Chankya's Chant (48 page)

A few hours later, both memos were in Gangasagar’s hands, having been helpfully forwarded to him by his protégé, the CBDT chairman. He carefully removed the staple that held the two pages of the first memo together and then repeated the procedure with the two pages of the second memo.

He then attached the first page of the R&S memo with the second page of the memo requesting relief for ordinary salary-earners, and stapled the two pages together. He contentedly surveyed the result of his handiwork.

Hon’ble Finance Minister. Investigations into the activities of R&S have revealed several instances of financial irregularity. Various items on the expense side seem to have been inflated, specifically with the intention of reducing their taxable income. In addition, it seems that private partnerships have been created with a view to parking of profits. Various items on the income side have been deferred, seemingly with a view to deprive the tax authorities of revenue. Certain transactions—particularly sale and purchase of assets—have been carried out at questionable valuations thus further reducing their tax liability, at least on paper. Given the circumstances, I seek your advice on how the above matter should be handled. Thanking you. Chairman, Central Board of Direct Taxes.

The memo was followed by the finance minister’s handwritten remark.

We need to be sympathetic and gentle in our dealings with them. Without their support no government can hope to remain in power. Suggest that adequate flexibility be shown. Regards. Finance Minister.

Gangasagar showed the memo to Agrawalji. He was astounded. ‘What do you plan to do with it?’ he asked.

‘Nothing,’ replied Gangasagar, ‘I have enough ammunition with the scams to destroy him.’

‘Then why have you gone through this elaborate ritual with your appointee—the CBDT chairman?’ asked Agrawalji.

‘When you take out an insurance policy, do you hope for a fire soon?’ asked Gangasagar.

‘The Chinese ambassador has sought an audience with you, madam,’ said the foreign secretary.

‘But he has just made a statement supporting the Pakistani position. He says that militants crossing the Line of Control in Kashmir are independent non-state actors. We know that the Pakistan intelligence establishment is involved and yet the Chinese choose to look the other way. Why should I meet him?’ asked Chandini angrily.

‘We can’t afford a confrontation with China, madam. We have always believed that China has unlawfully occupied around fifteen thousand square miles of our territory ever since they invaded us in 1962. Beijing, on its part, claims Arunachal Pradesh—in our north-east— as their own. Diplomatic relations between the two nations are critical.’

‘I shall meet the ambassador, but on my own terms… after I’m done with my trip,’ said Chandini.

‘Your trip? I didn’t know that there was anything on the agenda for the next two days.’

‘There wasn’t, but there is now. Please arrange an aircraft to take me to Gaggal.’

‘Gaggal?’

‘The airport near Dharamsala. In the state of Himachal Pradesh.’

‘Dharamsala? You can’t possibly go meet the Dalai Lama. The Chinese ambassador will be extremely upset.’

‘Yes. And once he’s adequately rattled, I shall have my meeting with him.’

Lodhi Road in the heart of Lutyens’ Delhi was home to the famous Lodhi Gardens. The tombs of the Mughal emperors Humayun and Safdarjung marked its eastern and western limits. Headquartered there, the Research and Analysis Wing—RAW—was not an agency but a wing of the Prime Minister’s Office. This allowed it to remain outside the purview of the Parliament’s budget allocations even though it was rumoured to employ over twelve thousand agents. The chief of RAW reported directly to the prime minister of India.

Earlier in the morning, the chief—known by the unpretentious title of Secretary (Research)—had left his office on Lodhi Road and driven in his chauffeured white Ambassador car through the gates of South Block. He was to brief the prime minister and the minister for external affairs on an assignment. It had been the brainchild of Chandini.

‘Have we made progress?’ asked Chandini eagerly as the RAW veteran settled down in the chair facing the premier’s desk.

‘I am happy to inform you that Makhmud has been arrested,’ said the RAW chief to Chandini.

‘Arrested? By whom?’ asked the prime minister.

‘The Chinese authorities in Xinjiang,’ he replied.

‘I thought that Makhmud was our agent operating in Pakistan,’ said the premier.

‘That’s true, sir,’ explained the chief, ‘but Chandiniji’s suggestion was that Makhmud be prepared, briefed and transferred to the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China.’

‘And you’re happy that he’s arrested?’ asked the premier. The RAW chief smiled at Chandini. He then looked at the prime minister and said calmly, ‘He didn’t know that he’d be arrested. He was sent there to liaise with Uyghurs, but we ensured that the Chinese were tipped off.’

‘And what has been achieved by this arrest?’ asked the confused prime minister, wondering whether he should have allowed Chandini to directly coordinate an assignment with RAW.

