Intelligence agencies are the biggest attack on humanity. If one were to read Dhar’s book “Open Secrets” on the working of Intelligence Bureau (IB), one would learn that intelligence officers do what a common man can’t even imagine. And they don’t only work in “national interest”. They rather more often work in the interest of politicians. Dhar himself helped Indira Gandhi as well as sanghis in elections. He worked to bring down governments through governors. And they help target political opponents: Morar Ji Desai would target Indira Gandhi through IB, and Indira Gandhi would target Maneka Gandhi through IB. Now with technology, it’s not just political opponents. Anybody with contrarian view can be targeted.

External intelligence is no different. They won’t accept, but they indeed propagate rebellion into “terrorism”. B. Raman’s book lists many such instances. They carry out covert assassin operations and conduct insidious intelligence operations. They are basically persona non–grata anywhere and everywhere. And they also do petty corruption like smuggling foreign goods without paying duty. Earlier, they used to rely upon human intelligence, but, now with insidious technology, they can read each single mind remotely through signal intelligence. They carry out “concentration camp” like experiments on people and don’t stop even when exposed. They re-conduct the same experiments with impunity under a changed name. I fail to understand why should any country have external intelligence unless it has expansionist tendencies.

Furthermore, what is the importance of states now except to propagate obnoxious nationalism? What purpose do they really serve? Why should a single person like Obama or Modi become so powerful? Why should the states have preferential access to information through intelligence agencies?

Undoubtedly intelligence officers and intelligence agencies are the biggest threat to humanity. Sooner or later, both have to die — and those journalists who double up as intelligence officers may die immediately.

P.S. The use of “die” here is figurative, not literal.