Wikileaks and the UPA

The big story doing the rounds these days in the country is the leaked diplomatic cables regarding the Government of India. These leaks are being released by The Hindu, and have caused quite a stir in the entire country, and no matter what the truth, or the conspiracy theory, no doubt many facts are tumbling out of the closet.

Some, according to many, were known already and these leaks are only a vindication of their stand, such as the cash-for-votes in the Parliament in which the Government paid Members of Parliament to vote in favour of the US-India Nuclear bill. Crores were paid under this same accord to Ajit Singh's MP's to vote in favour of the bill, but apparently, they still voted against!

The leak causing the biggest agony is the one of Congress politician Satish Sharma's aide showing an American agent/diplomat/whatever chests of currency to be paid to the Members of Parliament!! Before saying anything else, I just want to say that this whole issue is way bigger than you and I, and the kind of parlays that must be taking place at the highest level of governments are unfathomable to at least my mind. There must be a hundred other factors involved here, and I really don't know what is wrong and what is right. I never was a fan of the CONgress, so these leaks only reinforce my dislike for them, but can any ruling politician be that disloyal to their country for money? Especially when one is a part of the government of India? I want to believe that this is not true, and despite the billions these politicians have stashed away in Switzerland or where ever, they too draw a line somewhere beyond which they will not betray their country.

When one tries to read into the entire issue, there are many questions that crop up. Why is The Hindu releasing these leaks? Why is The Hindu releasing the leaks now? etc etc. People are discussing the relationship between the newspaper and the government, the newspaper and the Commies of India, the commies of India and the US Government, the US government and the Indian government, and we can go on and on and on trying to read in between the lines. Apparently, this is where the politicians flourish, because they can deny everything and call it heresy. I mean, the basic question you can ask is - why would that person show the cash to the American official in the first place? That raises another question - was the cash from them? If you recall, the UPeeA government had conferred the Padma Bhushan on Indian-American hotelier Sant Singh Chatwal. Apparently he is one of the financiers of the deal to buy MP's for the nuke vote. So was that a reward for his work?

Another big question that came up in the past few days is the extent to which the US government has influence over the UPeeA government. I mean, after all, both governments had billions at stake in the nuclear bill, with each nuclear power plant, to be built by western companies, costing at least USD 10 billion, and when something costs 10 billion US dollars, a million here and a million there doesn't really matter!

There's another issue which is being raised online and possibly even the media - the American pressure on the government to buy American planes, for their multi-billion dollar deal for advanced jet fighters. This whole issue arises after the leak which talks of something called a Keralite mafia in the Prime Ministers Office. I think the whole issue started with the shunting of Mr. MK Narayanan as the National Security Advisor after he was apparently too hawkish on Pakistan. Now we all know that Prime Minister Singh has a very altruistic view towards this country, and according to the leaks, that lead to the former being shown the door.

So to add another twist to this theory, now people talk of the other Keralite in the Cabinet, the Defense Minister Mr. AK Antony. Now apparently Mr. Antony has not yet succumbed to the American pressure to buy American planes (and I hope the government never does!) So could this be a calculated step by the US government to show our politicians at the helm how they have their numbers all dialled up? I mean, they say that Mani Shankar Iyer was removed from the post of Petroleum Minister because he was critical of the Americans.

However, there are two points which the UPeeA Government is making in the Parliament which really puts me in a camp against them. One - the issues of the 14th Lok Sabha are irrelevant in the 15th Lok Sabha, and the second, the Prime Minister says his government got the people's mandate when they won again, so they had the people's support. It is this cavalier attitude, or should I say, excessive confidence in their own abilities, that really unnerves me.

In this entire episode, I haven't even talked of the media yet, and the role they have played, and maybe are still playing. This country already saw the reach of the fourth estate when the Nira Radia expose first came to light, and even now, there are people crying afoul of how some sections of the media, particularly New Delhi Television (NDTV), is trying to portray that the BJP is at fault here and trying to malign the Congress's image.

The next few days will be interesting. There will be a lot of talk, a lot of hot air, a lot of allegations and counter-allegations, and the country will see clearly how governance at the highest levels functions in this country, and how India is now the latest stooge of the good ol' US of A (that which I personally believe to be true).