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Saving Kulbhushan Jadhav

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10 years ago

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MERE PROTESTATIONS? Members of the BJP’s minorities wing protest at Azad Maidan in Jadhav’s hometown Mumbai demanding his release, UNI

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]What can India do to bring the former Indian Navy officer home?

By Sujit Bhar

The capture of a “spy” on foreign land is not steeped in historic uniqueness. It is not the same as the live capture of a terrorist who had killed and maimed hundreds and destroyed humongous property as Ajmal Kasab, member of the Lashkar-e-Taiba Islamist group, did in the Mumbai terrorist attacks in 2008.

There are two things to be considered in the capture of Kulbhushan Jadhav, allegedly in the Balochistan area of Pakistan. First, he is not a terrorist and deserves more than a half-baked military court (which the entire Pakistani defence establishment is) to pronounce judgement on a crime that he has not committed. And secondly, diplomacy is not yet dead between the two countries. There can always be a diplomatic solution to tricky situations. It serves both ways.

Lets us put it on the table. If Pakistan has consistently denied that Kasab was a Pakistani citizen (which he certainly was), then Jadhav cannot be a tit-for-tat for that hanging. Secondly, the Pakistani Supreme Court’s decision that a Pakistani army Field General Court Marshal is valid even if it gives a death sentence to a civilian, smacks of a dictatorial approach. In such a case normal processes – India has attempted 14 failed consular interventions – would not work.

If Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s relations with his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif is as good as Modi wants the country to believe, why is he not opening lines of communication with him? Or is it that these lines of communication are as useless as Modi’s lines of “communication” with Chinese President Xi Jinping? Xi had come to India, sat on the jhula with Modi and shared a Gujarati meal. And then, quietly but sternly, Xi had thrown India’s claim to the Security Council seat out of the window. China has snubbed India on several occasions since.

India’s kindergarten learning curve continues.

So what options lie in India’s path in the Jadhav case?

Let us consider some earlier instances of spy captures.

FAILED OVERTURE: A photo of the Indian PM’s much-talked-about birthday greeting meet with his Pakistani counterpart

FAILED OVERTURE: A photo of the Indian PM’s much-talked-about birthday greeting meet with his Pakistani counterpart

The spy-exchange mission

In 1962, a US spy Francis Gary Powers was released by the then Soviet Union after having held him for two years when his plane crashed during a spying mission across the USSR. He was convicted of espionage, “a grave crime covered by Article 2 of the Soviet Union’s law ‘On Criminality Responsibility for State Crimes’, as the Soviets put it.

Diplomacy won, finally, with Powers being exchanged for Soviet KGB Colonel Vilyam Fisher, known as “Rudolf Abel” in early 1962.

CIA got agents return after 19 years

A documentary released by the CIA in 2011, showed how two of their agents were captured – their plane was shot down in an ambush – by the Chinese in 1952 and released only in 1971 when relations between the two countries “warmed”. The Chinese held them hostage for so long to hold a political advantage. The problem with Pakistan is that its diplomacy is ruled by the military, and when no administration is sure of its next month under the army’s thumb, it cannot even think of long term diplomatic solutions.

The failed mission

Robert Levinson, a former FBI official and an off-the-hook CIA agent was picked up by Iranian security from a resort island of that country in 2008 and has not even been heard of since 2010. The CIA claimed in 2013 that they had not even heard of the existence of Levinson till eight months after his disappearance. That was almost as far-fetched an explanation as Pakistan’s denial to acknowledge Kasab. In the end, diplomacy failed and Levinson is presumed dead.

His family members are said to have secretly paid $ 2.5 million to secure his release, all in vain.

Sarabjit’s death

Sarabjit Singh, an Indian farmer, who had allegedly strayed into Pakistan territory in 1990, was caught by Pakistani Rangers and charged and convicted with terrorism and spying by a Pakistani court.

The Pakistani Supreme Court, which is no more than a spineless adjunct of the Pakistani army, held a “trial” and implicated him in the series of bomb attacks in Lahore and Faisalabad (14 bystanders died) in 1990, saying Sarabjit was an undercover agent of India’s Research and Analysis Wing.

He was sentenced to death in 1991, but while waiting for his execution (it was postponed several times by the government) at Kot Lakhpat jail, Lahore, he was brutally assaulted by fellow inmates and died in a hospital in 2013.

