Prime Minister Narendra Modi's National Security Advisor is a quiet and unassuming man, who shuns the limelight and rarely appears in public. But, make no mistake, he is possibly India's second most important man after PM Modi himself
Ajit Doval. Pic/AFP
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's National Security Advisor is a quiet and unassuming man, who shuns the limelight and rarely appears in public. But, make no mistake, he is possibly India's second most important man after PM Modi himself.
ADVERTISEMENT
Ajit Doval has been the Prime Minister's special envoy to Afghanistan since taking office and even accompanied Modi during his trip to Bhutan. Doval had previously served as the Director of the Intelligence Bureau in 2004–05, after spending a decade as the head of its operations wing.
In June 2014, Doval played a crucial role in ensuring secure return of 46 Indian nurses who were trapped in a hospital in Tikrit, Iraq. After the family members lost all contacts from these nurses, following the capture of Mosul by ISIS. Doval, on a top secret mission flew to Iraq on 25 June 2014 to understand the position on the ground and make high-level contacts in the Iraqi government.[14]
Although, the exact circumstances of their release are unclear, on 5 July 2014, ISIS militants handed the nurses to authorities at Erbil city and two specially arranged planes by Indian Government brought them back home to Kochi.
After joining the IPS in the Kerala Cadre in 1968, Doval was actively involved in anti-insurgency operations in Mizoram and Punjab and was one of three negotiators who negotiated the release of passengers from IC-814 in Kandahar in 1999. He has the unique experience of being involved in the termination of all 15 hijackings of Indian Airlines aircraft from 1971–1999.
Ajit Doval spent long periods of time incognito with the Mizo National Army in the Arakan in Burma and inside Chinese territory. He played an important role in the merger of Sikkim with India.
Doval rescued Romanian diplomat Liviu Radu, who was inside the Golden Temple in Amritsar in 1988 before Operation Black Thunder to collect critical information. It is believed that he entered the premises disguised as a rickshaw puller.
After spending six years in Indian High Commission in Islamabad, Pakistan, Ajit Doval went to Kashmir in 1990 and persuaded militants to become counter-insurgents targeting hardline anti-India terrorists. This set the way for state elections in Jammu and Kashmir in 1996 after which he was posted as Indian High Commission in London, UK as Minister.
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
