Journalist: Mr. Ambassador, speaking at the Indian National Congress’s centenary celebration in Bombay, Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi unleashed a blistering attack on his own Congress Party, which according to him, had degenerated to a point where “brokers of power dispense patronage to convert a mass ‘movement into a feudal oligarchy.”
Ambassador: That’s right.
Journalist: He also lamented that “we have government servants who do not serve but oppress the poor and the helpless; police who do not uphold the law but shield the guilty, tax collectors who do not collect taxes but connive with those who cheat the state…”
Ambassador: Very correct.
Journalist: Won’t you consider his outburst transparently hollow and hypocritical in the context of wasteful $16 million expenditure on the celebrations? Do you think a poor country like India can afford such lavish extravaganzas?
Ambassador: Not in national interest to disclose.
Journalist: Mr. Ambassador, Rajiv Gandhi has described the attempt of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Mr. N.T. Rama Rao, to forge a common front of regional parties as antinational.
Ambassador: That’s right.
Journalist: On the contrary, in the opinion of Janata Party Chief Minister of Karnataka, Mr. Ram Krishan Hegde, emergence of regional parties in non Hiddu speaking states is no danger to India’s integrity as these parties are regional in character but national in outlook.
Ambassador: Very correct.
Journalist: How is it that Rajiv considers his congress party as National even though it derives its strength from Hindi speaking states only? Is it not as mush a regional party as D.M. K or National Conference or Akali Dal or Telegu Desam?
Ambassador: Not in national interest to disclose.
Journalist: Mr. Ambassador, Indian government and media specialize in blaming Sikhs for every act of violence within or without the country,
Ambassador: That’s right.
Journalist: In their anxiety to give the Sikhs a bad image, they habitually resort to incredible fabrications and labored manipulations,
Ambassador: Very correct.
Journalist: Don’t you think Union Carbide got the clue for its ‘sabotage theory’ in Bhopal Gas disaster from Indian government’s white paper on Operation Bluestar? If innocent Sikhs can be projected as extremists through army planted arms in the Golden Temple, can’t the Union Carbide get away from paying millions in compensation by blaming the Sikhs for the Bhopal disaster.
Ambassador: Not in national interest to disclose,
Article extracted from this publication >> January 10, 1986
