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The Great Wall of Chennai

By the time this column hits the ether, you'll have read everything there's to read on the latest power-play by Jayaram Jayalalitha. At the time of writing, headlines run the gamut from "AIADMK moots new alliances" to "Congress Ready To Form Government." It's obvious: Rediff will be on the campaign trail very soon. Whichever way the die falls, meaning, whether I'll be writing from home or from Tihar, of one thing I'm certain: the Shroud of Turin and the Great Wall of Chennai have found common ground, viz, M Karunanidhi.

Forget the eyewash on Vishnu Bhagwat, Georgekaka and the JPC; all the parties know that the sacked navy chief cannot and will not be reinstated. The bottom-line is that JJ needs to control the corruption cases against her -- cases filed by the TN government. How can the dismissal of Goggles not be paramount to all other considerations? As for the Shroud, she had always insisted that the CBI investigate the CM's role in the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi. Now, that issue will be more than convenient for wrenching sympathy votes for a poor widow tirelessly carrying forward her late husband's selfless services to the nation... India is nothing if not a nation of suckers.

Even so, I'm not a bit touched by what Moopanar bowls, or from where the casteists and pinkos will field, or how the Congress strategises, or if the BJP keeps a straight elbow. It's normal contemporary politics, and these players have varying degrees of legitimacy to be on centrefield. For instance, whatever I may think of Laloo or Mulayam, I still can't deny that they have an army of citizens behind them...

However, that can't be said of the one trouper in this sordid drama who manages to bring up all my bile: Subramanian Swamy. I simply cannot understand how he can be in a position to hold India at ransom. It shames me that people with the ethics of a wall lizard can influence the polity. It shames me that I have to mention his name. It shames me that analysts should be forced to dwell on the intricacies of tea parties... This is not what the nation's founders had in mind when they chose the model of Democracy.

Vir Sanghvi had once written that the Congress "giggled helplessly when Subramanian Swamy declared that Jayalalitha wanted him to be finance minister in a Congress-led government." Spoken too soon. Since Swamy last made use of his chosen area of specialisation -- the science of holding media conferences -- it's clear that the Congress is giggling no more. For it's plain that the Shroud can form a new government if only she keeps the Great Wall happy. And for power, the Congress can sell anything...

They say that the BJP is divided into a Vajpayee faction and an Advani one. I don't know if that's true; seems tricky. As an outsider, I've had little to reject about the home minister; and I've sometimes been angered by a scheme or utterance from the prime minister -- only to conclude that it was the correct course, after all... Both are highly intelligent and upright men, and haven't ever come out against each other. Which makes me believe that the Press has simply been trying to provoke a dissension (the word for it in Bambaiya is "ungli").

However, at the moment, the grapevine says that Atalji would like to compromise with the Great Wall whereas Advaniji is stiffly against it. If so, then I'm wholly Advani's gal. There *has* to be a limit to yielding. There *must* be an end to concessions. The defence minister of India cannot and should not be sold down the river just to keep the corpulent corrupt in roses. And if that costs the BJP governance -- so be it. I don't think I could stomach George being humiliated simply because it's the only way to stay in power. That is wrong. That is the Congress way. It is not a matter of weakening the party or the government. It's about Ethics.

I must say, the events have made my adrenaline race in strange directions: I don't much care what's about to happen to the BJP -- one of the first lessons one learns about politics is that nobody is indispensable: whoever leads, India will go on. But I'm simply dying to know how some allies will react. What is Chandrababu Naidu going to do? Will he support a Congress government with JJ and Swamy as centrepieces? It would be a pity if he does... Naidu's always struck me as an uncommon politician. Let's face it, he's the only chief minister who did anything good for his state this last year... In December, when the Congress sponsored a censure motion on price rise against the government, Naidu had categorically stated that the TDP would not support any move against the government. Will that still hold true...?

And what about Farooq Abdullah? At various times, he's come out as more to the right than the right! "We cannot allow ourselves to be mute ducks in Pakistan's proxy war in Kashmir." "Time has come when we must consider resorting to harsh options to stop bloodshed of our people. Enough is enough." "I K Gujral failed to stop Pakistan in pursuing its nefarious plan to make people of Kashmir fodder of their cannons"... No doubt, this glib, urbane and savvy politico will never adopt a collision course with the central government, whichever that may be. But before that, which way will his vote fall...?

As for Balasaheb Thackeray, there should be no doubts. Even if his own party's days are numbered, he won't turn coat on this issue (...I hope). The Trinamul's Mamata Banerjee, who has also given many a sleepless night to Atalji, seems an unlikely candidate to patch up with the Shroud and become a CPI-M ally in Bengal. But, as they say, politics makes strange bedfellows...

