. We hope she will be with us at least for a couple of years.
I completed my USI project – The Contribution of the Armed Forces to the Freedom Movement in August this year. It is now with the publisher and should be out in 3-4 months. I have now begun work on the third volume of the History of the Corps of Signals, which will cover the period 1947 to 1972. It will take about 3 years and if all goes well, should be released during the Corps Centenary in 2011. Kumud remains busy with the household chores and the grand children. With servants being hard to come by and deserting at will, she has to spend a lot of time in the kitchen and gets little time for her beautiful Bonsais and potted plants. But she always finds time for ‘pranayama’ and yoga.
That about sums up the events of 2007. We wish all of you a Merry Christmas and a Very Happy and Prosperous New Year.
Vinay and Kumud Singh G-31, Palam Vihar, Gurgaon – 122017
Tele: 0124-4074077
9873494521, 9810618599