‘As you know, Makhmud is Pakistani and is one of our secret assets in Karachi. He acts as a militant cleric and trains jihadis who operate in Kashmir,’ said the man from RAW.

‘We pay agents who train thugs to infiltrate Kashmir and cause death and destruction?’ asked the naïve prime minister.

The RAW man spoke up. ‘If I may, Prime Minister, I would like to address your concerns. For years we have known that Pakistan finances and trains terrorists to cross the porous border between India and Pakistan. These trained mercenaries enter Kashmir and give impetus to acts of terrorism. Makhmud—and others like him—are RAW’s moles within these jihadi groups. We know that Pakistan will continue to send these jihadis anyway. It’s useful to have spies within their outfits.’

‘But what does this have to do with Xinjiang?’ asked the prime minister.

‘The Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region is claimed by the People’s Republic of China as an integral part of China. The Uyghurs are the local Muslim population who are fighting to break away from China. They’re demanding independence,’ explained Chandini.

‘And what have we achieved by sending a strategic asset to Xinjiang and having him arrested?’ asked the prime minister.

‘Lots, actually. The Chinese have been supporting Pakistan’s anti-India stance in recent years. China sees Pakistan as India’s enemy and, of course, “an enemy’s enemy is a friend”. Chinese support for Pakistan has also crept into the Kashmir debate, with the Chinese often supporting the Pakistani claim that the conflict in Kashmir is a homegrown freedom struggle and is not financed and encouraged by Pakistan,’ said Chandini.

‘But that narrow view could dramatically change if China finds that Pakistan is also financing other Islamic movements—especially the one in Xinjiang,’ said the RAW chief, eager to get back into the conversation.

‘So why did we get Makhmud arrested?’ asked the Prime Minister.

‘Given that he’s a deep undercover RAW agent, he’s truly viewed as a jihadi himself. He has a rich resumé, having personally been the recipient of largesse from the Pakistani intelligence establishment. He was sent by us to Xinjiang to liaise with other Islamic militants and to assist them,’ explained the RAW chief. ‘He did not know that he would be arrested. Now that he has, he’ll be interrogated by the Chinese MSS—the ministry of state security—and his Pakistani establishment links will become known to the Chinese. The Chinese will not be as supportive to the Pakistani cause now.’

‘But what if Makhmud is killed?’ asked the PM.

‘That’s the price we pay for Kashmir,’ explained the Secretary (Research).

‘I’m assuming that my meeting with the Chinese ambassador next week and my visit to China the week thereafter should be extremely warm and cordial. After all, both nations have common issues!’ exulted Chandini.

The Great Hall of the People, running along the western edge of Tiananmen Square, covered an area of one point eight million square feet. The political hub of Beijing, the Great Hall had hosted many historic meetings, including a famous one by US President Richard Nixon. The northern part of the building contained the State Banquet Hall that could seat over seven thousand guests.

The hon’ble Indian minister for external affairs, Chandini Gupta, arrived in Beijing on Sunday morning, starting her three-day official visit to China. It was Chandini’s first-ever visit to China and during her stay there, Chandini would meet with the Chinese premier as well as top legislators—besides holding talks with her counterpart. Chandini would also attend a ceremony marking the establishment of a joint China-India medical team to handle natural disasters. She would then deliver a speech at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, a Beijing-based government think-tank. Talking to
Xinhua News
, Chandini said that she came to China ‘with an open mind to hold free and frank discussions on all issues of common interests with a view to shaping a relationship that befits our two countries and our future generations.’

The Chinese foreign minister hosted a banquet in her honour on the last night of her trip. Also attending the banquet were Chinese party and state leaders. The national flags of China and India had been hung in the hall, and the banquet began with the military band playing the national anthems of the two countries. The Chinese minister arose from his chair and welcomed Chandini and her official delegation. He went on to say, ‘Even though China and India had their fair share of differences, the sagacity and wisdom of the Hon’ble Indian minister for external affairs has resulted in greater understanding and appreciation of issues of common concern to our two great nations.’

Chandini smiled graciously. The Chinese minister thought that she was basking in his compliments. She was actually thinking about Makhmud and his perfectly timed arrest. Chandini returned the compliment by raising a toast to her host. She quoted, in his honour, two lines from a poem by the great English poet John Dryden, ‘A man so various he seemed to be, not one but all mankind’s epitome.’ The minister thanked her for the kind words. He might not have been as gracious if he had read the rest of Dryden’s poem left unread by Chandini.