00:00I was a young IPS officer, actually new to the intelligence profession. I was in my 20s and I was
00:10posted as in charge of intelligence in Sikkim.
00:14That was not a part of India. At that time it was becoming part of India. I was part of
00:18the process where the merger was taking place.
00:20But my responsibility also included looking after the border areas and collecting intelligence about the movement of the PLA activities
00:33of the Chinese army, Chinese relations, and no this has come.
00:37This is part of the charter, part of the intelligence brief.
00:40So it was like that once we had an operation of an intelligence mission in a border area, and we
00:53had to return it for 6 days after 6 days.
00:56What kind of civilians are we going to do? Not as a thing like that. It's totally natural that Spanish
01:05is a work of secrecy.
01:06So 5 days ago, people didn't come. 6 days ago, and then 10 days ago.
01:14For me, it was a matter of very great concern. Not only professionally, but also in the human, this thing,
01:23that so many people, we don't know that they're dead and alive.
01:26And what has happened to them? We've got no reports of any avalanche or they're getting into the Sikkim.
01:32It was opposite Mughatang, so it was something about 14,000-15,000 feet above the Sikkim.
01:39So it was a matter of great worry and concern.
01:45But I got a telephone call from the headquarters. And he said, and my boss told me that, have you
01:53sent some people across?
02:02I said, I don't know. They must be coming. They should have come in 5-6 days, but now it
02:08is about 10-11 days.
02:09He said they are in the Chinese custody now. And so they were caught by the Chinese and interrogated.
02:20Anyway, they came back. Chinese returned. At some senior level, at some, this thing like that, probably some talk or
02:27negotiations or deal must have been striked.
02:30So they returned. Totally shattered and shambles. And an inquiry was started.
02:36And I knew that this is the end of my career. That was all right, that I can afford that.
02:41I was still in my 20s. I could start a new career.
02:44But it was a matter of great professional, this thing to me.
02:49And it was very unprofessional.
02:52Anyway, the inquiry was over.
02:55I wasn't found. This thing probably had done everything right.
03:00The sketches and the maps, which were given to us by the headquarters, there was some defect and mistakes in
03:07that.
03:07That is how it happened. So we done.
03:11But still, I was very sad.
03:15One of those phases in life, when you feel very down.
03:19So far, my career was doing quite well.
03:24As was told by Professor Navani, I was one of the youngest officers who had been given the Indian Police
03:35Medal for meritorious service.
03:39I had just received it.
03:42I was in my 20s. I think a record that still holds.
03:48So anyway, what I mean is that it was doing quite well.
03:50But I thought that, well, it's a matter of great this thing.
03:53And I would not like to stay with some negative this thing to my mind.
03:58But then I had a colleague, an old Tibetan Sherpa, who was a member of the Intelligence Bureau, working with
04:07me.
04:10So he said, sir, why are you so sad?
04:16I joined a career with a lot of hope, a lot of aspiration, a lot of these things.
04:23It looks that everything has gone wrong.
04:26He said, sir, sir, there is no such thing.
04:31This is all the map of India.
04:36Life is only a question.
04:40Some people get their map of India right.
04:43Others get it.
04:44this is allนinct of our goal.
04:47Don't forget to share with us.
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