Prime Minister of India
19, Safdarjung Road,
New Delhi - 110011
Dear Dr Manmohan Singh,
On May 29, 2004, soon after you took over office as the Prime Minister of this country - an office sworn to the principles of fair play outlined in the Constitution — we had written to you seeking justice and redressal for Tehelka and its investor, First Global, asking you to reverse some of the monstrous extra-constitutional assaults we have suffered at the hands of the Establishment.
Today we are writing to you again, reiterating that plea for justice. It is in the highest interests of the country that justice is not only done, but seen to be done, for Tehelka and First Global. Like the bloodbath in
The story of Tehelka is a familiar one. We broke an important story. The story was not about a few individuals, it was about systemic corruption in the sensitive area of defence procurement. It demanded a clean up of the system. Instead, every arm of the Government of India was unleashed against us, and our investors, First Global. While the system worked overtime to protect the guilty, Tehelka and First Global were put through the most rigorous and arduous investigations. We have withstood that scrutiny for three and a half years. We have even been given a clean chit by the jpc. But the course of justice remains unserved. The treatment meted out to Tehelka and First Global is an outrage. It violates every moral code and norm of public conduct.
Perhaps for some justice to be done, it is important to spell out what shape that justice can take. For us, it is this:
1 ) Tehelka wishes the Government to scrap the Justice Phukan Commission of Enquiry. Any examination of the inquiry process so far will reveal the disgraceful lies, witch-hunting and malafide positions taken by the Government of India within the Commission. The entire focus so far has been in distorting the truth, not revealing it. The targeting of Tehelka and First Global, and the baseless focus on the forensic examination of the Tehelka tapes — even after Justice Venkatswami had twice declared them to be genuine — is nothing short of a scandal and a dilatory tactic to delay the course of justice. In any case, with Tehelka withdrawing from the farce of the inquiry process, the commission has become a travesty as everyone currently in the commission is seeking the same thing — exoneration.
2) Justice Venkatswami had prepared a report on the 15 real defence deal transactions that were thrown up by the Tehelka tapes. The hearing on this was held in camera. Tehelka demands that this report be tabled and made public. The content of that report is of highest public interest and must not be swept under the carpet.
3) Tehelka and First Global have suffered immense emotional, financial and professional costs over the last three and a half years that we have been victimised by the Establishment. We have been brutally punished for doing the right thing. Both companies were forced to shut down their offices, lay off employees. We demand material recompense from the Government of India for the loss of livelihood and business of scores of professionals. Rather than litigate and move the courts for this, Tehelka wishes the Government to take the initiative on this and seize the high moral ground. Set up a body of eminent citizens of impeccable professional record. Let them assess the damages inflicted on both companies and name a sum for recompense.
4) The conduct and stand of the Government of India in the Tehelka tapes case has been shockingly immoral. Tehelka demands that the Government should now investigate and penalise all Government servants and bearers of public office who have committed perjury in the Commission of Inquiry and seriously compromised themselves and the reputation of the State of India by lying on sworn affidavits bearing the august seal of the Government of India.
5) The victimisation of Tehelka and First Global outside the Commission is a shocking story in itself. Every investigative arm of the Government — cbi, sebi, Income Tax, Enforcement Directorate, etc — has filed dozens of baseless cases against us, and continues to harass us. Three and a half years of this intense scrutiny has thrown up absolutely nothing against us — precisely because there is nothing to throw up. We have been jailed, raided, and dragged through courts. All this is political vendetta, and should be withdrawn and redressed immediately.
The entire country looks up to you as a man of impeccable integrity and honour. Three and a half years ago, we had looked up to Prime Minister Vajpayee to seize the moral ground, ensure justice and live up to his office. We had looked up to him to set the correct precedents and be a model of public conduct. We had looked up to him to make history. We were disappointed, and subsequently destroyed.
We turn to you now with the same expectation. Ensure justice is done and send out the correct message to the nation. Since the change of guard at the Centre, there has been a lot of effort to reverse the dire decisions of the earlier Government with regard to the iims and the saffronisation of history textbooks. Surely Tehelka and the values it stands for — fearless journalism, blowing the whistle on wrongdoing and corruption — are as important, if not more important, for the health of a democracy. We hope your Government will not paper over the wrongs done to us.
Hoping for early action, and a reply.
Tarun J. Tejpal
Editor-in-Chief, Tehelka
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