| Language | English |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10 | 9789351770664 |
| ISBN-13 | 9789351770664 |
| No of pages | 368 |
| Font Size | Medium |
| Book Publisher | HarperCollins |
| Published Date | 06 Jul 2015 |
About Author
Related Books
| Language | English |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10 | 9789351770664 |
| ISBN-13 | 9789351770664 |
| No of pages | 368 |
| Font Size | Medium |
| Book Publisher | HarperCollins |
| Published Date | 06 Jul 2015 |
A. S. Dulat (born Amarjit Singh Dulat in 1940) is a former special director of the Intelligence Bureau and former chief of the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) from 1999 to 2000. After retirement he was appointed as advisor on Kashmir in the Prime Minister's Office and served there from January 2000 to May 2004.
In 1965, Dulat joined the Indian Police Service from Rajasthan Cadre and in March 1969 joined the Intelligence Bureau. He graduated from Punjab University, Chandigarh.
Dulat served in Kashmir as Joint Director in the Intelligence Bureau from 1988 to 1990, which was arguably the most troublesome time in the valley. His interception into Kashmir politics in 1990 was through Shabir Shah, whom he termed as "big daddy of militants", having international links. Dulat then moved to Intelligence Bureau where he was promoted to the rank of Special Director. In 1999, he became chief of Research and Analysis Wing until his December 2000 retirement, then joining the PMO to advise on Kashmir affairs from January 2001 to 2004.
The Vice President of India, Hamid Ansari releasing the book ‘Kashmir The Vajpayee Years’ authored by A.S. Dulat in New Delhi on 21 July 2015. Also visible are Farooq Abdullah and Najeeb Jung.
In 2015, he came to the center-stage of a lot of media speculation on account of his book Kashmir: The Vajpayee Years.
In 2018, he co-authored The Spy Chronicles: RAW, ISI and the Illusion of Peace with Asad Durrani, former head of the Inter-Services Intelligence.
Dulat is a member of the National Security Advisory Board. He is regarded as one of India's leading experts on Jammu and Kashmir.
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Vajpayee PMO member's account of the quest for peace in a troubled state
There comes a day in one's life when one feels it should all be put down before memory fades. There are endless memories and I have carried a story with me for a long time.
SRINAGAR IN THE WINTER OF 1989 was an eerie ghost town witnessing the beginnings of a war dance. The dam burst the night boys from the separatist JKLF group were freed in exchange for the release of Rubaiya Sayeed, the Union home minister's daughter. As Farooq Abdullah had predicted, the government's caving in emboldened many Kashmiris into thinking that azaadi was possible. 'The price we will have to pay' were Farooq's prophetic words. Killings were almost a daily occurrence. Bomb explosions and firings occurred not far from the chief minister's residence in the most secure zone. Gun-toting youth in trucks were seen close to the cantonment. Kashmiris believed that they were on the verge of liberation. A.S. Dulat, who was posted there, saw Intelligence Bureau colleagues being picked off one by one.
It was a long, slow haul to regaining control. From then to today, Dulat has had a continuous engagement with Kashmir. The initiatives launched by the Vajpayee government in power from 1998 to 2004 were the high point of this constant effort to keep balance in a delicate state. As Vajpayee said, Kashmir was a problem that had to be solved. In this extraordinary memoir that reads like a thriller, Dulat gives a sweeping account of the difficulties, successes and near triumphs in the effort to bring back Kashmir from the brink. He shows the players, the politics, the strategies and the true intent and sheer ruthlessness of the meddlers from across the border. Kashmir: The Vajpayee Years paints an unforgettable portrait of politics in India's most beautiful but troubled state.