…and the Khalistanis themselves invited them to the Golden Temple, know the story of Doval, a rickshaw puller who became an ISI agent.

New Delhi: India’s ‘James Bond’ Ajit Doval has completed eight decades of his/her life. Many stories of Ajit Doval, who risked his/her life in many operations in India and abroad for the security of the country, are really astonishing. One of these stories is related to Khalistani terrorism in the 1980s. Doval was then posted as Joint Director in the Intelligence Bureau (IB). JNU professor and famous panelist of news channels Anand Ranganathan reminded of an incident on Doval’s 80th birthday. he/she wrote, ‘The year is 1988. Terrorists have surrounded the Golden Temple. An ISI agent laden with explosives enters to meet Khalistani commander Penta. he/she is allowed inside. Next week he/she gives important intelligence to the Indian Army. he/she was ISI agent Ajit Doval. Today is his/her 80th birthday.

Know about the 1988 operation

The 1980s were a very turbulent time for Punjab. The Khalistani movement launched to create a separate Sikh state was becoming violent. The Golden Temple, the holy religious place of the Sikhs in Amritsar, had become a base for militants. They filled it with weapons and declared it their stronghold. This led to several confrontations with Indian security forces, the most prominent of which was Operation Blue Star in 1984.

By 1988, the situation had become critical again. The militants had recaptured the Golden Temple and converted it into a fort. After this Operation Black Thunder was started. The objective was to drive out the militants with minimal damage to the temple and minimal civilian casualties.

And Doval took charge

Indian Police Service (IPS) officer and a skilled intelligence operative Ajit Doval played a key role in Operation Black Thunder. By 1988, Doval had already infiltrated several enemy groups and become a master of undercover operations. his/her amazing ability to blend into the enemy environment made him/her an invaluable asset to the Indian Intelligence Department. The turning point of Operation Black Thunder was Doval’s bold decision to infiltrate the Golden Temple as a Pakistani ISI agent.

‘Return of the Superspy’ journalist Yatish Yadav wrote, ‘Sometime in 1988. Amritsar residents and Khalistani militants saw a rickshaw puller plying his/her trade around the Golden Temple. …The rickshaw puller convinced the militants that he/she was an ISI operative, sent by his/her Pakistani masters to help the cause of Khalistan.’

Yadav writes, ‘Two days before Operation Black Thunder, the rickshaw puller entered the Golden Temple and returned with vital information, including the actual strength and position of terrorists inside the temple. he/she was none other than Ajit Doval undercover. When the final attack took place the young police officers were inside Harminder Sahib, giving much-needed information to the security forces to conduct the search and flush operation.’

When Ajit Doval became ISI agent

As an agent of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Doval won the trust of Khalistani militants inside the temple. he/she told the Khalistanis that he/she had been sent by Pakistan to help their cause. Doval had also kept explosives with him/her so that the Khalistanis could be taken into confidence. Eventually, the Khalistani fell into Doval’s trap and let him/her in. Doval contacted Khalistani commander Penta. On entering inside, they also got information about the plans, resources and weaknesses of the Khalistanis. During his/her stay he/she gave important information to the Indian security forces.

Doval gave the security forces the intelligence information which was needed most. he/she told how many militants are inside the Golden Temple, how much ammunition they have and what could be the routes of entry and exit from the Golden Temple for the attack. Doval’s intelligence allowed Indian forces to formulate a strategy that caused minimal damage to the Golden Temple and effectively neutralized the militants.

Journalist Praveen Swami discussed it in detail in his/her February 2014 article. he/she wrote, ‘New Delhi ignored Penta’s threats. The bombs were fake, and the man whom Penta thought was an ISI officer worked as the director of India’s Intelligence Bureau (IB) decades later.’

The only eyewitness account of Doval’s presence in the Khalistani siege was given by retired Colonel Karan Kharab. he/she commanded an NSG squadron during the siege. In an article published in June 2014, he/she wrote, ‘When Ajit Doval arrived there, not everyone knew him/her. Only a select few of us knew about the incredible role of this super cop in this operation. he/she gave us a first-hand account of everything going on inside the Golden Temple complex… With complete disregard for personal safety, he/she moved around the complex while bullets were being fired from all directions. Much later we came to know that he/she had contacted the Khalistanis by posing as an ISI agent. Kharab later clarified that even when he/she was firing, Doval was moving in and out.

Success of Operation Black Thunder

With intelligence gathered by Doval, the National Security Guard (NSG), Punjab Police and other forces launched a carefully planned operation. Operation Black Thunder used a siege and negotiation approach in contrast to the more aggressive Operation Blue Star. The temple was surrounded and electricity and water supplies were cut off to force the militants to surrender.
Over the course of several days, many militants laid down their arms and surrendered. Those who refused were captured in the final attack. By the end of the operation, the temple was liberated from the militants with minimal structural damage and civilian casualties.

‘Caught by Doval, bowled by Gill’

Journalist Shekhar Gupta wrote in 2016, ‘I have often jokingly said that every Category A or B Punjabi militant killed or captured in Operation Black Thunder of 1989–90 should be ‘Caught by Doval, Bold by Gill’. Doval did it and Gill did it boldly). The success of this operation marked a decline in militant activities in Punjab. Over time, the Khalistani insurgency lost its momentum, with better law enforcement and intelligence operations playing a key role.