Dare Bare Indians - A tale of sex and politics!

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A tale of sex and politics!

Vijay Soni

The sex scandal featuring Suresh Ram, the son of the then Defence Minister, Babu Jagjivan Ram had a sinister and seamy side too. It was, as experts say, a scathing political vendetta launched against Jagjivan Ram, the then Defence Minister in Morarji Desai's cabinet.

Narrating the mood of the time, Inder Malhotra, the eminent journalist says, "It was a transitional phase in Indian polity. Congress was defeated in the general elections in 1977 and Janata Dal, a coalition of loosely connected elements came to power. Within the Janata Dal, there was intense rivalry. Morarji Desai, Charn Singh and Jagjivan Ram, each vying for No. 1 slot, trying to undercut each other."

It was under these political circumstances, the photograph of Suresh Ram in compromising positions with a girl called Sushma Chaudhury decorated the central-spread of a monthly magazine called Surya. Maneka Gandhi, daughter-in-law of Indira Gandhi was the editor of the magazine.

"The photographs came to us also. But we refused to publish it. It was sleazy and in bad taste", say Inder Malhotra who was associated with one of the English dailies. "It was politically motivated and a bad game to be trapped in", adds Mr. Malhotra.

Politicians have often used sex scandals of their rivals to achieve their goals. But in case of Suresh Ram, the distinctive feature was, "He was neither a political figure nor a public personality. But Jagjivan Ram's detractors exploited Suresh Ram's philandering to the hilt", observes Mr. Malhotra.

The issue rocked the nation and it ended Jagjivan Ram's ambition to become India's Prime Minister. Prithvis Chakravorty, another eminent journalist who lived the moments of the time says, "Jagjivan Ram was a strong contender for Prime Ministership, and especially because his pre-election defection from Indira Gandhi had helped Janata Party formed government in 1977."

It was the time India forayed into political experiment, dumping Congress and electing Janata Dal to power. This was the first time; a non-Congress government was elected to power.

The change of vanguards also witnessed intense political conspiracy, personality clashes and deceits among top political leaders of the time.

A sulking Indira Gandhi who had tasted defeat for the first time in her career was desperate to seize power. The Janata Dal government, on the other hand was busy framing charges against her. They had only one agenda - to avenge the wrongdoings of Emergency and snub Mrs Gandhi's political career for future.

It was Janata Dal's internal dissention that gave Mrs. Gandhi a golden opportunity to play her cards. Janata Dal, which came to power in February 1977, was fundamentally a conglomeration of disparate elements of Congress dissidents, Morarji Desai, Jagjivan Ram, Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna (Congress For Democracy), Old Bhartiya Jan Sangh members like Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Socialist George Fernandes, Chandrasekhar, Mohan Dharia and Krishan Kant and Charan Singh of Bhartiya Kranti Dal.

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