The Zero-Cost Mission/The Wily Agent

by Amar Bhushan

  By now both had moved to a sofa and settled down. Shariful offered to serve refreshments but both declined simultaneously.

  ‘I shall leave you both to continue your meeting as I know Sujal has come here specially to discuss something with you in private,’ Shariful said as he turned to leave the room.

  ‘No, no, Shariful bhai, please join us. I would value your perspective and opinion on the issue that brings me here,’ Sujal said, insisting that he stayed.

  ‘Very well, anything to help an old friend.’ Shariful smiled as he sat down.

  ‘What is it that you want to discuss?’ Crescent asked.

  ‘We have reports that Jamaat has considerably stepped up hostile activities along the Indo-Bangladesh border and is using its units and madrasas to send Pak-trained terrorists and Bangladeshis illegally into India. I have brought you an offer in this regard. We will address all your legitimate concerns, including those regarding the ban on travel to India, and allow your leaders and volunteers to visit India for lawful purposes. In return, you will abandon your confrontationist posturing and cease all hostile activities along the border,’ Sujal said without beating about the bush.

  ‘You have obviously been misinformed by your sources. These allegations are totally baseless,’ Crescent countered. ‘It is true that we have augmented our presence along the border, but this is purely for benign political and religious purposes. Our long-term goal, as you know, is to marginalize those who are still hounding us in the name of protecting the ideals of liberation and are converting the younger generation into enemies of Islam.’

  ‘If you continue to toe your old line of regressive and radical Islamic politics and continue to fight the League, I doubt your party can ever be politically rehabilitated in this country,’ Sujal opined. ‘Political arrangements are never permanent. Today you have the Nationalists on your side. Tomorrow, the League could form the government and invite you to govern in a coalition. But if you continue treating them as the enemy, you may be squeezed dry if they come to power, which is not very unlikely.’

  ‘That’s precisely why we want to expand our electoral base and add teeth to it so that when needed, we can bite and effectively blunt the League’s assault, with or without the Nationalists,’ Crescent said.

  ‘But why do you want to get sucked into this vicious cycle of suspicion, hatred and clashes against each other? This country is already an Islamic Republic and no government can reverse this reality. For you, it is only a question of accepting the bitter truth that Bangladesh is now liberated from Pakistan and you are the sons of this soil, which you should nurture in a spirit of accommodation rather than enmity.’

  Crescent remained quiet, appearing to reflect on Sujal’s words. ‘I am sure you didn’t come here to lecture me on deserting the Nationalists to join your pro-liberation friends,’ he remarked eventually.

  ‘You are right. I have been deputed by my prime minister to obtain an assurance from you that Jamaat will not permit its volunteers and facilities to be used for carrying out subversive activities in India either on its own or on behalf of the ISI.’ Sujal deliberately positioned the proposal as coming from the prime minister to lend it greater weight. ‘Since you once called me a brother, I volunteered to come here and take this opportunity to persuade you to cool your intense animosity towards India and the League. Especially as doing so will be in your long-term interest. But if you insist on pursuing your radical Islamic agenda by creating trouble for us and eliminating your rival countrymen, who knows what the consequences may be.’

  ‘Why do you repeatedly bring Pakistan and ISI into our discussion?’ Crescent asked. ‘The only link that we have is with Jamaat-e-Islami of Pakistan. There is absolutely no quid pro quo with ISI with respect to any of their operations directed against India,’ he emphasized.

  ‘But our reports suggest otherwise,’ Sujal countered. ‘They reveal that your cadres have been regularly dumping explosives and arms in several hideouts along the border, providing shelter to illegal emigrants at your forward posts and allowing the ISI to use your madrasas and units as launching pads to push terrorists into India. If you want, I can share some of the audio and video evidence we have gathered of the instructions that your leaders have issued to your bordering units and madrasas on how and when to send these terrorists and emigrants across.’

  ‘There is no such thing happening. I am sure your Agency has fabricated this so-called evidence,’ Crescent retorted.

