Fixing the corrupt
by
AJ Philip |
Defence minister’s goodness doesn’t solve problems
Defence Minister AK Antony is often referred to as Saint Antony by both his friends and foes. Though his political career spans over half a century and he occupied such prestigious posts as chief minister of Kerala, not even his bitterest critic has ever accused him of corruption or nepotism. He leads a spartan life and is a byword for incorruptibility.
Yet, Antony is now embroiled in a controversy with some political leaders even calling for his resignation. It all began with the army chief, General VK Singh, approaching the Supreme Court against the minister’s decision regarding his date of birth. The court did not give the general any relief but he dropped a bombshell last week when he told The Hindu that one retired Lieutenant-general had met him a year ago, offering a bribe of $2.8 million to buy 600 Tatra-brand trucks for the Army.
Antony admitted in Parliament that Singh had informed him at that time about the bribe offer made by Lieutenant-general Tejinder Singh (retired) but he could not take any action as the general did not complain in writing. But the moment the issue became public and it rocked Parliament, he asked the Central Bureau of Investigation to inquire into the allegation.
Subsequent revelations that Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad had forwarded to him a letter received by Congress president Sonia Gandhi alleging corruption in the purchase of Tatra trucks exposed the chinks in Antony’s defence. It’s true that the minister had marked the letter for inquiry but he does not seem to have followed it up, as is clear from the fact that 30 months later, the inquiry has not reached anywhere.
The issue is not about Antony’s personal integrity, which is unimpeachable. Rather, it is about corruption in the defence sector, for which the budget allocation this fiscal is $44 billion. India has the biggest arms import budget in the world.
Nearly two decades ago when a Swedish radio reported that bribe was paid by Bofors, a Swedish arms manufacturer, for selecting its guns, then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi made a statement that there was no “middleman” between Bofors and the government.
However, it was proved that there were indeed “middlemen” who were paid huge “commission” by the Swedish firm. Since then the common refrain of successive defence ministers has been that middlemen were no longer entertained by the defence ministry. As it transpires, Tatra Sipox (UK) from which public sector Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) buys trucks in knocked down condition is indeed an agent.
Claims made by BEML authorities that the UK firm is part of the eponymously named Czech firm Tatra have been proved wrong. It did not require an investigation by the CBI to find out that the UK firm is owned by an Indian who holds a British passport. That he happens to be on the board of the Czech firm does not make the UK firm its subsidiary, let alone its integral part.
Apart from business worth millions of dollars that Tatra Sipox (UK) has done in collaboration with BEML, the company has done little else. In other words, the UK firm is indeed an “agent”. What is surprising is that Antony has remained blissfully unaware of the middleman’s role it has been playing. Since he is committed to end the broker raj in defence, he should have been proactive in dealing with Tatra.
Whether the trucks are of poor quality or not, the point is why a Czech product should be routed through London when the BEML could have directly imported them. When the general told him about the bribe offer, the minister is reported to have put his hands on his head in utter disbelief.
A lot more was expected from Antony than an expression of disbelief. It is said that a good man is a useless man, unless he is able to assert his goodness. It may have been the general’s cussedness that led him to write a letter to the prime minister expressing his concern over the unpreparedness of the army to fight a conventional war, with army vehicles in a state of disrepair and lack of adequate ammunition.
More important than finding out who leaked the general’s letter is to find out how far his contention is true. As defence minister, it is Antony’s job to ensure that the armed forces are prepared to face any threat to India’s integrity. What the nation needs is not a wimp but a capable person, who can fix the corrupt and the crooked.
Oman Tribune
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