Gulfam Hassan of Sarfarosh, Nusrat Mirza and Mohammad Hamid Ansari

Do you remember Aamir Khan-starrer action drama Sarfarosh released in 1999? Written, produced and directed by John Matthew Matthan, Sarfarosh was a work of fiction based on facts. The film was critically and commercially successful as it was an honest and courageous look at some of the real reasons behind terrorism and insurgency in our land. And hence it was one of the memorable Bollywood movies. The movie’s USP was its direct commentary on Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. The movie showed how Gulfam Hassan, played by Naseeruddin Shah, comes to India as a Pakistani ghazal singer and acts as a spy and a key informer and how with his help some of the disgruntled elements in India receive supply of arms and ammunition from Pakistan’s intelligence outfit, ISI.

There was also pointed commentary on Gulfam Hassan’s ties with those in the government and in the administrative system in India and how it was being misused by the ISI. The reason to be reminded of Sarfarosh’s Gulfam Hassan is the accusation levelled by Pakistani journalist Nusrat Mirza against former Vice President of India Mohammad Hamid Ansari. Pakistani journalist Nusrat Mirza, in his recent interview, stated that he was invited to India nearly five times between 2005 and 2012 by former Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari. He had also informed that the confidential information provided by Ansari was passed on by him to the ISI.

It may be recalled that the then ruling Congress party was instrumental and keen on making Mohammad Hamid Ansari the Vice President of India. During that time, i.e between 2004 and 2014, terrorism was rampant in the country. Bomb blasts and terrorist attacks were a normal phenomenon when Dr. Manmohan Singh-led government was in power in the Centre. Since everyone is aware about how a handful of Pakistani terrorists rampaged over the country’s financial capital on November 26, 2008, I will not repeat its details.

What is crucial and needs attention is how the Pakistani agencies secretly operate in India. The movie also showcased how the government and the administration knowingly and at times unknowingly help Pakistani operatives to spread terrorism in the country. Now some will question why Nusrat Mirza revealed about his visits to India in his interview after so many years. Even if we set aside why he must have revealed this information, what bothers Indians is his allegation against the former Vice President of India who had, allegedly leaked confidential information to him. The Congress leadership should have rendered an explanation into the allegation made by Nusrat Mirza. Although Jairam Ramesh has clarified, still till the time I penned this article, the Congress high command has not shown the courtesy of clarifying the allegations made by Mirza. However, the Pakistani administration and military officials have immediately dismissed Mirza’s allegations. Of course, the Pakistani ruling and military officials confirming Mirza’s allegations were also not expected. Because if they were to accept it, it would have been as if they are confirming their bad deeds.

During the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, Mohammad Hamid Ansari was the most favoured candidate of the leftists, the so-called secular, the progressive thinkers and the journalists of the country. He had held the Vice President position for ten consecutive years. Mirza’s allegations casts doubts on the patriotism of a person holding such a senior and the most revered constitutional position in the country. Although, Ansari clarified that he had never invited Nusrat Mirza to attend any events in the country, but still there is no clarity on the grave allegations.

History has numerous references to how Congress leadership has always had favourable connections and thus had made several trips to both China and Pakistan in the past. Even recently, i.e two years ago the country witnessed how after China’s incursion into the Galwan valley, the Congress leadership, instead of supporting the Indian Army and the central government, had taken a hostile tone. Also, when prime minister Narendra Modi had called an all-party meeting to discuss about China’s intrusion, the Congress leadership had made its anti-national agenda public. Even during the invasion of Dokhlam in Bhutan in 2017, the Congress leadership, instead of standing by the Central government, was spreading misinformation and making propaganda against the Modi government. The world has seen how thousands of square kilometers of our land have been invaded by China during the tenures of both Dr. Manmohan Singh and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru’s as the Prime Minister of the country. Despite all this, the Congress leadership is now giving the Modi government lessons in patriotism. It is not surprising to see one of the senior Congress leaders like Jairam Ramesh making concerted efforts in support of Dr. Ansari and claiming that the allegations levelled by the Pakistani journalist are baseless.

Dr. Ansari’s claim that inviting Nusrat Mirza for the seminar on International Terrorism and Human Rights held in December 2010 was the decision of the event’s organisers and that he had nothing to do with Mirza coming to India. But the event organiser and senior advocate Adhish Agarwal promptly refuted Dr. Ansari’s claim. Agarwal clarified that it was vice president Dr. Ansari’s office that had sent the invite to Nusrat Mirza asking him to attend the seminar. He also shared a photograph of Dr. Ansari and Mirza from an event held in 2009. The photograph showed that in 2009, at an event organised by the Jama Masjid United Front, Dr. Ansari and Mirza were present on the same dais. Dr. Ansari has not yet clarified this photograph. Agarwal said that he was informed through Dr. Ansari’s secretary that they wanted to invite Nusrat Mirza for the programme. But since Mirza is a Pakistani journalist, the organisers had informed Dr. Ansari’s secretary that it would not be possible to invite him. When Dr. Ansari came to know, he was upset at the organisers is what Ansari’s secretary Deewan had informed us, Agarwal had said. The Congress leadership must clarify what conclusions the citizens can draw from these revelations.

Also, the allegations leveled by a retired officer from RAW, NK Sood, are as serious as those made by Mirza’s exposé. Sood had alleged that when Dr. Ansari was the ambassador to Iran, he had disclosed information about RAW and had thus endangered the lives of RAW officials. This deepens suspicion around Ansari even further.

What has been said by Nusrat Mirza, only brings to the fore the ties that have been shared by Pakistan’s intelligence agencies with those who were in power at the Centre. The timid face of the sympathizers of Pakistan has been exposed earlier as well – be it Mani Shankar Aiyar, who made seditious statements in Pakistan asking them to co-operate to dethrone the Modi government or be it Dr. Ansari for hosting Nusrat Mirza. It has once again become evident that more than the threat from the ISI or other international terrorist outfits, the country is endangered by its citizens like Mohammad Hamid Ansari.

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