New Delhi: Siddharth Malhotra-starrer Mission Majnu which claims to be based on ‘true events’ released on Netflix Friday to mixed reviews. The film follows a R&AW agent during India’s first successful nuclear test in 1974 and the subsequent tension between India and Pakistan
However, it does not address rumours that then-Prime Minister Morarji Desai divulged details of the intelligence agency’s network in Pakistan to Zia-Ul Haq, Pakistan’s then-chief martial law administrator. The rumours claim Desai informed him about India’s bomb-making facility in Pakistan. It has never been confirmed.
Pawan Khera, chairman of the Congress’ media and publicity department, points this out on Twitter.
#MissionMajnu on @netflix falls woefully short on exposing the role of then PM Morarji Desai in revealing to Zia Ul Haq India’s R&AW network in Pakistan. This resulted in the killing of several R&AW agents by Pakistan. Desai’s hatred for R&AW was more than his love for India.
— Pawan Khera 🇮🇳 (@Pawankhera) January 20, 2023
In 1977, Desai cut R&AW funds by 30 per cent. It was a controversial move, deemed as a step taken to secure his own power. Reports claim that Desai “hated” the R&AW because he believed it was an agency built by Indira Gandhi to spy on opposition leaders.
In Mission Majnu, Morarji Desai is played by Avijit Dutt and is seen having phone conversations with Zia – giving tips on yoga et al but nothing political.
In his book Kaoboys of R&AW, former R&AW officer B Raman claims the conversations started that way but would often lead to Desai divulging state secrets.
“Zia was a past master in the art of flattery. Often, he would ring up Morarji Desai under the pretext of consulting him on native medicine and urine therapy. Nothing flattered Morarji more. Zia would ask him with seeming earnestness in his voice: ‘Excellency, how many times one should drink the urine in a day? Should it be the first urine of the morning or can it be any time of the day?’ In a disarmed and unguarded moment one day, Morarji told him that he was aware that Pakistan was clandestinely trying to develop a military nuclear capability. Indiscreet political leaders are the unavoidable occupational hazards of the intelligence profession,” the book reads.
Desai’s relationship with Zia and Pakistan is reflected in the fact that he won the country’s highest civilian honour, the Nishan-E-Pakistan. It was conferred on Desai for his “abiding commitment to peace and improvement of ties between the two countries”.
The citation on the award described Desai as a leader of extreme gallantry who contributed to the establishment of tension-free and mutually beneficial ties between India and Pakistan.
(Edited by Theres Sudeep)
Also Read: Mission Majnu lacks imagination but watch it for Sidharth Malhotra