Sonia dares govt to make Bofors papers public
Madhuri V Krishnan in Bangalore
Sonia Gandhi today dared the government to make public the Bofors papers to clear her late husband's name once and for all.
The bold statement surprised the 50,000-strong crowd which thronged the National College Grounds in Bangalore on Thursday.
''Five Opposition governments have come and gone and still the
truth remains to be revealed,'' former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi's widow said. ''I have told the authorities to tell us once and for all the names of all those who are involved in
the Bofors case and take action against them."
''As you all know, my husband was a victim of malicious and slanderous allegations in the Bofors case.
Let me tell you I will be the happiest person
when the Bofors papers are made public and my husband's name
is vindicated. It will be proved beyond doubt that this
was an attempt to destroy his reputation.''
Tactfully phrased, the speech, drafted by bureaucrat-turned-Congress joint secretary Jairam Ramesh, was impassioned and bold. Her statement was apparently aimed to offset the campaign planned by the Bharatiya Janata Party and other Opposition parties who have threatened to make Bofors an
election issue.
Earlier, as police sirens sounded her arrival at the venue -- decorated with tricolour banners and four 60-foot cutouts of Rajiv Gandhi, Sitaram Kesri, Sonia and Priyanka -- the crowd stood atop yellow plastic chairs, craning their necks till the bullet-proof white Ambassador, with three antennas atop, screeched to a halt just behind the podium.
Sonia entered the dais exactly at 1600 hours, waving to the crowds. She walked to the other side of the dais, peered toward a particular section of the crowd, and waved. Her daughter Priyanka was absent at the rally.
Extremely slim, with just a hint of make-up, including lipstick,
Sonia wore no jewellery, except for an oversized watch. A grey
Kanchi cotton saree with a maroon border was expertly draped by
the lady, coupled with casual leather sandals.
The crowd, some perched atop tree branches, heard her speech with rapt attention as jasmines and marigolds were showered by a
white helicopter which circled the venue more than six times.
Sonia's speech was translated with much improvisation by
H M Rao. It began appropriately in Kannada -- "Karnataka bandugane, Makar Sankranti shubash e galu'' (my Karnataka brethren, happy Makara Sankranti).
Sonia began by saying that Karnataka was special to her family for two reasons: ''Though the Congress lost the election (after the Emergency), the state still gave my mother-in-law Indira Gandhi a ticket from Chikmagalur.'' The second reason was that ''my husband launched his career by establishing the Youth Congress in Karnataka''.
She described Bangalore as a city filled with flowers and sunshine, a city which is inspiring for the number of scientists and artists that it has produced.
And poignantly, Sonia shared her reason for being in isolation. ''The last seven years -- after my husband's assassination -- have been of sorrow and introspection. I had become an extremely private person with a grief which was very personal. But at the same time I travelled around India a lot and observed people who offered their sympathy and shared my grief so warmly. It is something I will always be grateful to the people of India.''
She added that these people shared with her their concerns
for an India which was propagating ''communalism and violence''. They were also cynical about politics, she said.
''I am anguished by the exploitation of the poor and the deprived, especially women who are the most vulnerable. And like you, I am deeply disturbed by those who put their narrow selves before others instead of taking care of the interests of those they serve.
''The Congress founders and the leaders at the helm share the Congress dream of an India free of poverty, ignorance and disease. And to build a dynamic India, a compassionate society where health and education are available....
''The Congress was the only party to realise these dreams... It had its share of ups and downs in the past, but it is finally the only party which can provide a stable and effective government which will work to the benefit of all its citizens.''
And every time she waited for the translation, Sonia looked around and waved to the crowd.
''We stand on the threshold of the millennium.... My husband
devoted his life in preparing us for the next millennium. Though his voice may have been silenced, his message will be
carried on and the coming election will decide whether we want
an equitable society or we slide back into an era of distrust and
inequality.''
She added that she learnt to love ''our country from her late
husband and mother-in-law''. Her family's highest sacrifices instilled in her ''a sense of commitment and dedication'' that she feels today.
Her concluding statement, once again meant to rouse the crowds
and hit the final nail on its head, was delivered passionately.
"In the face of such campaigns, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi
stood steadfast in protecting their goals and ideals. Like them, I, too, will not be deflected from the cause of bringing in a stable, strong and purposeful government. The Congress is the only party which can provide it. Vote for the Congress.''
Sonia's next stop was an iftar party hosted at former Union minister C K Jaffer Sharief's Palace Hotel, off the Race Course Road in Bangalore. A ten-minute namaz, followed by a meal of dates, cold drinks and fruits.
No one is sure whether Sonia ate anything as her official taster was absent. But she said ''Ramazan mubarak," and mingled for about 15 minutes with the 5,000-odd VVIP crowd. The fare? Mutton biryani, Chicken green masala, dalcha (dal curry) and a sweet dish of dal meetha.
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