#dnaEdit: Baijal’s secrets

The revelation is quite startling. Manmohan Singh apparently asked the former TRAI chairperson Pradip Baijal that he should abide by the wishes of the former telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran. What’s more — Singh warned Baijal that he could face dire consequences on defiance. This conversation could well have been part of a B grade Hindi gangster film. It is not. But it actually is part an exchange between the former Prime Minister and former bureaucrat Pradip Baijal, narrated in his book, The Complete Story of Indian Reforms: 2G, Power and Private Enterprise — A Practitioner’s Diary. 

Baijal also has harsh things to say about the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), its methods of investigation and subservience to the political masters of the day as well as the vindictive attitude of its officers. 

Not so long back, the former coal secretary PC Parakh too made the same point against the CBI in his book, Crusader or Conspirator? Coalgate and Other Truths. It is a fact that though the CBI had filed the First Information Reports (FIRs) against Baijal, it finally dropped the case because of lack of evidence against the retired officer.

Baijal’s confessions are sure to create a lot of media buzz. Questions will be raised once again about Singh and his role in the 2G scam. It seems to be the case that Singh was browbeaten by then telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran, and Baijal is right that the spectrum controversy emerges during Maran’s tenure. As a matter of fact, A Raja’s role is less controversial in terms of deciding spectrum policy. The letters that Maran wrote to Singh with regard to freeing spectrum reveal a defiant attitude on the part of then DMK minister. It is a stunning revelation that Singh, well known for his mild manners, had actually wagged a finger at Baijal, and threatened him in unambiguous language. If Baijal is indeed speaking the truth, he is then revealing a  hitherto unknown aspect of Singh’s personality — of being a petty tyrant — before the public. 

There are two problems with the Baijal’s revelations. First, why did he not speak out clearly and loudly when he was holding an independent regulator’s office as chairman of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI)? That was the time Maran was bending rules and Singh was shooting off warnings. Baijal was not a subordinate officer on the lower rungs of the bureaucracy, beholden to superiors, at that time. It would have then been truly honourable for him to speak out about the murky goings-on in the government, and play the role of a whistleblower. Taking that brave step would have made Baijal a hero. Without questioning the veracity of his narrative, it is indeed a matter of regret that Baijal did not speak at the appropriate time. His courageous act could have greatly benefited the country. The courage he is showing now should have been shown at the time when the subversions of law and norms were rapidly unfolding. 

Second, the reader of his book has no option but take Baijal at his word. Without casting doubt on the veracity of his version, it can be argued that the story is incomplete when it comes from a single source. There is need for some kind of corroborative evidence. A future historian who wants to write on the 2G scam would not be able to depend on Baijal’s version alone. The fact that Baijal is not telling the whole truth is evident from the fact that he does not mention the fact that the recommendations of the TRAI chairman are not mandatory. It is also not to be forgotten that Baijal was once a powerful and influential bureaucrat who was known to have his way in the corridors of power.