Bhagwat takes centrestage again

Bhagwat takes centrestage again
D N MOORTY

MARCH 14: He is probably the only Naval chief of a nation's Navy in the world to accuse his Prime Minister of ``high treason''. If Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee compromised the nation's security in his election speeches, as per sacked Admiral Vishnu Bhagwat's allegations, then the Raksha Mantri, George Fernandes, emerges as a villain who has virtually betrayed the defence forces.

Bhagwat, who only recently published the story of his sacking in his book Betrayal of the Defence Forces, is back in his elements, having risen Phoenix-like to consolidate the challenge he posed to the ruling political Establishment, thanks to tehelka.com's sensational corraboration to the Admiral's allegations.

The Admiral has, of course, reason to rejoice. When this paper contacted him over the phone to tell him that he must be the happiest man in India today, a jubilant Bhagwat responded with a chuckle asking: ``But tell me, are you not happy?''

The print and electronic media were once more at his doorstep. ``My day is full,'' he said, ``I am booked till 11.30 in the night.''

For a brilliant Naval officer, who has had to lead quite a turbulent existence to reach the apex of the Naval heirarchy to become its chief, Vishnu Bhagwat sees the issue, not merely as a vindication of his stand, but as a tragic phase of India under rulers who have made a mess of India's defence priorities -- so much his book declares loud and clear.

However, tehelka's exposures seem to have unnerved his detractors, not because of the dangers attendant on the fallout on a discredited defence establishment, but becuase of the possible ``danger of elevating him into a messaiah for the defence'' would pose, as a retired Naval Commander, who refused to be named put it.

``The media exposure Bhagwat is bound to receive will do more harm than good,'' the retired Commander said, ``for you people tend to churn out instant heroes or fall guys to account for a critical situation. Bhagwat's charges do not come out of the blue. Corruption in defence deals surfaced with Bofors and HDW long before Vajpayee and Fernandes came to the helm. Bhagwat is significantly silent when it comes to those deals.

Others too spoke, but none wanted to be named. Said a sailor, ``It is good that this has happened. What we need is a professional to head the Defence Ministry. One should not be given that post simply because he is elected and knows nothing about defence.''

Said defence civilian officer: ``So much is being made of Bhagwat just because he was a Navy chief. When a Navy Captain was wrongly accused of being a spy carrying atomic secrets to the USA and all of the Navy knew that the allegations were all trumped up, including Bhagwat, what did the Naval bigwigs do to save the captain? (The officer was referring to Captain B K Subbarao who was enmeshed in a spy case and was later acquitted of all the charges.'')

Incidentally, the last appendix in Bhagwat's book, is an article by M R Srinivasan, former chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission and Secretary Department of Atomic Energy, wherein Srinivasan completely exonerates Dr Subbarao of any wrongdoing. The article was appended by Bhagwat to show that the India's Advanced Technological Vessel, a euphemism for India's indigenous nulcear submarine project, was not leaked by Bhagwat as alleged by Fernandes.