Biju Patnaik and the Untold Stories
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ISSN 0970-8669 Odisha Review Biju Patnaik and the Untold Stories Anil Dhir Biju and the Americans : The American Secret Agency CIA had always maintained an extensive dossier on Biju Patnaik. Numerous memoirs of ex-bureau chiefs, diplomats and operatives mention him in their works. During the Nehru heydays, McCarthyism ruled the CIA’s decisions and policy. Senator Joseph McCarthy had started the House Un- American Activities Committee in 1938. Thousands of American citizens were jailed on unfounded accusations of being communist In March 1963, Biju Patnaik, who was supporters. The CIA maintained dossiers on the Chief Minister and Nehru’s defence adviser, leaders and politicians who were anti-communist was sent to Washington. He held discussion with and friendly to the USA. the Pentagon. The two interviews that he had given to the Washington Post and the Baltimore Biju Patnaik’s role in setting up of the Sun caused a stir in the political circles back in Aviation Research Centre at Charbatia and his India. There are reports that he had also secretly visit to the CIA headquarters find ample mention visited the CIA headquarters at Langley. in Conboy and Morrison’s book “The CIA’s On 3rd June 1963, Kennedy met Secret War in Tibet”. President Radhakrishnan at the White House and In the height of the Cold War years, in reiterated the CIA’s wish. April 1963, US Ambassador Galbraith made the After Radhakrishnan’s return, Nehru held first official request to India for a base for the U- a meeting with Biju Patnaik and discussed the 2 spy planes. In spite of intense and almost matter. The Americans had lobbied with Biju, who desperate persuasion by the USA, Nehru turned was keen to have the base at Charbatia. Everything down the CIA proposal to base a detachment of was set for the final go, but Nehru turned down the high-streaking snooper planes. the proposal at the last moment. A dejected 16 February - March - 2017 Odisha Review ISSN 0970-8669 Galbraith met Biju Patnaik, who by then had Americans had wanted a facility in the North-east. resigned under the Kamaraj Plan. The agreement was that the Americans would be Nehru’s objection was based on the allowed to maintain the facility for some limited advice of the IB Chief B.N. Mullick. Mullick hours, but Indians would control and run the show. asked Nehru to insist on having all the films shot In short, the Americans would be using Indian by the spy planes processed in India and retaining Territory for their propaganda broadcasts, one set of all the photographs. The CIA argued something that was against the spirit of non- that each U-2 sortie brought back hundreds of alignment. miles of film and it was just not possible to set up When news leaked out, the Indian media the technical facility to process and analyse all of and opposition raised a hue and cry. There were them in India.The CIA instead offered to give nay-sayers within Nehru’s Cabinet too. Biju India processed pictures later, but Mullick would Patnaik vehemently supported the project, but in have none of it. Nehru struck to his guns, even the end Nehru cancelled the proposal under the after Biju Patnaik talked to him on the issue. flimsy pretext that the Americans were not agreeing In May 1963, T.T. Krishnamachari, the to it being completely staffed by Indians. powerful Minister in Nehru’s Cabinet visited the Nehru’s flip-flop resulted in America’s US, and the officials there had persuaded him to backing off from the Bokaro Steel Plant. Despite send a long cable to Nehru asking him to change the fact that Kennedy was keen to give financial his mind about the U-2 base. Nehru ticked him support for the steel mill, the U.S. Congress off with a curt “please do not meddle in this”. turned it down. Kennedy was aware that he did A disappointed Galbraith left India in June not have the votes to get the proposal passed 1963. He had lobbied hard with Biju to get the and there would be a major fight if he insisted on U-2 base through, but failed. Galbraith made having his way. The Indians helped Kennedy back nearly half a dozen trips to Bhubaneswar, both out by announcing that the Soviet Union would secret and official, to meet Biju. During one of his set up the plant. trips, he was hosted at the BNR Hotel in Puri. In November 1963, Chester Bowles Galbraith signed the visitor’s book and praised was summoned by Kennedy to Washington. the hotel. Bowles had met Biju Patnaik and the new Chester Bowles, the new Ambassador, Defence Minister Y.B. Chavan. Kennedy had had been briefed about Biju’s