This is in the nature of a reality check. The response to the Volcker Committee Report appears to be taking on a life of its own. Part of the problem is that it has become intensely politicised. Now India has a well-established legacy of argumentation, but let us also be mindful of the rules of the game.The fact is that the issue involves the government of the day, and a serving minister. As this newspaper has argued, it is for the Congress party and External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh to set their house in order, and we can only hope that they do this expeditiously and effectively. Having said that, we would also like to state unequivocally that there is no room whatsoever for fantasies to be peddled as facts and wild conspiracy theories to be given the patina of truth. Ultimately, there are issues of national interest involved, and flat-footed attempts to embarrass the present government to score political points may well prove to be an exercise at tarnishing India’s reputation and standing on the world stage. Whatever our internal political differences — and there are many in a country as vibrant, even chaotic, as ours — we have always presented a united face to the world. Let us always be conscious of that foundational principle as a controversy that has both distinct domestic and international ramifications has the nation in its grip.So let us get the debate on this issue right. This is not a mud pie throwing contest. It is about getting at the truth and to do so not for political gains, and certainly not to target individuals within the Congress for the sake of embarrassing them, but for the sake of Indian democracy. If the system demands correctives because of the Volcker Committee revelations, we need to address them. That, ultimately, should be the reason why we demand to know the truth.
