Zaire Had One Mobutu, India Has Hundreds

Commentary

JAI SOMANATH

There was a small news item from Washington, DC, the nation’s Capital that the ‘Zaire’ Dictator Mobutu, who has now fled the country he looted mercilessly, had given money to even the Chair-man of the House panel investigat-ing campaign fund-raising, the redoubtable Dan Burton ((R-IN). That Burton is a habitual India-basher is beside the point, though very important as he has been badgering a lobbyist for Pakistan to dish out $5,000 for his own campaign, it is alleged.

In this episode even the name of former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir (Bhutto) Zardari is also mentioned. The Justice Department wants to question her and a sub-poena has been served on her.

The story of Mobutu- Burton ‘love affair’ is interesting. Burton backed an effort by the then Zairian Dictator Mobu-tu Sese Seko to visit the United States in 1995 after having accept-ed campaign contributions from Mobutu’s Washington lobbyist over several years.

Burton also has given House floor speeches over the years praising Mobutu’s efforts at democratic reform.

A spokesman for Burton, John Williams, said last week that the Congressman’s position on Zaire was influenced partly by the sup-portive role the African country played in funneling supplies to US-backed rebels in neighboring Angola several years ago.

"The Congressman has done nothing illegal," Williams said.

US Governments generally had been supportive of Mobutu for de-cades, but the relationship has soured since the African leader failed to make good on several promises since 1991 to turn the country over to civilian rule.

Burton has taken $4,500 in campaign contributions over an eight-year period from Edward van Kloberg, a lobbyist for Zaire.

Burton also took at least $5,000 from Mamadi Diane. Diane found-ed the tax-exempt Zaire-American Research Institute, an advocacy organization.

And who is this Mobutu exactly, he toured India as a State Guest some time back, probably twice and was one of the leading lights of the Non-aligned Movement also.

Mobutu Sese Seko Kuku Negbendu Wa Za Banga (the all powerful warrior who because of his endurance and inflexible will to win will go from conquest to conquest leaving fire in his wake) has now left Zaire, however, leaving not fire but a rich legacy. [But as soon as he departed the new leader had the name of the country changed to Democratic Republic of Congo. Whether that change will ultimately bring any democracy is also another matter.]

The rich legacy Mobutu left, however, pertain to his own self not to the country he ruled with wile and guile as well as unmitigated cruelty all these years since 1960. He had the blessings from both Western countries as well as such evangelists as Pat Robertson who gave Bibles to Zaire children while taking their diamonds in return. Even though blessed with resources, Zaire and Zairians remained dirt poor only due to Mobutu whose insatiable appetite for ill gotten wealth netted him any where from $5 billion to $10 billion making him as rich as any fortune 500 company. He systematically and ruthlessly looted his country leaving the nation poor. It was said that he amassed so much wealth that he could sign a check that could wipe out all the national debt of that poor country. But he was signing checks for buying palatial mansions, hotels and other properties in several African and European countries. And all the so-called guardians of democracy in the world, headed by the mighty United States, were notng their mouth to tell him to change, or go.

What must interest us, from South Asia, is the remarkable similarity of his methods with what was done to India by ‘dynasty’ as well as ‘non-dynasty’ political leaders. The methodology proves the astute and very keen observation of Indira Gandhi that ‘corruption is a worldwide phenomenon.’ It is indeed an international hobby and pastime of the politicians, bureaucrats and, of course, the criminals. For common interests these three come together. So what was done in India was nothing new to Zaire, or vice versa.

Swiss banks, foreign lands from Belgium to Ivory Coast, from Switzerland to Morocco hold Mobutu’s loot. So does black money from India that finds its home abroad stashed away in secret numbered accounts contributing to growth and development of Western countries at the expense of poor in India. Mobutu as President officially appropriated 15--20 per cent of the Government budget and 30-50 per cent of the capital budget. Whether it was foreign aid, foreign investment or domestic enterprise, Mobutu was on the take. He could pick up the phone and call the Central Bank in Zaire to deliver $500,000 and the money would arrive within minutes, just like you get quick help by dialing 9-1-1.

