Praise for the Book

The book is well-backed by research. It is unrelenting, incisive and penetrating without being either brazen or repelling. The scandal concerning Dreyfus, who was accused of treason and sentenced to life imprisonment, divided public opinion in France in the last years of the 19th century and the early years of the 20th century. He was eventually exonerated and released from prison and his case came to symbolise miscarriage of justice across the world. The sad part about the Rafale case is that, in all probability, little may come out of the investigations taking place in France, unlike its progenitor, what Zola wrote in “J’accuse.” I hope I am wrong.

Shantonu Sen

former Joint Director, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)

This is not a simple narrative but a complex one. At the heart of it, the Rafale story is about why India paid 40 per cent more for equipment whose price had been settled. But it carries within a multitude of other problematic things. Why did the government of India, and in fact the prime minister personally, take up for renegotiation that which was already settled? Why, unusually for this government, was there pushback from the bureaucrats, whether in the defence ministry or the production facility at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), and how was it managed inside?

Aakar Patel

former head of Amnesty International in India

I am happy to note that Ravi Nair and Paranjoy Guha Thakurta have brought out this extremely well-researched book on the infamous Rafale deal which has rocked the politics of India for years. The deal was directly negotiated by the Prime Minister himself and, therefore, responsibility for it lies with him. It is a pity that the Indian media, barring a few honourable exceptions, have not done their duty in this case and have joined the efforts of the government to bury the scandal deep. The courts have not been very helpful either. But truth, especially truth that is inconvenient, has a knack of appearing at odd times because it cannot be suppressed forever.

Yashwant Sinha

former Union Minister for External Affairs and Finance

... what we can be sure about is that the political and moral questions underlying the scandal will not go away. To get a firm grip on these questions, as well a critical insight into the performance of institutions—the executive branch, Parliament, the armed services, the investigating agencies, the Supreme Court of India, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, and the news media... I can think of no surer guide, no better resource than this book.

N Ram

former Editor-in-Chief of The Hindu