An operations man, new IB chief Tapan Deka has proven record of tracking Islamic radicalisation

While analysing Intelligence is crucial, it is equally important to have actionable intelligence and Tapan Deka is the right man for the job of IB chief

New Delhi, Jun 25: The Narendra Modi government on Friday appointed Tapan Deka as the Director of the Intelligence Bureau. The appointment is a crucial one and Deka was picked up over around four seniors in the Intelligence Bureau.

Officials OneIndia spoke with said that the idea is to add more strength to the Intelligence Bureau as Deka has a proven track record when it comes to tracking religious radicalisation, handling affairs in the north-east among others.

Deka who headed the Operations desk of the Intelligence Bureau has been tracking religious radicalisation and terrorism very closely. He is credited with breaking the back of the Indian Mujahideen, a terror outfit which wrecked havoc in the country between 2007 and 2013.

Deka a 1988 batch Himachal Pradesh cadre officer is also an expert on north-east affairs and was sent by Union Home Minister, Amit Shah to Assam when the anti-CAA violence broke out in 2019.

With Deka's appointment it is clear that the government placed merit over seniority. The officials cited above said that the intention was to have a man who did not just specialise in analysis. While it is important to analyse information, it is equally important to act upon actionable intelligence and Deka is the man for that.

Deka who hails from a humble background is a thorough professional and a man of very less words and more action. He was also the officer who investigated the Mumbai 26/11 attacks.

However in today's context Deka's appointment becomes even more important considering the rapid rise in Islamic radicalisation. He has been tracking this issue for over 20 years now. Considering his experience and expertise, he is a perfect candidate to handle issues such as terrorism emanating from Pakistan in Kashmir to Islamic radicalisation in Kerala.

The government also extended the term of Samant Goel as the Secretary of the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) by a year. Goel like Deka is an operations man. Moreover these two officers are capable of bringing the two agencies on the same page. This would be beneficial in terms of intelligence sharing and seamless operations.

Goel who is a Punjab cadre officer is known for his operational capabilities and works closely with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.