New Delhi, 8 November 2005

Congress Slips On Volcker Slick

PARLIAMENT MUST SEEK TRUTH

By Poonam I Kaushish

Child is the father of man, wisely said renowned poet Wordsworth. In the political lexicon, it translates into: Child is the downfall of man! History, both ancient and modern, shows that many a father has fallen by the wayside, thanks to the misdemeanors of their sons. Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan rightly told his progeny in one movie Rishtey mein toh aap se chote hain, waseh apke baap lagte hain!

How else should one react to the unfolding saga of the UN oil-for-food programme (OFFP) scandal which has suddenly engulfed the Congress and the External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh in a burning inferno and singed the UPA Government. Even though India’s stake in the $1.82 b global scam is only a measly $63 m

True to style, the Government has gone into a denial mode and hastily rubbished the report. On the ground that the facts mentioned in the report were “insufficient” to arrive at any “adverse” conclusion. Forgetting that only fools rush in where angels fear to tread. Would it not have been better to first set up a probe, collate evidence and yell blue murder that they had been unjustifiably implicated for all the wrong reasons, only after the findings had given a clean chit to those accused. Imperialist designs, what else?

Needless to say the Government finds itself on a sticky wicket. For mainly four reasons. One, it cannot project the report as  “partisan” and one designed to malign a developing country as the Volcker Committee was set up by the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan after the UN Security Council had endorsed the Resolution 1538 on 21 April 2004.

Two, the Committee sifted through over 12 million pages of documents before making its report. In fact, Volcker himself struck an unequivocal cautious note in the report’s preface that “the Committee emphasises that the identification of a particular company’s contract as having been the subject of an illicit payment does not mean that such a company --- as opposed to an agent or a secondary purchaser with an interest in the transaction ---- made, authorized or knew about an illicit payment.” Besides, was the panel prejudiced wholesale against international leaders and companies it named? British Labour MP Gallaway, giants like Daimler Chrysler, and US, Russian and French oil companies and banks.

Three, the three-member panel was constituted after careful deliberations and much thought. Volcker is the former chairman of the US Federal Reserve Board, Mark Pieth, a Swiss law professor specializing in tracking transnational corruption, money laundering and organized crime and Justice Richard Goldstone, a former judge of the South African Supreme Court and prosecutor of the International Criminals Tribunal who reportedly made his reputation by taking up cudgels against apartheid. Surely, he can’t be termed as working against the interest of a developing country.

Four, as the Opposition has rightly pointed out, one cannot eagerly solicit membership of the Security Council and yet indulge in UN bashing! Also, one fails to understand what purpose a legal notice to the World body would serve. Is the Congress hoping to whitewash its sins by detracting attention from the main issue? Working on the premise this would be old hat by the time another scandal surfaces, given India short public memory.

Five, by promptly rubbishing the report without any investigation we have shown that we still need to mature as a responsible democracy. No other country has arbitrarily denied the charges. On the other hand Russia, Australia and New Zealand have already initiated inquiries.  Even the politicians named have so far advisedly chosen to remain quiet. Discretion, after all, is the better part of valour.

Volcker, on his part, has minced no words to state that any legal notice to him would not carry much weight as under the UN Charter, he could enforce privilege not to say anything other than what is stated in his report.  Two, he has made it clear that he had written to all those (alleged to have been) beneficiaries of the OFFP, but received no response from a majority of the recipients. Three, the list of beneficiaries was based on the records of Iraq’s Ministry of Oil, its State Oil Marketing Organisation (SOMO) and The Iraq Bank. Four, till the scandal broke, he was not even aware that Natwar Singh, mentioned among the 2500 - odd beneficiaries is presently India’s Foreign Minister! 

For reasons best known to him Natwar Singh trashed the report as a US-sponsored campaign against those who fought for Saddam and sees it as a punishment for coming out in support of Iraq.  Recall, it was on behest of the Congress that the then BJP-led NDA Government had got the Lok Sabha to pass a unanimous resolution “condemning” the US invasion of Iraq and standing by its beleaguered President.  It now appears that there was more to it than met the eye!

Clearly, this has compromised Natwar Singh’s ability to handle effectively India’s most important and crucial relationship with the US.  As matters stands, for the Capitol Hill anyone who figures in the Volcker report is a strict “no no”. Even as the whirlpool of accusations gets murkier, it is indeed strange that all have largely remained mum on the second “accused”– the Congress Party.

Understandably, the Grand Dame of Indian politics too is eager to deflect attention from its alleged misdeeds as it goes the whole hog in playing a “hurt and injured” role as a bystander needlessly dragged into the unseemly controversy.  As the events continue to unfold there is lot more to the Congress pretentious stance of innocence until proven guilty than meets the eye.  In fact, the Congress “crime” seems to be more serious than that of Natwar Singh. An individual is expendable, but not a party, especially one that led India to its freedom. That spells not just bad news but a national tragedy.

At another level, the controversial saga has dented the Congress party’s carefully crafted image of upholding the highest moral standards.  The coyer the party plays, the bigger the spots get on Sonia’s spotlessly clean image.  Post Bofors, this is the first major scam to hit the party under the Gandhi Parivar. Obfuscating it is not going to be easy.

All in all, the last word has still to be said on the issue. Manmohan Singh has wisely decided to set up a committee to get to the “root of the matter”. A panel which will hold a thorough and time-bound inquiry. The Congress, too. should do the same. Natwar Singh needs to be complimented for announcing that he would make a suo moto statement in Parliament on the matter, when it convenes later this month. But that would not be enough. Singh’s statement and the findings of the panel set up by the Government should be fully debated by both Houses of Parliament.

The issue is not only about corruption in high places, probity and morality but more important of people’s trust. The public is entitled to know what happened. For the aam aadmi to repose faith in democracy and its leaders, truth is vital. For the country, the listing of India’s historic Congress as a beneficiary is more damaging than the indictment of an individual. The Congress needs to come clean, instead of confusing the issue. It is a question of national honour and international prestige. Specially, against the backdrop of our country being listed as one of the most corrupt nations in the world. A strong message has to be sent that India and its politicians are not for sale! There should be no scope for any doubt. ----- INFA

(Copyright India News and Feature Alliance)