We owe a collective debt to the Hindu, for an outstanding act of journalism. I refer to their latest revelations on Bofors which have yet again, underlined one simple reality: in the field of arms procurement this is the greatest scandal since Independence. The irony of it is that the more desperately our. government attempts to shake itself free of this  miasma  of corruption  the  more  obstinately  it  sticks.  When,  therefore,  our  prime minister made his latest effort, on the occasion of his 25th attempt at cabinet-making, he  volunteered  some  very  original  comments;  of  astounding  illogic  and numbing triviality. He said, in essence, that firstly, these documents establish that "no politician is  involved"  in  the payoffs;  then  secondly,  that  the  Hindu  report  corroborates"  (an incredible  assertion  this),  the  findings  of  our  Joint Parliamentary  Committee;  and finally,  that  as  these  documents  are,  according  to  his  information,  based  on  the Swedish  Public  Prosecutor  Ringberg's  report,  therefore,  there  ought  to  be  no  doubt about  the  conclusions,  because  Ringberg,  Rajiv  has  suddenly  discovered,  holds  a position of autonomy. This new-found enthusiasm about the credentials of the Office of the Chief Public Prosecutor, in Sweden, is truly mind-boggling; because in all these many months when he-(Ringberg) was conducting his enquiry, not once did our Joint Parliamentary  Committee  either  assist  him  or seek  his  co-operation.  Indeed,  our government went so far as to actually decline to co-operate with him when he specifi- cally sought such assistance.

The  government's  case  had  four  principal  planks:  That  there  are/were  no "middlemen",   "agents"   etc;   that   as   these   do   (did)   not   exist,   therefore,   no "commissions"  have  been  paid,  ("only  winding-up  costs")  and,  finally, because  no "commissions"  have  been  paid,  hence  (by  some  curious  process  of  deduction)  "no Indians are involved". Which being the case, of course, "no politicians are" ditto; so QED.  Very  dubious  logic  here  somewhere.  Of these,  the  first  three  stand  shattered beyond  repair,  and  if  our  government's  track  record  is  anything  to  go  by then  the fourth,  about  the  "politicians"  is  also  about  to  expire  very  soon;  for  whatever  Rajiv Gandhi denies, comes uncannily to happen, in time.

Let  us  examine  this  a  bit  more.  It  now  stands  established  that  Bofors  had "agents". These were, Svenska Inc, Moineau SA (Pitco/Moresco) and, A&E Services Ltd. It is also, by now clearly established that these three "front" companies had three operators, namely: Messrs. Win Chadha, the HIndujas, and Major Wilson respectively. Further, that these three "agents" received "commissions" amounting to Rs.64 crores, and  did  so  until  March  1987.  In  all  probability,  they would  happily  have  continued forever,  had  ,  Swedish  radio  not  raised  an  alarm  in  April  of  that  year,  which  our prescient government had then promptly dubbed as "false, mischievous and baseless". What  remains  to  be  established is  the  eminence-grise  of  these  companies.  In  which context we must record that Bofors are not such dim-witted ninnies as to part with 64 crores of goodies  to  second  rankers.