I mean, who'd have thought that a man who had been a campaigner against nuclear weapons all his life, who had fought against even nuclear power, who had studied for a Catholic priesthood, would one day become a raging advocate for the Indian bomb and the staunchest ally of Hindu com-div-fundie forces...? I've been in love with Georgekaka from go. Not for the way his forelock curls onto his forehead, but because he's never said anything I disagreed with. And I've disagreed with even Advaniji!

Last October, when I'd gone to see the Indian Army's exhibit of weapons captured from Kashmiri terrorists, I'd had a long chat with a cute young uniformed thing. Some of his remarks stay with me -- in a cassette, mind you: "George has raised the morale of army. He's come [to the front] at least four times in 3 months. Others didn't come in even 3 years. My soldiers are getting used to seeing him, he's one of us. He eats what we eat, he talks to us; hume sho-sha nahi karna padta... George made an effort to find out what our problems are. Ek baat kehni padegi, pehle-pehle, we were worried about his leftist background -- our experience of them has not been good. But this chap is a simple man, and he's also hot-headed. We understand him. His clothes are rumpled, he doesn't wear khadi. But he's our man. For the first time we feel someone is looking after us." Case khal-laas.

So who are the chief protagonists against George?

One, Swamy. But let the secularists speak... RSP leader Abani Roy: "Two days ago, he was with the BJP. He signed their national agenda. And now he is talking about forming a secular front. Who will believe him?" CPI secretary Atul Kumar Anjan: "He is an autonomous body in himself, so he does anything that pleases himself. He can sign on the national agenda for governance formulated by the BJP one day and on the next he can form a secular front."

Two, the Great Wall of Chennai. With corruption cases filed against her by a "progressive" government. Jailed for 28 days for having amassed wealth "disproportionate to known sources of income," an estimated Rs 500 million in alleged kickbacks. Had refused to concede the Opposition's demand for an enquiry commission into the Mahamagam incident when over 100 people died in a stampede after Sasikala and she took a dip in the Kumbakonam tank. Chose to order only an enquiry headed by a revenue officer. Now wants a JPC for Bhagwat.

Three, the Shroud of Turin. Without being an Indian citizen, became a director of, and took monthly wages and bonuses from Maruti Udyog. Became an insurance agent to earn millions as commissions on account of Maruti. Controls the assets of the public-money-endowed Rajiv Gandhi Foundation -- headed by foreign multinationals -- which blankly refused to have its accounts audited as required by the authorities. (No need to mention the 'B' and 'Q' words.)

Four, Vishnu Bhagwat. Interesting story: The CBI has evidence to prove that the blacklisted arms agents, Makalu Engineering Pvt Ltd (representing M/s Zarya Corporation of Ukraine, the sole supplier of gas turbine engines and its spares to the Indian Navy), had been operating freely during Bhagwat's tenure as Chief of Naval Staff. A confidential report sent to the ministry of defence firmly established a link between Makalu and Rear Admiral Suhas Purohit, acting chief of logistics, and proved that Purohit had led three delegations to Moscow where spares worth Rs 500 crore were contracted.

Two naval attaches, Commodore Ramsay and Commodore Mathews, had sent reports to the then CNS, Vishnu Bhagwat, stating that Purohit's delegations were received by agents of Makalu and that they were present during the meeting between Indian Navy officials and their Russian counterparts. The report had taken serious objection to their presence. Nothing was done.

The orders to initiate the CBI inquiry against Purohit was made by former DM Mulayam Singh -- in December 1997. He had also ordered Purohit's immediate transfer. The question being asked is: Why did Vishnu Bhagwat stall all attempts to initiate criminal proceedings against Purohit despite overwhelming evidence of his involvement with arms agents?

From all I've assimilated, the Bhagwat affair stinks. The charges of communalism made by Niloufer, her claim that her husband had to pay for her decision to oppose the Shiv Sena, are mere diversions. There has to be a good reason why the Congress made a half-hearted attempt to stand by Bhagwat -- and made JJ the gofer... The Purohit case is the first clear evidence of commissions paid in defence deals since Bofors. It's big money at work.

Ach! Why'm I talking about Bhagwat? His case has little to do with the forthcoming storm -- the winds of which began to whirl when that first bus left for Pakistan... Ooh, the chair had begun to edge away... Oh well, enjoy it, babe. I can't wait for when you have to meet the Press... Everyday...

Varsha Bhosle