One Life is Not Enough

by K. Natwar Singh

On 24 March 1986, a 285-million-dollar contract was signed between the government and the Swedish armaments company, Bofors, for the supply of 410 155-mm Howitzer guns. About a year later, on 16 April 1987, Swedish radio alleged that Bofors had paid kickbacks to a number of Indian politicians and key defence officials for this deal. The opposition parties went for the kill and targeted Rajiv Gandhi for his alleged involvement in bribe-taking. I felt then, and still do, that the Prime Minister could have handled the matter in a more nuanced manner. All that Gandhi had to do was to appoint a committee of senior officials under the chairmanship of the Cabinet Secretary to deal with the Bofors issue. Inevitably, this would not have satisfied the Opposition, but could have saved him from venomous attacks on his integrity. He could have exercised nuanced restraint. This he did not do. Instead, he plunged into the Bofors mud. Some of it stuck.