Top secret stories about Indian spies | #142
Also, Uday Chopra's Emmy nomination 😱
Hello friends
We spy with our little eye, a world of secrecy, cunning and bravery. A place where danger lurks at every turn and where risk-taking is an everyday occurrence. A world of spies, where the stakes are high and the consequences even higher.
There’s a lot to cover-up in the world of espionage, so this week’s newsletter is dedicated to some remarkable stories of spies from India.
Things we learnt this week 🤓
In 1955, an Air India plane took off from Bombay and had a stop over in Hong Kong. There some Chinese officials got onto the plane and were headed to the Afro-Asian conference in Bandung, Jakarta. The plane exploded and crashed into the South China sea. The target of the assassination was Zhou Enlai, the Chinese premier, who missed the flight due to a medical emergency. Rameshwar Nath Kao, who handled VIP security, was asked to probe the case. After over 6 months of investigation, he determined that the mastermind was Chiang Kai-Shek, the leader of Taiwan, and Enlai’s rival. What a Kao-boy! Zhou Enlai, impressed with Kao, rewarded him with a coveted seal and a letter of recommendation for an Indian spy. Wonder if the letter carried a red stamp of approval.
Saraswathi Rajamani was one of the youngest covert agents during the freedom struggle. She joined the Indian National Army, impressed by Subhash Chandra Bose and worked in the intelligence division. She, along with 4 other girls, dressed up as boys and worked in British military installations as errand boys. They would intercept government orders, listen in on tactical meetings and inform the INA. This went on for almost 2 years, before one of the girls got caught. Saraswathi then disguised herself as a dancer, drugged the officers and rescued the girl. In the ensuing melee, she was shot and a bullet lodged in her right thigh which left her with a permanent limp. Saraswathi - limped for freedom, but never stumbled.
Imagine that you’re such a good actor, you get hired for the exact role you’re acting out. Sounds unbelievable but this is exactly what happened with Ravindra Kaushik. While in college, he took part in a play where he performed as an Indian army officer, who refuses to divulge information to China. This impressed some intelligence officers. After completion of his BCom degree, he moved to Delhi to train under RAW. He later moved to Pakistan, and lived under the name Nabi Ahmed Shakir joining the Pakistan Army as a commissioned officer in the accounts department. Between 1979 to 1983 he sent valuable military information across the border and earned the nickname ‘Black Tiger’ from Indira Gandhi. His cover was blown when another officer got caught and spilled the beans. Ravindra was captured, tortured for 2 years, before being sentenced to life imprisonment. He would later die in a Pakistani jail due to tuberculosis in 2001. Till date, the Indian government hasn’t recognized him. The movie Romeo Akbar Walter and possibly even Ek Tha Tiger were inspired by his exploits.
From IWTK, with love 💌
India take on Pakistan in their opening game at the Women’s T20 World Cup. Do you know Harmanpreet Kaur has taken part in every single edition of the women’s T20 world cup?
RRR is making India proud with its nominations at the Oscars and Golden Globes. But there is an unlikely Indian producer who was nominated for the Emmys.
Only In India 🇮🇳
So many questions? Was this in the veg section or non-veg section? Were there animals harmed in the making of ? Did the restaurant use ChatGPT to write the menu?
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