'Restoration of King George'

By Inder Malhotra

As a subject of heated discussion, it has overtaken the war in Afghanistan, the U.S. Secretary of State, Gen. Colin Powell's visit to the sub-continent, the latest fashion show in the capital and even the newest romance in Bollywood. Some call it the ``Restoration of King George'', others the ``Return of Mr. Fernandes''. But the description is immaterial. The bitter truth is that this is one of the shabbiest episodes in the none-too- happy record of the BJP-led Government at the Centre.

Opposition parties, with the Congress in the lead, have angrily denounced Mr. Fernandes reinduction into the Cabinet to take charge again of the Defence portfolio from which he had to resign in March in far from savoury circumstances, as ``disgraceful'', ``politically immoral'' and an act of ``blackmail''. Unabashed BJP stalwarts have hit back by pointing out that these parties, too, have been guilty of equally crass impropriety. Didn't they support Mrs. Rabri Devi's continuance as Chief Minister of Bihar despite her prosecution in a court of law and even the swearing- in of Ms. Jayalalithaa as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu despite her conviction and consequent disqualification?

Quite apart from the obvious fact that two wrongs do not make one right, there is a vast majority of Indians that has no political axe to grind but is appalled by what the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, has chosen to do, reportedly because of his ``political compulsions''. this ambiguous expression has become a standard excuse for even the most odious acts of omission and commission.In any case, Mr. Fernandes was forced to resign eight months ago because of the public outage over the scandals exposed by the Tehelka tapes. These had showed, among other things, the then president of the Samata Party, Ms. Jaya Jaitly using his official residence to receive dubious arms dealers. She was seen and heard indicating her acceptance of ``donations for the party'' offered by them and assuring them that she would, if necessary, speak to the ``Sahib's office''. While quitting, Mr. Fernandes had declared that he would return to the Cabinet only after being exonerated by the Venkataswami Commission of Inquiry that the Vajpayee Government had appointed in place of the Joint Parliamentary Committee demanded by the Opposition.

Only the other day, the Commission certified the Tehelka tapes to be ``undoctored''. Its task is still far from complete, partly because the Government took months to give it office space and elementary facilities to function. Under the circumstances, Mr. Fernandes statement that he has come back ``only at the Prime Minister's request'' is arrogant while Mr. Vajpayee's declaration that ``there is no case against'' Mr. Fernandes is unfortunate and untenable. It is indeed an attempt to prejudge the findings of a judicial commission - a ploy that is made all the more regrettable because of the blithe claim that the Samata leader's rehabilitation would not affect the Venkataswami Commission's work! Can the triumph of expediency over the ethics be more patent and blatant?

Though most of the BJP leaders are busy defending the indefensible, there are some candid souls among them who admit that it had become necessary to end Mr. Fernandes's torment of being out of office. Otherwise, they say, he would have become a ``nuisance'' and a source of trouble for the NDA Government. This is reminiscent of a classic remark of Lyndon Johnson who, after designating, J. Edgar Hoover FBI's ``Director for Life'', told his shocked advisers, ``it is better that he is inside the tent and pisses outside than vice versa.''

There is an important aspect of Mr. Fernandes hasty return as Defence Minister to which adequate attention has not yet been paid but which cannot be ignored for long. Even while the Venkataswami Commission was carrying out its investigations, the Army had instituted an inquiry of its own against the officers who had figured in the Tehelka tapes for their apparently murky activities, including brazen acceptance of cash.

As a result of this inquiry, several officers were court- martialled. These proceedings are still on. One Major-General was not asked to face a court-martial. For the simple reason that in the course of the hearings by the Commission, the Tehelka reporters had retracted every single charge they had earlier made against him. There is nothing secret about this matter. The Commission's hearings are open and the entire evidence recorded by it is in the public domain.

And yet this officer has been slapped with a show cause notice as to why he should not be dismissed. How does this look when the Defence Minister has been brought back to his exalted post amidst high praise, in utter disregard of the ongoing inquiry? Wouldn't soldiers, sailors and airmen wonder and worry about the double and discriminatory standards that are being applied to politicians on the one hand and men in uniform on the other?

Such reflections are, of course, beyond the ken of the BJP's mini-Machiavellis who are preening themselves on having improved their party's position, through the sheer brilliance of their tactics, in the coming Assembly elections in U.P. and other States. They need to be told that tactical virtuosity, including Japan's at the first Pearl Harbour, has a habit of often turning into strategic stupidity.

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