So what! Our Lady of Emergency did just that. Nagarwala delivered Rs 4,000,000 as quickly as he could. And that was just peanuts compared to today’s standards. Harshad Mehta delivered in now famous suit case Rs. 10,000,000! Mobutu had state owned copper, cobalt, diamond mines deposit officially all their export earnings, at least $1.2 billion into his private account.

India can easily top that. Anywhere from $4 billion to $5 billion were obtained from banks and stock markets. And one who took from an Indian bank is now India’s Finance Minister! And another one was India’s Prime Minister.

Like in Zaire, in India also corruption enjoys official protection. When the said bank scandal raised protest, immediately the Government acted-- perhaps fastest response on record. All the Secretaries and Ministers got together and passed a law that says the bank officials cannot be investigated unless they themselves give permission! And Ministers, so called because they minister to their own needs, and not to the country, already enjoy immunity. Because they too are exempt from any probe or trial unless the fellow politician --a Chief Minister, Governor or Prime Minister-- gives permission. That is why Laloo Prasad Yadav of Bihar is a free man still enjoying the perks of office because State Governor Kidwai wants to conduct an in-depth study of the charges by CBI. He uses the excuse of false charges on Advani. If there is a twisted logic, this is the one.

Advani’s case was decided in a court of law but not in a back room of Governor’s mansion. Let Laloo too face the court to prove his innocence or guilt. But such niceties are not for the exalted adoring the chairs as Governors or Chief Ministers. If they cannot help each other, like Finance Ministry helping corrupt bank managers, who will help them? CBI tried. They ably covered up all the tracks in case of Bofors which remains still a mystery as to who the ‘lotus’ is in whose account the Swiss banks have plenty of funds. The courts and the Judges, who by and large, amazingly remain honest in the sordidness surrounding them are prodding CBI to probe further and bring the culprit before the courts. And the people too dejected by corruption are rejecting the corrupt at each and every chance they get.

Mobutu must have advised his officials, ‘if you want to steal, steal little by little but not all at once.’ This is how it operated in India too. They used to steal little by little because the tenure was secure as long as they could fool all the people for some of the time with slogans such as ‘socialistic pattern of society’ or ‘Garibi Hatao.’ But by the time Rajiv Gandhi came to power, the tenures became uncertain and the appetite became voracious so much so ‘Mr Clean’ himself estimated that only 15 per cent of any money allotted for public works ever reaches the goal--to get the work done. The rest 85 per cent is ‘swallowed.’ Even this figure was improved upon in case of Urea scandal. All 100 per cent was eaten or swallowed in that case with India spending Rs. 1350, 000, 000 with not a single bag of urea to show for it. And before that, thousands of tons of sugar was swallowed too with a net loss to the country anywhere from $300,000,000 to $400,000,000!

Zaire is a small country and has no democracy. So most of the loot went to one man, Mobutu and a small elite band of his own men. But India is a big country, despite the best efforts of those from Nehru to Gujral, each giving away chunks of it or engage in negotiations to do so. India is also a democracy, the largest, as we are all being told all the time. Hence instead of one Mobutu we have hundreds scattered all over the country. A mere Municipal Councilor in the tiny State of Kerala becomes a multimillio-naire by the time he leaves office. So what to speak of Finance Ministers and Chief Ministers and Prime Ministers.

But two things Zaire is doing have not been done in India yet. One: the rebel leaders have requested Swiss Government to freeze Mobutu’s assets. And they have obliged at least in case of real estate holdings of the Dictator while they are still to touch his bank accounts. But even in the case of latter, when Shah of Iran threatened to break relations with Switzerland, they obliged giving him the list of Iranians holding secret bank accounts. When will any Government or opposition leader in India do that? It is not impossible even if it requires some genuine effort which may be difficult under the prevailing circumstances to unearth stashed funds by India’s crooks in offshore banks from Canary Islands to Mexico or from Amsterdam to Zurich.

Second: The rebels, whatever was their motivation, have driven out the corrupt, undemocratic looter Mobutu from the Motherland.

When would India and the Indian people drive out the corrupt and bring back the riches they have stashed in India and in foreign countries!

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