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COVER STORY: DEFENCE ESTABLISHMENT
INTERVIEW: GEORGE FERNANDES
"To Say The System Is Rotten Is Rubbish"
Soon after Defence Minister
George Fernandes resigned, Deputy Editor Raj Chengappa spoke at length
to him. Excerpts:
Q. Why didn't you resign when the news of
the charges first broke out?
A. I did offer to do it in the
first cabinet meeting but it was not accepted as my colleagues felt it
was an attack on the Government primarily to destabilise it and play mischief.
Then the next day the National Democratic Alliance-except for Maneka Gandhi,
who suggested I should take the high moral ground-decided I shouldn't
go.
Q. So what finally made you decide to resign?
A. Parliament had come to a standstill and wild allegations had
been levelled against me, including being called a thief. The website
had made people believe that the Defence Ministry was a den of corruption
and thieves. I could not accept this any longer. There was another disturbing
thought that a bunch of people could carry out such criminal activity-which
I believe the website did-for eight months without any of the country's
intelligence agencies being aware of it. I shudder at the thought at what
they must have done to the entire security system of our country. It could
serve the interests of foreign countries. I felt that the damage done
to the country, to the morale of the people, and most importantly, to
the soldiers was immense and so I decided to resign.
 Q.
It is ironical that you who set out to clean the Defence Ministry are
now accused of tarnishing it?
A.
On the contrary I have succeeded in a great measure in cleaning up the
ministry. This whole thing is the result of it. Now arms merchants and
middlemen have no access. They are like fish out of water. In order to
prevent the kind of loopholes and also to see that middlemen are not able
to influence anything at any level I decided in January 2000 that every
defence deal from 1989 onwards would be examined by the Central Vigilance
Commission. It worked and those who benefited from kickbacks earlier are
desperate.
Q. But how would you explain major-generals
taking money?
A. Now
lets face it, we have a tried and tested method for defence procurement.
At the entry point itself you have to prove your product's worth. But
if somebody comes from London and asks how he can make an entry, then
in the course of that it is possible people involved get carried away.
However, to say that the whole system is rotten and porous is rubbish.
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Fernandes claims to have plugged the loopholes
but the scandal showed just how porous the system is.
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Q. The other allegation is that your house
is being misused by your party members including Jaya Jaitley.
A. I
am flabbergasted. My house doesn't even have a gate. Defence ministers
go with bullet-proof outriders. This defence minister walks and does not
have a chaprasi outside. I have never accepted security in my life. And
I will never close my doors to anybody. I use only a bedroom in my house.
The rest is for others. The Samata Party has its office here and all kinds
of people come and go.
Q. What about the allegation that Jaitley
took money to facilitate a deal and that too at your house?
A.
She did not take any money. The camera doesn't show it. And in fact she
is quoted as saying that if there was any injustice done to anybody such
people could approach us. There is no quid pro quo. As far as I know she
has never done it.
Q. How would you describe your relationship
with Jaitley?
A. She
is a party colleague and was party president till recently.
Q. And ...
A.
And we are very close friends.
Q. Hasn't your departure damaged the Atal
Bihari Vajpayee Government?
A.
On the contrary the Government will emerge from this crucible of fire
even stronger.
Q. So will you continue to be the perennial
rebel?
A. That
is a tag that isn't true. I have always fought against injustice in all
its forms and I will continue to do so.
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