The central government has agreed to look into whether the Havana Syndrome might exist in India. In the Karnataka High Court, which was considering a request for a probe into the unexplained ailment plaguing the nation, the government issued a submission to this effect last week.
Bengaluru resident A Amarnath Chagu filed the suit, asking for an investigation into the illness in India and steps to stop its spread there. The attorney for the Centre has committed to investigate the situation in a timely way, with the investigation to be finished in three months.
Havana Syndrome is a term used to describe a set of mental health symptoms experienced by US intelligence and embassy officials in various countries. The symptoms include hearing sounds without any external noise, nausea, vertigo, headaches, memory loss and balance issues.
The syndrome first came to light in 2016 when US officials stationed at the country’s embassy in Havana, Cuba, began reporting these symptoms. The exact cause of the syndrome remains unknown, but it has been linked to high-frequency microwave transmissions.
A US intelligence agent who was traveling to Delhi in 2021 with William Burns, the director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), apparently showed signs of the Havana Syndrome.
Havana syndrome, What is it?
CIA personnel stationed in Cuba reported having strange symptoms in 2016, which led to the discovery of the unexplained ailment known as Havana Syndrome. Among them include excruciating headaches, ringing in the ears, exhaustion, and in some extreme cases, brain damage and cognitive impairment.
The disease, which was given the name Havana after the city where it was originally noted, has now been brought to the attention of US government authorities and military personnel stationed at numerous locations across the globe.
Havana Syndrome can cause a wide range of symptoms, from ear pain and ringing to cognitive problems. Additionally, hearing loss, memory loss, and nausea have been mentioned by some people. There are numerous hypotheses on the precise etiology of these symptoms, from sonic weapons to widespread psychogenic sickness.
Even though research is ongoing, there is presently no known treatment for Havana Syndrome. The probable causes and remedies for this puzzling illness are still being investigated.
Most recent US reports on Havana Syndrome?
The US has spent several years gathering data, conducting studies, and examining the victims’ medical records, but has yet to produce any proof that the “microwave weapon” actually exists. Nobody appears to understand how this weapon works or what its mechanics are. Another issue is how the so-called weapon is able to target particular persons while ignoring everyone within its field of effect.
Some US medical professionals have categorically refuted this hypothesis, describing the disease as a psychiatric condition compounded by pervasive dread of being targeted.
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In 2023, a report by a number of US security agencies came to the conclusion that it was improbable that an American foe abroad could be responsible for the “anomalous health incidents”. Cuba’s Vice Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio told Reuters in an interview after the report was released, “This conclusion…confirms what we already knew,” adding that the US government “leveraged” it to sour relations with Cuba.
Havana Syndrome in India
The episode from 2021 was the only instance of the syndrome that had been documented in India as of July 2023. According to sources in the Indian security establishment, no weapon with such capabilities was in the possession of an Indian agency as of 2021. Even if there was, given the delicate nature of intelligence operations, it was unlikely that the government would acknowledge having acquired such counter-espionage equipment.
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But why would an Indian agency choose on the United States? They are our closest allies given the geopolitics of today, an intelligence official told
“Even if we were to believe that the Chinese or the Russians were able to bring in such technology without our knowledge, once such a thing comes out, it adversely affects relations between our nation and theirs. Another intelligence official questioned, “Why would they take that risk unless they also intended to harm us?”
Another former R&AW officer asked, “If a foreign power is doing it, why will they target the US alone? ” without downplaying US concerns. Why don’t other nations report the same thing? There have been no comparable reports from officials of any other nation anywhere in the world, with the exception of the Canadian embassy in Havana. This is not to imply that the US claims might not be accurate. Though it’s a curious case.
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