NSA Ajit Doval does not use a mobile phone, internet. Here’s why

National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval avoids using a phone or the internet for official communication. His remarks have surprised many, especially the youth who cannot imagine a life in today’s digital era without social life.

Doval was speaking at the opening ceremony of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports’ Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue (VBYLD) on Saturday (January 10). His other comments at the event have also generated a buzz.

We take a look.

How does NSA Doval communicate?

NSA Ajit Doval said he largely does not use a phone or the internet in his daily work. When asked about avoiding using a mobile phone in today’s age, he said, “I don’t know how you came to know that I don’t use phones. Yes, it is true that I don’t use the internet or phones, apart from personal use. I manage without them.”

“Sometimes, when I have to contact people abroad, I do use them. There are other means of communication as well that are not known to the common man,” he added.

Doval was speaking as the guest of honour at the opening ceremony of the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue in New Delhi, which was attended by over 2,000 participants from across the country.

Last year, the Press Information Bureau’s (PIB) fact-check unit debunked a post circulating on Facebook falsely attributed to Doval, warning citizens of an impending cyberattack from Pakistan. PIB fact check confirmed that NSA Doval does not have any official Facebook account, adding that the post being spread with his name and photo was completely fabricated.

Doval’s ‘revenge’ call

NSA Doval said that India should “take revenge” for its painful history of attacks and subjugation.

“You are lucky that you were born in an Independent India. I was born in a colonised India,” he told the gathering.

“Our ancestors had made great sacrifices, endured great humiliation and experienced periods of profound helplessness. Our temples were looted, and we watched helplessly as silent spectators. This history presents us with a challenge that every young person in India today should have the fire within them.”

He invoked the struggles and sacrifices of freedom fighters like Mahatma Gandhi, Subhash Chandra Bose and Bhagat Singh to highlight India’s struggle for independence.

While acknowledging that the word ‘revenge’ was not ideal, the NSA said it remained a powerful force. “We have to take revenge for our history. We have to take this country back to where we can build a great India based on our rights, our ideas, and our beliefs,” Doval said.

The NSA emphasised the importance of strong leadership in ensuring a country remains free.

“All the struggles and wars going on around the world are because some countries want to impose their own will on others and are using all their power for it. But if you are powerful, you will remain free. If there is no self-confidence, then all the power and ammunition are useless,” he added.  

“We are fortunate to have such leadership in our country today,” he said.

Without naming PM Modi, Doval added, “His commitment, dedication, and hard work are an inspiration for all of us. As Napoleon once said, ‘I am not afraid of 1,000 lions led by a sheep, but of 1,000 sheep led by a lion.’”

Who is Ajit Doval?

Ajit Doval is India’s fifth NSA. A former Intelligence Bureau (IB) director, he was born in 1945 at Pauri Garhwal in the erstwhile United Provinces, now in Uttarakhand. He grew up in Rajasthan’s Ajmer.

Doval, a 1968-batch IPS officer in the Kerala cadre, has played a key role in anti-insurgency operations in Mizoram and Punjab. He also executed undercover operations in Pakistan, which contributed to his image as a “super spy” among the common people, as per The Hindu.

In 1999, he helped negotiate the release of passengers and crew from the hijacked Indian Airlines flight IC-814 in Kandahar. Between 1971 and 1999, he handled multiple aircraft hijacking cases.  

Doval became the head of IB in July 2004. He retired in 2005.

After Prime Minister Narendra Modi first came to power in 2014, Doval returned to the government, this time as India’s fifth NSA.

He was re-appointed to the post in June 2019. At the time, the NSA’s post was upgraded from the rank of Minister of State to Cabinet Minister, a first since the post was created in 1998.

With inputs from agencies