  ‘Please understand my situation. I have reason to believe that if you do not stop your unfriendly acts, Delhi may take action. Since you are more than a friend to me, I thought of warning you before it is too late to take any corrective measures,’ Sujal explained.

  ‘What action is your government contemplating? Are you planning to kill our volunteers and bomb our headquarters and facilities by sending fighter aircrafts?’ Crescent said sharply.

  ‘I don’t know. Maybe I’m reading too much into the signals from Delhi. But I see no reason why you should be working to destabilize India unless you are under compulsion to do so at Pakistan’s bidding,’ Sujal argued.

  Crescent remained silent for several seconds. ‘Let me return from Saudi Arabia. Then you can show me the evidence of our alleged complicity,’ he finally said. ‘Jamaat is a purely religious organization and we are involved in politics only to safeguard our religious interests and not to threaten India’s security,’ he reiterated.

  Shariful looked at Sujal in some discomfort.

  ‘But what you are saying does not make any sense to Delhi. The government questions why you are financing the dailies Inquilab and Sangram, which regularly pour venom against India. What interest do you have in inciting your cadre against our government and its treatment of our Muslims? Do you think that Indian Muslims need the crutches of Jamaat-e-Islami of Bangladesh to survive and prosper? Delhi’s perception is that you are preparing your volunteers to fight, kill and die for your vision of an Islamic state not only in Bangladesh but also in India. My fear is that if you continue along this path, you will permanently alienate a powerful neighbour and moreover, will become a pariah in your own country,’ Sujal cautioned. Although he was brutal in his choice of words, he spoke softly, without aggression.

  ‘I don’t agree. It is my duty to keep our workers informed of the atrocities committed against our Muslim brothers in India and agitate the conscience of Islamic countries by highlighting those incidents,’ Crescent said.

  ‘Your party seems determined to dig its own grave. Despite all your claims and rhetoric, Indian Muslims are not going to migrate either to Bangladesh or to Pakistan. You are creating enemies for nothing,’ Sujal said.

  ‘And what is your formula for Jamaat? To become friends with a Hindu India?’ Crescent asked.

  ‘First, we don’t live in a Hindu India but in India. Second, if you promise to abandon your siege mentality and stop pursuing hostile activities against India, I will actively help you to be a part of the liberal democratic forces in Bangladesh, which in the long run may well serve as your insurance against the war cries of the League and its supporters for your head,’ Sujal explained.

  ‘And if I don’t promise, will you join forces with the League to clean us up?’

  ‘Why don’t you look at your situation realistically? The Indian political leadership treats you as untouchables and a large section of Bangladeshis look upon you as enemies of the nation. If you give up your politics of hatred and enmity, I can persuade both Delhi and the League to accept you as partners in running the country together.’

  ‘I don’t think you will ever forsake your friends in the League or help us financially and politically,’ Crescent insisted. ‘Ultimately, it is our physical strength that will see us through troubled times and enable us to capture power and establish the rule of Sharia in this country.’

  ‘That is unlikely to happen in Bangladesh. It is a predominantly liberal and democratic society and has a history of fighting to protect and preserve it
s political and cultural identity. I doubt if you will be able to Talibanize the Bangladeshis’ belief.’

  ‘It is not easy for me to comment on your proposal. I don’t think either the Chairman or the cadres will accept your arguments. It is going to be extremely difficult for me to persuade them to accept that a Hindu India can be their friend and that they do not need an armed cadre to ensure their survival,’ Crescent said.

  ‘You can discuss the matter within your party. My offer is on the table, but don’t delay in taking a final decision,’ Sujal warned him subtly.

  ‘Why do I get the feeling that you came here only to threaten me?’ Crescent asked without betraying any concern.

  ‘As a brother I simply came here to apprise you of what is brewing in Delhi against your organization. If you do not take effective measures to stop your provocative acts, I suspect Delhi will start sealing the border more aggressively to prevent illegal immigrants from pouring in and your boys from sneaking in for terrorist purposes. It may also tell its friends in Dhaka that they will no longer be obliged to listen to us in dealing with you.’

