R&AW's Sikkim Gamble Of 1975: India's Super Spy Ajit Doval Breaks Silence On The Mission That Made Him Think He Was Finished

New Delhi: National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval is not just an officer but an ideal for crores of Indians, a living legend whose calm attitude and razor-sharp mind have often steered the nation out of the gravest crises. Whether surgical operations or diplomatic masterstrokes, his name evokes a sense of unbreachable national security. However, there was a moment in the life of the most trusted spymaster when even he was gripped by fear and was convinced his career had met an abrupt end.

The untold chapter of Doval's life dates back to the merger of Sikkim in 1975, an operation where the Research & Analysis Wing (R&AW) played a decisive, behind-the-scenes role. Amidst that delicate political transition, a young Ajit Doval, then barely out of his training, was dispatched to the Himalayan kingdom on a mission that would test him like never before.

Revisiting that nerve-wracking episode while addressing the convocation ceremony at IIT Roorkee on Saturday, the NSA took the audience back to his earliest days in intelligence, when he was posted as in charge of intelligence in Sikkim, which at that time was not a part of India.

Recounting his assignment, Doval said, "I was a young IPS officer, new to the intelligence profession. I was in my 20s, and I was posted as in charge of intelligence in Sikkim. That was not a part of India at that time. It was becoming part of India. I was part of that process where the merger was taking place."

He explained that his mandate was to look after the border areas and to track the movement of Chinese troops in the region. It was a posting of immense sensitivity, where every movement had strategic consequences and every piece of intelligence mattered for New Delhi.

When An Intelligence Team Vanished Without A Trace

It was during the high-stakes posting when a crisis erupted, as an intelligence team sent on a border mission had failed to return, and there was complete radio silence from them. The team was expected to be back within 8 days, but the days kept passing with no contact. 

Underlining the emotional weight of leadership even for a spy, Ajit Doval admitted that the disappearance left him extremely worried, saying, “For me, it was a matter of very great concern, not only professionally but also on the human side, that so many people—we don't know whether they are dead or alive, and what has happened to them. We got no reports of any avalanche or anything. It was a matter of deep worry and concern.”

Call From Headquarters And A Deal With Beijing

Following the days of uncertainty and stress, a sudden call from headquarters changed everything. His boss informed him that the entire team was in Chinese custody, and that the Chinese had caught the team and were interrogating them. However, they were returned after some talks or negotiations, with Doval believing that a deal was likely struck at a higher level to secure their release.

Even though the men were safe, the ordeal was far from over for the young officer. An inquiry was ordered into the incident, and for Doval, it felt like the end of the road.

The Inquiry, Doval Thought, Would End His Career

Remembering his thoughts at the time, he stated, "And an inquiry was started. I knew that this was the end of my career……I was still in my twenties, and I had to start a new career. I saw the incident as something very unprofessional. Anyway, the inquiry was over."

However, the inquiry absolved him as he concluded, "I wasn't found at fault. Probably, I had done everything right. The sketches and the maps that were given to us by the headquarters had some defects and mistakes in them. That is how it happened." Those few days of events, which seemed like a career-ending failure, turned out to be a flaw in the maps, not the man who would go on to become India's most revered spymaster.