Finally it is out. And it is open. The affidavit filed by the FBI against Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai accusing him to be an ISI agent, in a federal court has brought out many issues that are more pertinent to the internal and intellectual security of this country, but as expected, deliberately eschewed or grossly undermined by the media. To me, the FBI investigation and its conclusions are more important to India than any other country, even US.

Firstly, it unequivocally and categorically reiterated the fact that the entire separatist movement in Kashmiris orchestrated and sponsored by ISI. Secondly it exposed the unholy nexus between the pseudo intellectuals and the ISI and other anti national elements and their true colors. Thirdly, it exposed the lackadaisical approach and a complete lack of strategy by the Indian Government towards such a sensitive issue while the enemy is roping in. And finally, it offered a few lessons, if only we are willing to learn. Before we sweat into details, let me offer a small debrief of the events.

 Dr. Syed Gulam Nabhi Fai, known as Dr.Fai, a self claimed Kashmiri, moved to US in mid 1980’s and founded an NGO called Kashmir American Council (KAC), which according to the material published by it claims to be dedicated to raising the knowledge in the US about  the struggle of Kashmiri people for self determination. Dr. Fai in corroboration with one Mr. Zaheer Ahmad, a US citizen moved to Pakistan and working for ISI, started lobbying about Kashmir in favor of Pakistan and ISI under the guise of KAC. His work was to influence the senators and policy makers in US by lobbying and spread factitious information amongst theUSand Indian intelligentsia aboutKashmirby organizing conferences and dialogue. For this, he received huge amounts of money directly from ISI. According the FBI affidavit, he received more than 4 million USD in the last 15 years and on an average $7,00,000 per annum. Now, look at the deeper connections of Dr. Fai with ISI. 80 per cent of resolutions and statements made by KAC are provided by ISI and the remaining 20 per cent are pre approved by ISI. Dr. Fai has been in contact with his handlers in ISI more than 4000 times in just three years since Jan 2008. The FBI further states that Dr.Fai has been working for ISI for the past 25 years under the supervision of Javeed Aziz Khan, a retired brigadier in Pakistan Army.

 Till this point, this is one side of the story and it doesn’t surprise us nor does it bother us, here inIndia, since that is what precisely you expect your enemy to do. But who were the people attended these seminars organized and funded by ISI?. What did they speak and how was it made news? Look out for the names for your own astonishment.

 Here you have Justice Rajinder Sachar, a retired chief justice of a high court, based on whose report, a policy has been made and a bill is about to be passed in Indian Parliament and you find him sharing the dais with an ISI henchman and echoing the views of ISI. Here is also the name, Mr. Dileep Padgaonkar, none other than the government appointed interlocutor to solve the same issue on which he was part of a resolution that went against the interests ofIndiaand in fact drafted by ISI. Amused? The list doesn’t end here. Keep going. Ms. Harinder Baweja, the chief of Tehelka, was also amongst those who adorned the dais ingratiating the bosses of ISI while emphasizing the self determination forKashmir. If you pose a genuine question as to how come the chief of a magazine like Tehelka, which boasts of being pioneer in sting operations and someone who can create something out of nothing, in fact nonsense out of nothing miss the obvious links of Dr. Fai with ISI, you are branded as a communalist, and I am sorry about it. Ms. Angana Chatterji is another eminent intellectual whose vehement outcry against the “atrocities” of Indian Army on “innocent” Kashmiri militants also duly found its place in the resolutions drafted by ISI. On top of the list, you find the most prominent of all and a name without which an antiIndiacampaign doesn’t end. Yes, it is Kuldeep Nayar.

 If you connect the dots and arrive at a holistic picture, you find two things that are common to all these people. One, they are all inveterate Hindu bashers and the second is they are all hand picked by Javeed Aziz Khan, Dr.Fai’s boss in ISI. Why were they doing this, then? Is it out of a genuine concern for the Kashmiri cause? (I doubt such possibility as the cause itself being a fabricated and sponsored one). For every seminar they attended, these intellectuals got a pleasure round trip to US in addition to a nominal honorarium of $50,000. Is it surprising then to hear what they spoke?

 The problem with average Indian mindset is that it stopped questioning and started accepting everything at token value. This tendency gave birth to pseudo intellectuals like Arundhati Rais, Burkha Dutts, Rajdeep sardesais and powers to them to influence others. If not, how do you explain the simple fact that the so called champions of secularism share dais with separatists, Maoists and anti nationals, make virtual vituperations against the nation with such impunity flouting the democracy and still get away? I do not blame the perpetrators but I pity an imbecile nation that can not distinguish between who are nationals and who are not.

 How do you check them, then? Shatter their credibility. May not do much about it directly. But, the next time, when you read them or listen to them, stand up and ask “How much did you receive? And from whom?”

By Vishnu Prasad