No bargaining chip

It would have been to Pakistan’s advantage had they declared the capture and held the bargaining chips. Diplomacy in Pakistan is not even in its nascent stage, all of it under army control. Relations are not at a comfortable stage between the two countries, but we are not at war. So negotiations can still happen. Balochistan is a thorn in Pakistan’s flesh as Kashmir is of India’s. But that means little to the small minds that rule that country.

Only posturing

On India’s part, Modi’s posturing has done little to sensitise Pakistan. His strange jump-down from a foreign trip to wish Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on his birthday now seems an obtuse act. India has not been able to stop the brutal beheadings of Indian jawans by Pakistani soldiers. India has not opened channels of conversation with the people who matter in Pakistan, its army generals. How long does it take to realise that the Pakistani politicians are no more than puppets in the hands of the armed forces? What was the point of chasing good relations with such spineless politicians?

[Here is a bit of information, provided without comment: Sharif is also a steel tycoon. For all practical purposes he is a billionaire, and has huge business interests in India.]

It has become an international norm – institutionalised by the US – to not go into dealings with non-combatant individuals caught in the line of action, in the face of quid-pro-quo demands. Will India, too, consider this as another collateral damage, like our beheaded soldiers? It is clear that Pakistani generals are corrupt and work only for money. They can be bought. They have been bought in the past by foreign forces. This is an open secret. Does not India, the great nation, have any underground channel open to address this monetary situation? It could save a citizen’s life.

What responsibility does this government have towards its citizens, one wonders? What responsibility does it have towards its jawans and towards its covert operatives in the field of action?

If India keeps treating a failed state like Pakistan like a superpower, that failed state will see no wrong in behaving like one.

One guesses, protecting cows and strange international business interests have become more important in this dispensation than protecting the country’s soldiers, operatives and people on the border.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Delhi Police offers 11-person limit for CJP’s Connaught Place protest

Delhi Police has offered to facilitate a group of 11 people at Central Park in Connaught Place for the Cockroach Janata Party’s October 16 protest, while warning that violations of prohibitory orders could invite legal action.

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3 hours ago

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October 15, 2026

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CJP protest to continue

Delhi Police has proposed allowing a group of 11 people to carry the national flag and sing the national anthem at Central Park in Connaught Place on October 16, ahead of a protest called by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) over alleged electoral fraud.

The police said it could facilitate the group at a suitable place in the park, while appealing to the public not to join the proposed gathering in large numbers. The offer comes amid prohibitory orders in Connaught Place and adjoining areas under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).

CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke has called on people to assemble at Central Park at 5 pm on Friday with the national flag. The proposed demonstration, named “Lehra Do Tiranga”, follows the detention of CJP members Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka during an earlier protest.

Why Delhi Police proposed limiting the gathering

In its statement, Delhi Police cited the prevailing security and law-and-order situation in the area. It also referred to information from the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) that Central Park would remain closed on October 16 and 17 for administrative reasons.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Neha Yadav said the NDMC had informed the police about the closure and had asked that no gathering be allowed near the park.

The police also cited representations from trader and market associations in Connaught Place and surrounding areas. According to the police, the associations had raised concerns about unlawful assemblies and their impact on businesses, particularly during the festive season.

Police warned that violations of Section 163 BNSS would invite appropriate legal action. It also stressed that the national flag must be displayed and carried, and the national anthem sung, in the prescribed manner with due respect and dignity.

Delhi High Court declines to stop CJP protest

The proposed gathering reached the Delhi High Court after a vendor sought intervention over concerns about disruption to businesses and public movement in Connaught Place.

On Thursday, the court declined to restrain the CJP from holding the protest. It recorded the police’s assurance that all possible measures under the law would be taken to regulate the gathering and maintain peace.

The petition was filed by a vendor at Palika Bazar in Connaught Place, who raised concerns about the potential impact of the demonstration on traders and others working in the area.

Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma, appearing for the authorities, told the court that steps had already been taken to regulate the proposed protest.

CJP’s protest call follows detention of party members

Dipke’s October 16 protest call follows earlier demonstrations over alleged electoral fraud. CJP members Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka are in jail on trespass charges after raising the national flag at Jantar Mantar earlier this week, according to the report.

The party has been protesting over alleged electoral fraud and has raised questions about the Election Commission.

Dipke has urged people to gather at Central Park with the national flag, arguing that raising the Tricolour should not be treated as a crime.

