'Others also took money from Rao'
New Delhi, October 16, 2000, 1730 hours IST: Shailendra Mahato is responsible for ensuring former prime minister P V Narasimha Rao's court sentence. Mahato was part of the group that allegedly received bribes to vote for Rao's Congress government in 1993, but later he decided to sing in the courts.
Mr Shailendra Mahato (Mon Oct 16 2000 5:31 IST)
Good Evening. I am in Delhi, at Maurya Sheraton Hotel. Greetings to all of you. I am ready to give answers to all your questions.
Jeevan (Mon Oct 16 2000 5:30 IST)
Mr Mahato: Are you happy that Rao has got 3 years imprisonment?
Mr Shailendra Mahato (Mon Oct 16 2000 5:36 IST)
Jeevan: Jeevanji, I am not happy at someone's imprisonment. But in 1993 all possible steps were taken to save Rao's government by Narasimha Rao. And when the issue came to court, my country and the world wanted to know what all had actually happened. I have told the court the truth, and I didn't know what its results could be. Law works in its own way, and it has punished him. I respect the verdict, and I hope it would be acceptable to the world also.
Parekh (Mon Oct 16 2000 5:32 IST)
Mr Mahato: How much money did you take? And did you return the money to CBI or the government?
Mr Shailendra Mahato (Mon Oct 16 2000 5:40 IST)
Parekh: On this issue, I have already given evidence to the court. I don't want to say anything further. And, I have already told the court my willingness to return the money. The court will now complete the formalities.
amar (Mon Oct 16 2000 5:33 IST)
Mahatoji, pls tell us why you did what you did??
Mr Shailendra Mahato (Mon Oct 16 2000 5:43 IST)
Amar: I was not the leader of JMM. Then my leaders were Shibu Soren and Suraj Mandal, I was only a party MP. I was going according to their suggestions. Under their leadership, this work was also done. I had to listen to them.
Shashi (Mon Oct 16 2000 5:33 IST)
Mr Mahato: What is your political future now? What role are you going to play in the newly formed state of Jharkhand? Can you please tell us?
Mr Shailendra Mahato (Mon Oct 16 2000 5:46 IST)
Shashi: I am now with the BJP. Whatever BJP wants me to do, I will do. In the newly created Jharkhand state, there is a lot of work to be done. It is a rich area, but the Jharkhandi people are very poor. I will work with them for their betterment. And, along with that I want to work for the nation as well as the world.
G Vaidya (Mon Oct 16 2000 5:38 IST)
Mr Mahato: Are you separated from Shibu Soren, Suraj Mandal et al?
Mr Shailendra Mahato (Mon Oct 16 2000 5:47 IST)
G Vaidya: Yes. I am separated from them. And there is no question of me going back to them in the future, because I have taken the path of truth.
G Vaidya (Mon Oct 16 2000 5:39 IST)
Mr Mahato: But what made you change your heart after taking money? Why did you come out in open? Was there a deal between you and the BJP?
Mr Shailendra Mahato (Mon Oct 16 2000 6:1 IST)
G Vaidya: I did not strike any deal with BJP. It was on my own will that I said everything. When you read any religious book, it is said that you should speak the truth. From the beginning, I have been reading religious books, and read them even now. Like Gita, Bible, Shirdi Sai Baba and other books also. All of them exhort that you should speak the truth. When the issue came to the court, four of us were sent to jail. I was in a separate from the other three in jail. During that time, Evangelist N A Rajan used to visit jail, and teach us about Bible. He used to tell us a lot of things about Bible, but what influenced me most was Romans Chapter 1:18 and John Chapter 8:31-32. They influenced me a great deal. I was released from jail on January 4, 1997. My father died on January 7, but I couldn't meet my father before his death. There is no bigger truth than death. After my father's death, I went to Shirdi Sai Baba, and strengthened my will. Then I told the court that I want to tell the complete truth. The religious books were the basis for my telling the truth, and they strengthened my will.
Raj (Mon Oct 16 2000 5:51 IST)
Mr Mahato: Is it hurtful to speak the truth in politics? From where did you got so much courage to talk the truth?
Mr Shailendra Mahato (Mon Oct 16 2000 6:7 IST)
Raj: It is very difficult to tell the truth. And generally in politics, nobody has spoken the truth. After the judgment, not even a single person came up to me to say thank you for speaking out the truth. No politician, and very few common men. I think, there is nobody behind truth in this world. Everyone seems to respect corruption more than truth. Truth is very difficult to speak, but I crossed that. Now I feel that I have reached very close to God. I feel in this event, God only helped me, no one else.
jamesbond (Mon Oct 16 2000 6:1 IST)
ALL POLITICIANS ARE THIEVES. Only the unlucky are caught. Don't you agree, Mr Mahato?
Mr Shailendra Mahato (Mon Oct 16 2000 6:12 IST)
Jamesbond: Politics and corruption are complementary. Both cannot be separated. In politics corruption will remain. Public are also responsible for corruption. Most politicians are involved in corruption, but only few get caught. But I should say that not all politicians are corrupt. Some are free of it, but most are corrupt. In our case, the money was in the bank, so we were caught. There were others who took money to save Rao government. Their money was not in the bank, so they were not caught. This is from my personal experience in politics for the last 24 years.
Payal (Mon Oct 16 2000 6:10 IST)
Mr Mahato: Can you tell us, how did you come into politics?
Mr Shailendra Mahato (Mon Oct 16 2000 6:19 IST)
Payal: First, I wanted to become a sadhu when I was 22. I ran away from home, my parents used to cry a lot saying I will not come back home. I reached Benaras, but the situation there forced me to return home. Then I joined politics. I used to carry on my religious interests along with politics. From my childhood I have been used to telling the truth. If five or six of us children used to steal mangoes from someone's land in our village, I used to admit it later. This has been my attitude from childhood. I entered politics and joined JMM (Jharkhand Mukti Morcha) in 1978, and I took part in Jharkhand movement. In 1989, I became a MP for the first time. In 1991, I became a second term MP. Now my wife, Abha Mahato, is a MP from the same constituency, Jamshedpur.
Mr Shailendra Mahato (Mon Oct 16 2000 6:21 IST)
I am sorry that I could not answer all your questions. There was only half an hour with me. If ever I am called again, I would come and answer all of you. Please don't forget me. Goodbye.
Mr Shailendra Mahato (Mon Oct 16 2000 6:21 IST)
And Goodnight. Sabka malik ek hai.
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