India’s seasoned spymaster

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Bahukutumbi Raman

One of the founders of Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and noted defence analyst Bahukutumbi Raman passed away in Chennai on June 13. Seventy seven year old B Raman, as he was popularly known, was suffering from cancer.

Described as an asset by the Indian intelligence community, he worked as an additional secretary with the Cabinet Secretariat. He was also the Director of the Institute for Topical Studies, Chennai. Author of several books, Raman was a critic of India’s foreign policy. He used to write on security, counter-terrorism and military issues of India and South Asia. He was regarded as seasoned spymaster and trenchant US critic.

Having been one of the few surviving officers who were a witness to the creation of RAW during 1968 by RN Kao, his analysis on Pakistan, Bangladesh, Burma and China have been an asset to the Intelligence community. Raman was the author of a memoir he wrote of his days in the RAW titled Kaoboys of RAW-Down Memory Lane.

Till his end, Raman was active on micro-blogging site Twitter where he used to talk about his fight with cancer. His last tweet from SORBONNE75 was, “Hanu-manji willing, and be back home coming Saturday.”

—Bureau Report

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