Exploring the Bofors Scandal: A Deep Dive into Its Consequences and Unresolved Issues (Book Review)

New Delhi, March 10 (NationPress) The scandal damaged the reputations of two renowned Prime Ministers (one posthumously), revealed the corrupt nature of the international arms trade and its connections with politics, and compelled the banking haven of Switzerland to revise its stringent laws to assist foreign governments in uncovering significant corruption cases.

All this, for a weapon system that had a legitimate chance of winning the competition independently, as we learn, and indeed went on to prove its value shortly thereafter.

The Bofors artillery gun scandal, involving politicians from various backgrounds and agendas, eager arms manufacturers, shadowy yet influential arms dealers, stubborn bureaucrats, dedicated prosecutors, and even a Bollywood superstar, could easily have been crafted by authors like Fredrick Forsyth or David Baldacci, or even John Le Carre, to weave one of their gripping narratives.

Nonetheless, it is journalist Chitra Subramaniam, celebrated for her extensive decade-long coverage from Switzerland concerning the intricate details of the scandal, who takes on this endeavor.

In “Boforsgate: A Journalist's Pursuit of Truth” (Juggernaut, 328 pp, Rs 899), she provides a comprehensive account of the incident that led to the downfall of the Rajiv Gandhi government in disgrace, marred the political careers of many, and exposed the hypocrisy of Swedish global peacemaker Olof Palme and his nation, primarily based on her own reporting and experiences.

Remarkably, as she confesses, she had to determine “What on earth was a howitzer” and consulted the UN Library – in those pre-internet days – to find out!

Detailing her life and career to explain how she came to be residing and working in Switzerland when the scandal erupted in April 1987, Subramaniam recounts how this entire sordid affair emerged in a rather absurd fashion. A Swedish bank sought clarification from a senior Bofors executive regarding some clandestine large payments made by the company into Swiss bank accounts. The Swedish banker had no issue with the transfers but questioned their classification – and the secrecy surrounding them, compelling the executive to present a copy of the contract, detailing the provisions, to substantiate his point.

This inquiry likely laid the groundwork for the Swedish Radio report in April 1987 alleging bribery in the Bofors arms deal with India, igniting a scandal in New Delhi, and leading to requests for updates from Subramaniam – then a stringer for the Hindu.

Despite having been in the profession for less than a decade, being married for just four years, and expecting her first child in a few months, Subramaniam meticulously built a network of informants stretching from Switzerland to Sweden, obtained classified documents, and while in an advanced state of pregnancy, spent hours in government offices in Geneva sifting through vast registers to trace the companies whose names surfaced in the financial trails.

Her upcoming baby’s crib became a storage space for the papers and documents she accumulated, and she laid them out on the floor while attempting to trace the money trail.

However, as she illustrates, her journey was fraught with difficulties – her family’s anger at her commitment to the story despite her newborn, periods of discord and silent tension with her husband, and a boss who seemed to have his own motives, showing no regard for her confidences and promises to sources.

Additionally, she faced external pressures – bribes, including at least one suitcase placed on her desk, offers of higher-paying jobs, intimidation, with her bank account hacked and funds deposited, escalating to threats against her son, vandalism, and attempts to sabotage her efforts, culminating in character assassination.

Yet, amidst these adversities, she identifies “Tom and Jerry” and “Uriah Heep” (after a rather unpleasant character from Charles Dickens), with the latter being labeled as the most vicious. Conversely, there were supporters, such as “Snowdrop” in Switzerland – who even promised her protection, her version of “Deep Throat” in Sweden, named “Sting”, who generously provided documents - albeit at his own pace.

There was also a suave Swedish arms dealer in Geneva whom she dubbed “Kaa” from Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Books, who gave her a candid and unfiltered view into the world of arms deals, serving as a sounding board for some of her findings – including the probable size of the bribe.

While most of these figures remain under pseudonyms, “Sting” revealed his identity 25 years later as Sten Lindstrom, a former head of the Swedish police in an extensive interview included in the book, where he shares his insights on the case and its investigation, particularly by India, his motivation for becoming a whistleblower, and the involvement of Rajiv Gandhi.

Moreover, adding to the book's value are her interactions with one of the Hinduja brothers, Arun Nehru, V.P. Singh, bureaucrat Bhure Lal, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, a young Arun Jaitley, etc., forming a brief part of the Indian inquiry, as well as an enlightening interview with flamboyant former Army chief Gen K. Sundarji, who was in office during the entire episode.

A few minor shortcomings include the list of dramatis personae at the beginning lacking identification, along with small inaccuracies such as misidentifying the legendary long-time Saudi Oil Minister Sheikh Yamani as Egyptian, and an Indian Prime Minister as S. Chandrashekhar instead of Chandra Shekhar.

Overall, Subramaniam does not aim to play judge regarding the roles of Rajiv Gandhi and the two Aruns – Arun Nehru and Arun Singh, among other queries, but presents her account of her findings and discoveries – and what the eventual result was.

The truth was encapsulated in the evidence delivered to India by Swiss officials in 1997 – yet remains concealed.

(Vikas Datta can be contacted at vikas.d@ians.in)