Senior journalist Chitra Subramaniam unveiled her latest book, Boforsgate: A Journalist’s Pursuit of Truth, in Bengaluru on Saturday, March 29. The book revisits her pioneering investigation into the Bofors scandal—one of India’s most significant political and defense procurement affairs. The scandal, which erupted in the late 1980s, played a pivotal role in shaping Indian politics, even contributing to the electoral defeat of then-Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. But the book is not just about Bofors, it also narrates the toll the mammoth investigation took on Chitra’s life and her family.
After the launch, Chitra engaged in a conversation with journalist Vasanthi Hariprakash, reflecting on her decade-long pursuit of the truth. She described the moment she first obtained classified documents exposing the multi-crore Bofors arms deal kickback, hoping that it was false. However, the scale of corruption eventually changed the course of Indian politics. “I received the documents about the scam when I was in Geneva. These were leaked to me in a period of 10 years,” she recalls.
Speaking at the launch, Chitra recalled how the scandal exposed Rajiv Gandhi as an inexperienced and politically unsavvy leader.
"When the Bofors scandal broke, Rajiv Gandhi came across as an inexperienced and unsavvy politician," she said. Referring to his initial reaction, she added, “Rajiv Gandhi’s denial of his or his family’s involvement in the Bofors scandal was an odd thing to say for a prime minister because that was not even the allegation. This triggered me to investigate the case further”.
At the time, Chitra was working as a United Nations (UN) correspondent in Geneva when Swedish State Radio first reported that bribes had been paid to Indian officials for the purchase of howitzers from the Swedish arms manufacturer Bofors. Over the years, she uncovered crucial documents and details that shaped the national discourse on corruption and accountability.
Chitra also revealed that a decade after the scandal broke in 1987, Switzerland had sent a box of “secret bank documents” to India, which included bank account numbers, fund transfers, and names of individuals linked to the money trail. However, she alleged that no Indian government has acted on these documents. "Money always goes from bureaucrat to bureaucrat," she added.
When asked whether the Bofors scam still holds relevance today, Chitra was unequivocal. "Of course. It has legs and it has a heart. The Bofors story is not over. It is up to a new generation of journalists to investigate it further. It is their country too and I know that there are many who believe in the country," she said.
Reflecting on the challenges she faced while investigating the case, she said it was “Junoon for her country” that kept her going. “I knew that something wrong was being done to my country. And that right and wrong is very clear to me,” she said.
Chitra also spoke about the struggles women journalists face in earning respect. "It is very, very difficult to earn respect as a woman even today. Because you're constantly being talked down to," she remarked.
At the launch, she spoke about the personal and professional costs of her investigation, the ethical dilemmas she faced, and the challenges of being a woman in a male-dominated field. She also addressed the impact of the scandal on India’s defense sector and governance.
Boforsgate offers an insider’s account of political corruption, media scrutiny, and the struggle to report the truth. The book is now available in both Kindle and paperback editions.