Black Tiger - Ravindra Kaushik – Indian Spy
Ravindra Kaushik, born on 11 Apr 1952 in Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan, India, was the son of J.M. Kaushik, an Indian Air Force officer. He completed his graduation from S.D. Bihani P.G. College, Sri Ganganagar, and earned a B.Com degree.
Full of life and a theatre artist, he never imagined that he would become a real-life hero. His life story is not only an inspiration but also makes us think twice about how every home deserves such a real man who lived and died for the country. He may have sacrificed his dream of becoming a real-life actor, but destiny made him a superstar of the nation – The Black Tiger. He was one of India’s greatest spies.
As per reports, at the age of 21, he was working as a theatre artist, and a few R&AW officials attended his performance. This was how he came into contact with R&AW officials.
The Black Tiger in Pakistan
He underwent rigorous training and went through everything relevant to the mission. In 1975, at the age of 23, he was sent to Pakistan. He was given the cover name “Nabi Ahmed Shakir.” He successfully gained admission to Karachi University and completed his L.L.B. After his graduation, he learned and adapted to the process before joining the Pakistani military.
He joined the Pakistan Army as a clerk in the Military Accounts Department, not as a commissioned officer. Later, he achieved the rank of “Major” in the Pakistani Army. As per sources, from 1979 to 1983, Kaushik was employed as a Pakistani Army clerk. He kept sending crucial information to the R&AW. He successfully served as a deep-cover agent within the Pakistani military for India’s Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW). He worked on India’s secret mission as a Spy from 1975 to 1983.
Moreover, he got married to a Pakistani woman and had a son with her. Everything was going according to plan until one day, Indian intelligence agencies sent a low-level operative, Inayat Masih, to stay in contact with Kaushik. Inayat Masih was exposed by the Joint Counter-Intelligence Bureau of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence; he revealed Kaushik’s identity. Despite serving India with dedication and loyalty, he was captured in September 1983 and arrested on a criminal charge of espionage.
It was understood that the ISI might have tortured Kaushik to get enough information. But Kaushik remained loyal to India. This is not a movie character, but the reality of a braveheart. For his brave and selfless contribution to the nation, he was given the title of ‘The Black Tiger’ by the then Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi.
Hidden Gem – But Never Recognised as a Martyr: A Huge Failure of the System, Humanity and Internal Security Protocol
As per sources, Ravindra Kaushik was brutally tortured and harassed for two years at an interrogation centre in Sialkot. He was about to be sentenced to death in 1985, but was instead given life imprisonment by the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
Somehow, he managed to secretly send letters and poured aout bout his condition; the letters revealed his poor health, trauma, and ill-treatment in Pakistani jails. In one of his letters, he wrote:
“Is this what people who sacrifice their lives for a big country like India get?”
He survived 16 years in different prisons, including Sialkot, Kot Lakhpat and Mianwali Jail. Later, on 26th July 1999, he developed asthma and tuberculosis. In November 2001, he died of pulmonary tuberculosis and heart disease in Mianwali Jail in Pakistan. It was painful, lonely and devastating news for India and his family.
As stated by his family, the Indian government had refused to recognise him and made no efforts to rescue or help him. In 2012, the movie Ek Tha Tiger was released, and the family requested that credit be given to Kaushik.
However, no support was seen from the crew, and the director, Kabir Khan, refused their claim. That is a heart - wrenching tale of a real hero who died for the country. But such R&AW agents never receive praise, awards or any relief from the country’s government in power. They do not even receive a respectful funeral wrapped in the country’s flag or be called martyrs. This is the huge price that R&AW agents have to pay.
Viewpoint Expressed
One can stop giving credit, but how can one steal love for the nation? Give credit or not, give recognition or not, give awards or not, provide any relief to the family or not, give praise or not, or grant martyr status or not- people who truly love their country will continue to contribute regardless.
These agents aren’t hungry for praise or rewards, but they do have expectations in return for their immense sacrifices. He lost his youth, his family, and sacrificed his dream of becoming a theatre artist, all for the nation. What was he asking for in return? Nothing, except perhaps recognition by the Indian government.
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