It remains a mystery that when its scientists were accused of selling technologies which did not exist in ISRO, ISRO's leadership did not say to the public that they were searching in a dark room for a black cat which was not there, points out Ambassador T P Sreenivasan.
B G Verghese, the eminent journalist, characteriSed journalism as the first draft of history, but continued his ethical journalism till the end of his life.
But John Mundakkayam, a reputed journalist, having created many drafts of history in his reports and features, has moved to recording history, based on his experience, knowledge, and research.
After the resounding success of his first effort, Solar Visesham, the truth behind the solar scandal -- basically a domestic matter which had a deleterious effect on a popular chief minister -- Mundakkayam has written on an even more sensational spy scandal, which reverberated around the world.
In his dispassionate account of the scandal, we have the truth as testified by the judiciary, which acquitted most of the accused.
The book has established that the trigger was the sexual frustration of a police officer, who was rebuffed by some women from the Maldives who had overstayed their visa in Kerala.
What followed was total chaos created by politicians, police officers, investigating agencies, and ordinary people, who wanted to use the opportunity to settle scores with an array of innocent people and made them suffer physically and see their careers and family lives lie in ruins.
Like Lady Macbeth did, we should all lament that 'all the perfumes of Arabia cannot sweeten our little hands.'
The title of the book in Malayalam, Charam (ash) as against Charavrithy (spying) is a master stroke.
In one word, the author has proclaimed that what was considered a burning fire was nothing but sheer ash.
With the realisation that much of what had been reported turned out to be fiction, he thought it was his duty to proclaim that the spying story was just charam.
Much of the material in the book had been published at one time or another as the spy story unraveled itself, but in the book, the journalist turned historian has analysed the material anew and created a logical narrative, establishing that much of the story was the creation of the rich imagination of the newspapers and the investigating agencies.
He had known most of the dramatis personae one way or another and, therefore, he has no hesitation in proclaiming many of the accused as innocent.
In a way, the narrative is intended to atone for the injustice meted out to several innocent people, who suffered on account of exaggerated reports based on rumours.
It was not possible at that time to believe that the information given by the investigating agencies was false.
He believes that his book -- even after the passage of years -- has done some justice to the victims.
One fundamental question he raises is why the obvious fact that ISRO did not possess the kind of technology that was alleged to have been leaked -- and even if it had, it was not the kind of technology that could be parceled out of the laboratories -- was ignored.
It remains a mystery that when its scientists were accused of selling technologies which did not exist in ISRO, ISRO's leadership did not say to the public that they were searching in a dark room for a black cat which was not there.
One statement like that would have ended the whole affair and the Maldivian women, who were characterised as Mata Haris, would have been jailed or deported for overstaying their visas and trying to influence low-level policemen with their assets and attributes.
Mundakkayam cites an example of how some speculative reports -- such as the claim that a visit by then prime minister Narasimha Rao to Trivandrum at that time was somehow connected to the spy scandal and that the prime minister's son was somehow involved -- were not carried.
The author had found out through his own contacts that the story, which was carried in the media, was not true. There was even criticism that he was not giving full coverage to the story.
Even ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan, he says, was critical of the reporting of some aspects of the story.
The book clarifies these issues adequately. The dilemma of journalists when faced with incredible, but sensational stories comes out clearly in the book.
Mundakkayam answers many questions relating to the scandal, but many others remain -- particularly why ISRO did not intervene in the early stages of the case.
He does not try to answer that question, but it could well be because of the fear of the leadership that any effort to intervene in the case might reflect on their own integrity if the story turned out to be true.
If they were made of sterner stuff, the personal tragedies suffered by innocent people could have been avoided.
Rocketry and nuclear science evoke personal and international rivalries and so no one was willing to take a risk.
Mundakkayam's Charam has been characterized as the 'last word' on the most sensational spy scandal that rocked Kerala and the scientific community in general.
Such a conclusion is perhaps too early to reach. After burning Joan of Arc at the stake, the executioner says in the epilogue of George Bernard Shaw's play, 'We have heard the last of her!' A wise man exclaims, 'The last of her? I wonder!'
In another era, Joan of Arc became a national heroine of France and a Roman Catholic saint.
Who knows when a Maldivian or Russian ghost will appear with a dark secret many years later?
Ambassador T P Sreenivasan is a long-time contributor to Rediff.com.
You can read his earlier columns here.
Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff
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