'Last four years of UPA II have been a very bitter experience, when my own seniors in the government lodged forged enquiries against me.'
'The then Tele com Minister Dayanidhi Maran warned me. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh later told me that I must listen to my minister, else I may get into trouble.'
Days after his self-published book ‘The Complete Story of Indian Reforms: 2G, Power and Private Enterprise-A Practitioner’s Diary’ came into public domain, Pradip Baijal (bottom, left), former chairman of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai), spoke to Nivedita Mookerji on what made him write the book, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh telling him to cooperate with then telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran, being hounded and harassed during the UPA years, questioning by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and more. Edited excerpts from an e-mail interview:
After your latest book was published, has former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh spoken to you or sent across any message to you? If yes, what did he have to say?
No, he has not.
Your book talks about the former PM telling you to cooperate with then telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran. Did the warning come directly from Manmohan Singh or through any other person in the government of that time?
Maran warned me. Former PM later told me that I must listen to my minister, else I may get into trouble. I told him that if I listen, there would be a scam which no one will be able to handle. That happened after I left, and no one was able to handle, despite all diversionary tactics I have described in chapter 13 of the book.
Didn’t you think of making these disclosures earlier? What stopped you from doing so?
I could not have done that. UPA was harassing me, and the telecom enquiry was going on and on, despite my full explanation of the issue very early during the probe, and also Trai's affidavit in Supreme Court. I started writing the book in early 2014. Unfortunately, I had to undergo quadruple, seven blockage bypass and was recouping for three months. Thereafter, I e-published part I in March and the full book in late April this year. After excerpts were published from the book in May, everyone started questioning me.
Did you have to confront politicians and bureaucrats, when you say you were ''hounded''?
I was investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation and Joint Parliamentary Committee. None in the government took my calls. I felt like an outcast…
Do you have any regret, now that you have made the disclosures?
I was harassed for four years and discredited by the proven false cases. Intensive propaganda of the so called wrong-doings was also done. All this false propaganda was weighing on my mind, so I had to disclose facts before everyone, to prove my credibility. Once I did this, a huge load came off my head.
Why do you think Dr Singh wanted you to cooperate on matters that were unethical and not right? What is your assessment?
Please read the facts given in the book. I cannot assess.
What has been the overall response to your book from current bureaucrats, former bureaucrats, politicians, industry leaders and media?
I do not know, and cannot assess. Media response was intense.
Is there anything more that you wanted to write, but you held back? If yes, is there another book coming?
I would not like to close my options. At present, the answer is 'no'.
What is your state of mind now, after the book? Are you happy or disappointed and angry?
Last four years of UPA II have been a very bitter experience, when my own seniors in the government lodged forged enquiries against me. Having narrated the truth, I am very happy now.
What would you say have been the biggest achievements for you as a bureaucrat and then as Trai chairman? And what was the biggest disappointment?
I cannot judge - others can. Telecom regulation achieved a lot for the country, as accepted internationally, and explained in the book. There has never been such telecom growth in any country, and our growth in some periods was three times that of China – that was a great satisfaction. The biggest disappointment is the enquiries I had to face, after implementing the impossible tasks in telecom and divestment.
