New Delhi: Indian writer-diplomat and UN Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information, Shashi Tharoor, on Sunday lauded the role of the Research and Analysis Wing or RAW in what he called "shaping India's foreign policy over the years", but suggested that "the agency could benefit if it were made a bit accountable to the Parliament."
In fact, Tharoor argued for "a dose of Glasnost" to "help the agency do things in a more legitimate way." He was speaking on at a function to commemorate the fifth death anniversary of R N Kao, the founding father of RAW.
Speaking on the topic 'India and Global Security: Leveraging Soft Power," Tharoor said: "Some of the secrecy that's part of Kao's legacy is natural and understandable. Some of it may merit greater debate."
Noting the agency was not accountable to Parliament and its funds were subject to only a limited scrutiny, Tharoor argued that RAW was being distrusted and criticised by the media and the public, without it having any chance to defend its actions.
"I suspect many professionals in RAW would benefit from the agency being made accountable in legal sense, so that they can do their assigned work as legitimate government body and receive appropriate recognition and criticism for their performance," he said.
"Our diplomats are not noted for valuing intelligence inputs in foreign policy making, our intelligence institutions, including police and the Army, do not want RAW's expertise in counter-terrorism," he pointed out.
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