  ‘I don’t understand why you are so bitterly opposed to illegal immigrants. Are they not contributing to your economy by providing services at a much cheaper cost? In fact, you should be grateful to us for providing you with inexpensive and qualified labour to keep your homes and infrastructure growing,’ Crescent argued.

  ‘We are not against illegal immigrants per say but what we object to is your effort to use them for subversive purposes, encouraging them to interfere with our political process. Delhi believes that while Pakistan’s unfinished agenda is the annexation of Jammu and Kashmir, your unfinished agenda is to extend the boundary of Bangladesh westward and to convert large areas of Bengal, Bihar, Assam and Tripura to your radical Islamic ideology,’ Sujal said.

  ‘These are idle beliefs and far from reality,’ Crescent countered. ‘Anyway, give me some time to think about what you have said and discuss it with the other leaders.’

  ‘I think Sujal-da has made a sensible offer,’ Shariful, who had kept silent so far, spoke up. ‘If we don’t build bridges with India and their pro-liberation friends here, our alleged genocidal role in the liberation war will certainly be used by the League to annihilate us, should they return to power. There is no guarantee that the Nationalists or the army will rule forever or continue to back us. Under the circumstances, we should profess our support to all parties based on issues, gradually reduce our anti-India rhetoric and refrain from being perceived as ISI’s allies.’

  Sujal was surprised at his friend’s sudden burst of support. However, Crescent had different ideas.

  ‘It is not easy for us to snap our historical ties with Jamaat-e-Islami of Pakistan or the Nationalist Party here. It is also naive to dream of working together with the League.’

  Hossain did not press his point further.

  ‘I will, nevertheless, wait for your response,’ Sujal said, concluding the discussion.

  Crescent stood up and shook hands with Sujal, saying that he looked forward to meeting him in less combative circumstances.

  Shariful went to see off Crescent, showing him out through the back door to prevent his meeting Rehena. He was afraid that once Rehena met him and the conversation began, it would be difficult to stop her from forcing Crescent to stay for dinner. He wanted the seriousness of the discussion to sink in on Crescent, and he was looking forward to spending some time with Sujal, whom he was meeting after a long time.

  Meanwhile, Sujal went into the living room and waited for Shariful. Rehena joined him and wasted no time in firing off a series of questions about Arpita and the children and what they had all been doing since they had last seen each other. After Shariful returned, she declared that she wanted to invite a few of their common friends for dinner as well, but Shariful wouldn’t agree and insisted on keeping it a private affair. Relieved, Sujal looked at him and smiled a silent thanks.

  As usual, Rehena was a great hostess. Chirpy and well informed, she kept the dinner lively and regaled Sujal with the gossip doing the rounds in Dhaka’s social and business circles. Shariful tried occasionally to divert her to more sober subjects but failed miserably. At 1.00 a.m., Sujal finally excused himself, begging exhaustion.

  As Shariful drove him back to the hotel, Sujal wondered, ‘How do you manage to remain so calm and detached in spite of having a wife who is so lively, warm and gregarious?’

  ‘It’s easy. I seldom argue,’ Shariful responded with a deadpan expression.

  Sujal laughed before turning serious. ‘Did Crescent say anything about our discussion?’

  ‘He said that he had tolerated your allegations out of courtesy but found your arguments and veiled threats offensive. I seriously doubt that he will come back to you. But why have you suddenly woken up to these realities? Matters have been like this for years and will continue like this for several more,’ Hossain averred.

  ‘Crescent is a good friend. I wanted to at least try and make him understand the folly of antagonizing both a powerful neighbour and the League,’ Sujal said.

  ‘I am not sure if you will ever be successful in preventing the entry of illegal immigrants or militants into India. It is not only Jamaat but your own officials, security forces and politicians who will ensure that this problem festers. I doubt Crescent will be able to convince the leadership and cadre to accept your terms.’

  ‘Then let it be a failed mission. My brief was to convey Delhi’s concerns to Crescent, which I have done. What happens now is not my worry. I am happy that as a bonus of this assignment, I was able to meet you and Rehena and enjoy your hospitality,’ Sujal said as Shariful pulled up outside the hotel.