The police’s proposal to facilitate a group of 11 people came as the authorities sought to prevent a larger gathering at the site. The CJP’s response to the police’s offer was still awaited in the report published on October 15.

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Actor Imran Khan asked to leave India after CJP protest

Actor Imran Khan has been asked to leave India by October 28, days after participating in a protest called by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) in Mumbai.

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5 hours ago

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October 15, 2026

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Actor Imran Khan, nephew of Bollywood star Aamir Khan, has been asked to leave India by the Mumbai Police, days after participating in a protest organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) in Mumbai.

According to the notice, the actor has been given until October 28 to leave the country. The development follows his participation in the demonstration, which brought the actor into the spotlight over his involvement in a political protest.

Imran Khan is believed to hold US citizenship and an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card rather than full Indian citizenship, according to the report.

What led to the notice against Imran Khan?

The notice came days after Imran Khan joined a protest called by the CJP in Mumbai. The group, described as a satirical political organisation, had called for the demonstration.

The actor’s participation was followed by action from the authorities, with the Mumbai Police directing him to leave India by the specified deadline.

The notice does not, by itself, mean that the actor has already left the country or has been deported. October 28 is the deadline mentioned for his departure.

Imran Khan and his citizenship status

Imran Khan is known for his work in Hindi films, including Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na and Delhi Belly. He is also the nephew of actor Aamir Khan.

The report states that Imran Khan is believed to be a US citizen and hold an OCI card. OCI status does not confer Indian citizenship, although it provides eligible foreign citizens of Indian origin with specified privileges under Indian law.

The notice directing the actor to leave India follows his participation in the Mumbai protest. The reported development has brought attention to the intersection of immigration rules and the participation of foreign nationals in political demonstrations.

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Election Commission orders voter roll revision in 17 states, UTs

The Election Commission has ordered a Special Summary Revision of electoral rolls in 17 states and Union Territories. Draft rolls are scheduled for November 12, with final rolls due on January 4, 2027.

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5 hours ago

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October 15, 2026

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The Election Commission of India (ECI) has ordered a Special Summary Revision (SSR) of electoral rolls in 17 states and Union Territories, with the exercise aimed at facilitating voter registration and including eligible electors who may have been left out during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

The order was issued on Thursday, October 15, amid continuing political controversy over the SIR process and concerns raised by opposition parties regarding the exclusion of names from electoral rolls.

Under the announced schedule, January 1, 2027, will be the qualifying date for the revision. The draft electoral rolls are scheduled to be published on November 12, while the final rolls are due on January 4, 2027. Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, two states included in the exercise, are scheduled to go to the polls by February 2027.

Which states and Union Territories are covered?

The Special Summary Revision will cover the following 17 states and Union Territories:

  • Andaman and Nicobar Islands
  • Assam
  • Bihar
  • Chhattisgarh
  • Goa
  • Gujarat
  • Kerala
  • Lakshadweep
  • Madhya Pradesh
  • Manipur
  • Puducherry
  • Punjab
  • Rajasthan
  • Tamil Nadu
  • Uttar Pradesh
  • Uttarakhand
  • West Bengal

The Election Commission’s order follows earlier instructions issued to state election officials on September 29 to undertake a special drive to enrol eligible voters who had been left out, along with young and first-time electors.

Why has the Election Commission ordered the revision?

The announcement comes amid protests and political disagreements over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Opposition parties have raised concerns about names being excluded during the exercise.

Another point of contention has been an additional declaration required from applicants submitting Form 6 for voter enrolment while the SIR was underway. The declaration required applicants to map their parents to the last SIR, which was conducted around 20 years ago.

The Election Commission had clarified on October 7 that the additional declaration applied only in states and Union Territories where the SIR was being conducted. It said the regular forms prescribed under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, would apply outside the SIR period.

The latest SSR order refers to applications for inclusion through Form 6 but does not mention the additional declaration.

What happens in states not covered by the current schedule?

The Election Commission has said that the schedule for the Special Summary Revision will be announced later in states and Union Territories where the SIR is ongoing or has recently been completed.

These include Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, the National Capital Territory of Delhi, Odisha, Sikkim, Tripura and Telangana.

For Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh, where the SIR has not yet started, the schedule for electoral roll revision will be announced in due course, taking local weather conditions into account.

The Election Commission’s latest order sets out a separate timeline for the 17 states and Union Territories covered by the current SSR exercise, while leaving the schedules for the other regions to be announced later.

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