National Security Adviser Ajit Doval on Friday shared memories from his early career, recalling his time as an intelligence officer posted in Sikkim. He was speaking at the convocation ceremony of IIT Roorkee in Uttarakhand.
Doval said he was appointed to handle intelligence responsibilities in Sikkim soon after joining service as an IPS officer and while still new to the intelligence set-up. He noted that the period coincided with efforts under way for Sikkim to be fully integrated with India, and said he was part of that process.
He also described his role in monitoring border areas and gathering intelligence on the movement of China’s People’s Liberation Army. In one operation, personnel sent on an intelligence task did not return for days, leaving him uncertain about their safety and deeply worried, with no information about an accident such as an avalanche.
Doval said headquarters later informed him that the team had been caught by the Chinese military. After talks or an arrangement, they were sent back, returning in a severely distressed condition. An inquiry followed, he said, but he was not found at fault; instead, shortcomings and errors in maps and notes provided from headquarters were identified as a key reason for the difficulties.
In his address, Doval also contrasted past challenges with the present, saying today’s generation is fortunate to have many opportunities, with technology and other developments driving social progress and opening multiple paths for youth advancement.
