I first met L.K.Advani in Guwahati’s Hotel Ashok Brahmaputra, I think, towards the end of 2008.
He was touring Assam as the then BJP’s prime ministerial candidate.
I suddenly received a summon that he wanted to meet me. Pleasantly surprised, I took a copy of my book Terror Sans Frontiers: Islamist Militancy in North East India and drove to the hotel.
I still remember that the Asom Gana Parishad delegation had just emerged from his suite in the hotel. Chandra Mohan Patowary was leading the group. We stopped, facing each other, momentarily, to exchange pleasantries. I told Mr. Patowary that I had come to meet Advaniji as he has wanted to meet me.
Advaniji’s trusted secretary, Mr. Joshi, too, was at hand.
I think it was the night when the BJP-AGP alliance for the 2009 Lok Sabha elections was being forged.
Advaniji welcomed me into his suite. He asked about my mother’s health. He then proceeded to inquire about the security situation in Assam. He was particularly interested to know about the illegal migration from Bangladesh and the Islamist terror ingress that could be accompanying it.
The former Deputy Prime Minister of India’s searching questions not only stumped me, but had me scurrying for answers.
He wanted to know about the manner in which radical Islamism was gaining in strength in Lower Assam, the statistics, the wherefores. I was flummoxed.
I had conducted extensive research on Islamist Militancy in the United States not too long ago and I had just published the second edition of my bestselling book which I had very humbly dedicated to Ajit K.Doval earlier in 2008. But here was a man way ahead of his time. Advaniji was a visionary.
Today, when I think of the recent Moscow attack I remember Advaniji’s sage words about the impending danger that radical Islamism can pose to our country.
I clearly recall Advaniji reading out aloud the Preface by Satish Chandra, my chief and mentor in the National Security Council Secretariat as well as my Author’s Note.
It had read (excerpt from the book):
Satish Chandra writes in his foreword to my Second Edition of Terror Sans Frontiers: Islamist Militancy in North East India:
Jaideep Saikia has also been quite emphatic that the North East is presently being utilised by groups such as the HUJI(B) only as gateway to the rest of India where they are perpetrating violence with impunity. He is of the opinion that among the reasons why they have not activated the North East is because of the “gateway theory” that he has propounded, as also the fact that the Islamists are keen on physical occupation of the region… Given Jaideep Saikia’s deep study in the matter and discerning insights it would be foolish on the part of the government to disregard his warning calls and fail to take timely action to avert the looming threats posed to India’s security.
I had penned my Author’s Note to the Second Edition of Terror Sans Frontiers: Islamist Militancy in North East India thus:
Satish Chandra has been a true mentor. It is his encouragement and guidance that has made life worth living… Another personage has been a source of support for me. He has been-with the same affection as Satish Chandra-been aiding my growth, counseling me on the path my career should take. I felt elated when the former Director of Intelligence Bureau, perhaps the only civilian to be decorated with a Kirti Chakra once wrote to me thus: “You are always in my thoughts and I cannot miss you-not only when I think of the North East but also about the security and well being of the country as a whole…In my gratefulness and admiration to his masterly contribution to the national security of India, I dedicate the Second Edition of Terror Sans Frontiers to Ajit K. Doval.
My first meeting with L.K.Advani was one of my finest hours. A man of Advaniji’s stature had not only taken time off his busy schedule to want to meet me, but spend time to read my book in front of me.
Later, in a speech on 3 October 2008 when Advaniji was inaugurating a National Seminar on Terrorism organised by Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodini, he referred to me thus:
I was in Guwahati last week, where, among others, I met Shri. Jaideep Saikia, an eminent Assamese scholar who has written a widely acclaimed book, Terror Sans Frontiers: Islamist Militancy in North East India. The book is indeed an eye-opener, a strong warning against a problem which the Supreme Court itself, while striking down the IMDT Act as unconstitutional has described as “external aggression”. The UPA government’s response to this external aggression is simply to turn a blind eye.
I met Advaniji a couple of times afterwards in his New Delhi’s Prithviraj Road residence. He was one national leader who I had no problem in getting an appointment with. Indeed, on one occasion, he pleasantly surprised me by saying, “I left a Parliament session to come and meet you”.
He and I spoke about a lot of aspects pertaining to India’s national security, about present day national politics.
I felt a great person’s benediction when his divine hand was on my very ordinary temple.
Today, when I learnt about his being conferred India’s highest civilian award, Bharat Ratna, I feel even more blessed.
May the Strong Man of India continue to inspire the countless millions of his countrymen.