proximity to Nehru. agreed to a proposal for arms aid of $ 375 million, Topmost on his agenda were two unfinished spread over five years. In his memoirs, Bowles projects of Galbraith, the setting up of a Voice Of has written that a pleased Kennedy had called America transmitter and the Bokaro Steel Plant. him for a meeting on the 26th Nov, one day before In 1963, eager to bolster its radio transmitting he was to return to India. Kennedy told Bowles capacity against China, Nehru had agreed to locate that he would be approving the aid plan. That a VOA transmitter somewhere in eastern India. meeting between the President and his On Biju’s insistence, Odisha was one of the places Ambassador to India never happened; Kennedy earmarked for the facility, even though the was shot dead on the 22nd November 1963. February - March - 2017 17 ISSN 0970-8669 Odisha Review Biju Patnaik once again took up the How much credence the Americans gave Charbatia base matter with both Mullick and to Biju Patnaik is evident from CIA and the Nehru. A reluctant Nehru, on Biju’s insistence, American Embassy papers released a few years agreed to allow the US to overfly Indian Territory ago. On 14th January 1964, a telegram from the and use Charbatia as a base for refueling the American Embassy at Delhi, sent to the State CIA’s U-2 spy planes. Department, revealed that Nehru had suffered a The CIA resumed its spy missions from coronary thrombosis resulting in partial paralysis. Thailand’s Takhli air base. According to recently The next day Chester Bowles sent a detailed declassified documents on the history of the U-2 report on the rat race that erupted for the office programme obtained under the Freedom of of Prime Minister. He mentioned that the Krishna Information Act by National Security Archives of Menon-Madan Mohan Malaviya group was hell- the USA, it was the secret flights made by these bent on propping up Indira Gandhi as their puppet U-2s aircrafts which informed India about the on a string. While Gulzari Lal Nanda had already nature of Chinese incursions inside Indian territory. begun to chair the Cabinet meetings, Bowles wrote that T.T. Krishnamachari, Morarji Desai and Biju Patnaik finally could persuade Nehru S.K.Patil were the other strong contenders. to allow the U-2 base at Charbatia. He made the Americans agree to set up a plant for processing Chester Bowles wrote: “Biju Patnaik the films that were shot by the spy planes. A huge was a strong possibility for future. Governor complex with 30 air-conditioned flats was built Khosla with whom I spent two days in Orissa for the nearly 60 CIA technicians, who worked recently and who knew Patnaik well in his role as round the clock. The complex still exists, and in Chief Minister said he was in many ways the ablest later years, has been in use for processing pictures man of coming generation in India but he was not brought in by our own reconnaissance aircraft. ready for top job as his perspective has not Today, in this age of satellite technology, the setup clarified. At moment Khosla was inclined to think has become redundant. he would be dangerous, unpredictable and easily swept off his feet. However this tendency might The first mission out of Charbatia took diminish as he gained more experience and it is place on the 24 May 1964. Three days later possible that Patnaik might emerge as constructive Nehru died, and further operations were and effective force.” postponed. The pilots and the U-2 planes left Charbatia for Thailand, but the technicians The other irritant in the Indo-US remained. In December 1964, when Sino-Indian relationship was the American policy towards tensions along the border increased once again, Kashmir. In the 1960s, the USA was seriously Detachment G returned to Charbatia and involved in a bid to settle the dispute at different conducted three highly successful missions. The levels including the UN Security Council. The US role of the American spy planes during the Chinese never subscribed to either a plebiscite solution debacle has never been told. The setting up of to the problem, or the one through an Establishment 22 in Charbatia, comprising the international conference. Rather, they were in Khampa rebels and Biju Patnaik’s role in it is the favour of a dialogue between India and matter of another chapter in this book. Pakistan to resolve the dispute. The USA had 18 February - March - 2017 Odisha Review ISSN 0970-8669 always viewed the people of Kashmir as a their readiness to participate in elections, India party to the ultimate dialogue and resolution would not ask them to take oath. Both Pakistan of the conflict.