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Soft Target (book)
Encyclopedia
Soft Target: How the Indian Intelligence Service Penetrated Canada is an investigative journalism work in the form of a book written by two Canadian reporters Zuhair Kashmeri (from Globe and Mail) & Brian McAndrew (from Toronto Star
). The authors define Soft Target
as "an espionage term used for any country, institution or group of people very easy to penetrate and manipulate for subversive purposes" and argue that the Canadian Sikh
community was a "Soft Target" of a covert operation by the India
n government during the 1980s. The book also makes a bold claim that Indian intelligence agencies not only penetrated the Sikh community in order to discredit them world wide and halt the momentum of the demand of an independent Sikhs state, but also manipulated the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
(RCMP) and Canadian Security Intelligence Service
(CSIS).
Reyat is seen in the book being fed a story by Indian government agents. That story almost exactly matches the story he told in his plea.
, Patiala reviews the book as "A gripping tale, cleverly told with clarity and brevity...delves into areas where solid proof is often elusive and evidence rarely follows a straight path". There are many other critics, mostly from Canada and India, who point out that this book simply well written propaganda
for Sikh separatism.
This book was later viewed by the official Commission of Inquiry in Canada as a work of fiction based on the events surrounding Flight 182
especially after the guilty plea by Inderjit Singh Reyat
In 1992, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
indicated that it possessed no evidence to support the allegations made in the book that the Government of India was involved in the Air India bombing. In response to the allegations made by the book, the book was banned in India.
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
). The authors define Soft Target
Soft target
Soft target is a military term referring to unarmored/undefended targets needing to be destroyed. For example, a soft target would be an automobile, a house, or assembly of people while a hard target could be a main battle tank or a well defended installation...
as "an espionage term used for any country, institution or group of people very easy to penetrate and manipulate for subversive purposes" and argue that the Canadian Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
community was a "Soft Target" of a covert operation by the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n government during the 1980s. The book also makes a bold claim that Indian intelligence agencies not only penetrated the Sikh community in order to discredit them world wide and halt the momentum of the demand of an independent Sikhs state, but also manipulated the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
(RCMP) and Canadian Security Intelligence Service
Canadian Security Intelligence Service
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service is Canada's national intelligence service. It is responsible for collecting, analyzing, reporting and disseminating intelligence on threats to Canada's national security, and conducting operations, covert and overt, within Canada and abroad.Its...
(CSIS).
Book organization
The 1989 edition is partitioned into 10 chapters. The authors claim that though the book is written in the form of a spy-thriller, and that all of the facts and documentation are real.Reprint of 2005
The book was republished in the acquittal year of the 2 accused in the case due to absence of evidence although a third accomplice, Inderjit Singh Reyat pleaded guilty.Reyat is seen in the book being fed a story by Indian government agents. That story almost exactly matches the story he told in his plea.
Reaction
I.J. Singh from the editorial advisory board of 'The Sikh Review', Calcutta and 'The Encyclopedia of Sikhism', Punjabi UniversityPunjabi University
Punjabi University, located at Patiala, is one of the premier institutions of higher education in Punjab, India. Panjabi University teaches and researches in science, engineering and technology, humanities, social sciences, performing arts and sports....
, Patiala reviews the book as "A gripping tale, cleverly told with clarity and brevity...delves into areas where solid proof is often elusive and evidence rarely follows a straight path". There are many other critics, mostly from Canada and India, who point out that this book simply well written propaganda
Propaganda
Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
for Sikh separatism.
This book was later viewed by the official Commission of Inquiry in Canada as a work of fiction based on the events surrounding Flight 182
Air India Flight 182
Air India Flight 182 was an Air India flight operating on the Montreal–London–Delhi route. On 23 June 1985, the airplane operating on the route a Boeing 747-237B named after Emperor Kanishka was blown up by a bomb at an altitude of , and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean while in Irish airspace.A...
especially after the guilty plea by Inderjit Singh Reyat
In 1992, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
indicated that it possessed no evidence to support the allegations made in the book that the Government of India was involved in the Air India bombing. In response to the allegations made by the book, the book was banned in India.