  ‘Do you remember Mizan, my nephew, who is an immigration officer?’ Shariful suddenly asked as they both stood on the pavement to say goodbye.

  ‘Yes, of course,’ Sujal responded, wary.

  ‘He called me this afternoon to tell me that he had seen you at the airport. He asked whether I knew how to contact you. He checked the immigration records, but your name wasn’t listed. Actually, he wants to visit the Ajmer Sharif Dargah, but his visa application has been stalled at the Indian High Commission. He wanted your help in getting it cleared,’ Hossain said.

  ‘You can note down his particulars and send them to me. But what did you tell him?’

  ‘What else could I say other than deny any knowledge of your arrival?’ Shariful replied, smiling.

  Relieved, Sujal laughed as both shook hands and parted.

  Eleven hours later, Sujal flew from Dhaka to Delhi.

  A deafening silence prevailed as the tape of Sujal’s conversation with Crescent, recorded secretly by him, finished playing. The Chief appeared disturbed as he gazed thoughtfully out of the window. Reddy was amazed at the officer’s courage in taking on a hostile target in such a forthright manner. Vijay was relieved that Sujal had returned safely after playing the role of peacemaker. He was confident that the Chief would no longer question his insistence on assigning Sujal to the mission.

  ‘I must commend you for bringing our concerns to Crescent’s notice without beating about the bush,’ the Chief told Sujal, breaking the silence. ‘But your visit has rendered the project redundant. The cover of secrecy has been blown to bits. Crescent will definitely see your hand behind any attacks on his facilities and blame us for indulging in terrorist attacks. You should have avoided the trip if you wished to mount the operation.’

  ‘Sir, both Vijay and Mr Reddy were opposed to my idea of going to Dhaka and agreed only on my insistence. I thought it would be worthwhile to try and avoid a bloody and costly operation, which is why I wanted to apprise Crescent of our stand regarding Jamaat’s hostile activities and sound him out on whether he would be willing to accommodate our security concerns,’ Sujal said.

  ‘I appreciate your efforts and it’s good to know Crescent’s thoughts on the matter, but you can no longer execute this project without being exposed. I think you’ve effective
ly killed Vijay’s proposal,’ the Chief remarked with a grim face.

  ‘Sir, I gave no indication of our plan to attack his facilities,’ Sujal asserted. ‘He can at best speculate about our complicity which, frankly, he should. That will unnerve him. It will also make him understand that next time no one will attempt to reason with him before destroying his staging camps and training units.’

  ‘Let’s not do anything till we hear back from Crescent.’

  ‘Sir, we must not lose time. The sense I got was that Crescent and his cadres will not back down. Since we have agreed in principle to disrupt Jamaat’s hostile activities, we should go ahead and plan the execution of the operation on the ground.’

  ‘Reddy will inform you about our decision after we have had a chance to consider the options,’ the Chief said, hinting that the meeting was over.

  As the three officers stood up to leave, the Chief requested Reddy to remain.

  ‘Vijay has handed you a terrible infant to manage,’ the Chief said in jest, once the others had left. ‘But he is indeed very different from other officers. I wish I had known him before. I could have used him in a couple of my operations that went awry in the hands of officers who were too hesitant.’

  ‘This is my first experience as well in handling an officer who is so dangerously confident.’

  ‘I notice that he has a tendency to take extraordinary risks. That is something that you will have to constantly watch. And don’t let him visit Dhaka again for this purpose. Vijay and you may have to monitor his execution of the project closely, without appearing to be interfering. My impression is that if we advise him too much, he may clam up and withdraw.’

  ‘Please don’t worry,’ Reddy assured him. ‘It sounds like you’re willing to give this mission the go-ahead.’

  ‘Yes, but keep me in the loop. I’m very interested to see how he handles this operation.’

  After Reddy returned to his room, he rang up Vijay and asked him to come to his office along with Sujal. As they walked to Reddy’s office, Vijay surmised that the Chief, upset by Sujal’s visit to Dhaka and wary of its potential consequences on the operation, had scrapped the project. Sujal, however, appeared unfazed.