I would never under-estimate the Soviet influence in our country during the pre-Perestroika era. How else would I become a regular reader of ‘Misha’ (a Russian children’s magazine which now seemed to have achieved some kind of cult status thanks to its virtual disappearance) or participate in a rally conducted by a Catholic School promoting relations with the Soviet Union.
But when a former KGB intelligence officers sensational book implies that the Congress party, the Communist Party of India and most worryingly the Indian media was in the KGB payroll, I am inclined to dismiss it as another Ludlumisque long-drawn spy thriller, but for some meticulous details it provides.
Over the period of 12 years , Vasili Mitrokhin typed in 25,000 pages of sensitive information that he obtained from several KGB documents. When the Mitrokhin Archives finally came out, not less that three countries initiated parliamentary enquiries. It created a storm in India, columnists had a field time assessing Mitrokhin’s authenticity while political parties were trying to gain some mileage out of the affair. Inevitably conspiracy theories followed, putting the KGB name to assassinations of everyone from Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Lal Bahadur Shastri to Rajiv Gandhi and infering that Sonia Gandhi was a KGB recruit.
Certainly, many politicians in India was and still is corrupt enough to be bought. But the Mitrokhin archives overwhelmed even our wildest nightmares. Barring some like India Today’s cover story on the affair, the Indian media allegedly tried to trivialise the whole issue, possibly taking into account that the archives indicate that some leading newspapers and media houses were in the KGB payroll.
As any ex-KGB man like Vladimir Putin would reckon, the KGB seldom leaves a trail of its activities. And when it does, it promises to raise a stink.
I am still searching for an old Misha cover.
February 4, 2007 at 3:58 pm
In the post WWII era every one
who mattered in international politics
was in the pay roll of
either the KGB or the CIA.
Every country had dirty ‘secrets’
of links with major powers.
And not just with America or Soviet Russia.
Even if there were no authentic proof
it was not difficult to speculate.
That was how the ‘cold war’ was fought.
Not just with threats of nuclear attacks.
I fail to see the point you are making here.
Unless you have recently graduated
from Misha to reality.
February 4, 2007 at 4:41 pm
“Even if there were no authentic proof
it was not difficult to speculate.”
Thats the point little indian. It is defintely not difficult to speculate and that is why everyone is doing it.
Unless you are in the midst of this affair, there is no way you can be certain that all this happened the way it is described.
February 4, 2007 at 5:56 pm
Your blog’s title says ‘dirty secrets’.
It is a statement, and not a question.
You are telling us that
India had secret
connections (ie. co-operation)
with the Soviet Russia
which were dirty.
If it is all speculations then ‘dirty’
is a very strong allegation
without evidence.
By saying
…”As any ex-KGB man like Vladimir Putin would reckon, the KGB seldom leaves a trail of its activities. And when it does, it promises to raise a stink.”…
you are confirming your approval of authenticity
of Mitrokhin’s archives.
Even if what Mitrokhin records is 100% accurate
it was in the background
of a much wider battlefield of
espionage/counterespionage, politics
of bribery and or arm-twistings
of the Cold War.
What ever your inference maybe,
it is incomplete and misleading
if you do not put it
in this broader context.
I find that unacceptable.
I am sorry,
I still do not understand
which aspect of this is the ‘dirty’ bit,
and why.
February 4, 2007 at 6:06 pm
The title is a reference to the book.
I am sorry if it lead you to think that I approve of Mitrokhin’s archives. I am not making any inferences – these are merely observations.
And yes I do not dismiss the fact that it might be unacceptable, incomplete and misleading for you.
February 5, 2007 at 2:08 am
Given the recent Tehelka scams, general population has lost the trust and is ready to believe these allegations as mere facts.
Looking at those audio/video tapes where BJP preseindent was accepting money in the open and where we got a glimpse of how defence contracts were signed and discussed about percentages, iam ready to believe those allegations.
But the underlying question is, what did we compromise in return?
April 29, 2007 at 6:04 pm
A billion Indians watch indifferently as a 60-year- old battle for truth is smothered. Injustice has a new and most unlikely symbol. But then, there’s hope…
http://justiceforsubhas.blogspot.com/