Recently, my grandson studying in a lower class came out with a funny story. Some student asked the teacher about the Watergate, which he had heard from his father. The poor teacher obviously did not know anything about it or perhaps took its literal meaning. The teacher thought that it was a gate to allow water to go out as in the case of KRS dam where there are a large number of gates. I enjoyed the joke but did not comment on the teacher. This made me write about Watergate.

Watergate is the name of an apartment and an office building in Washington D. C. in the USA. It was a place where telephone tapping took place at the order of the then President Richard Nixon and bribe was given. Thus, it was a place where the worst American political scandal took place at the behest of a person no less than the President. Hence it came to be called Watergate affair or scandal. Hundreds of such cases have happened and are happening in our country; but neither the politicians nor the people are worried about them. That shows our failure to be alive to the national problems. That is a different aspect.

Watergate is a series of scandals in which a large number of top officers and the President were involved. It may be summarised in simple terms. Many State details were leaking to the press and to opposition parties. The matter of bombing Cambodia leaked to the press and Nixon became unhappy about it. He ordered, without any court approval, tapping of telephones of govt. officials and newspapermen.

Further, Nixon ordered opening of the mail of newspapermen and strict officials. This was planned by a person called Tom Huston, who later agreed that it was illegal. Hoover, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), protested against this move. At the order of Nixon, officials broke open the house of a medical doctor Fielding, who filed a case. The three persons responsible for the Violation of Civil Rights were convicted and sent to jail.

In 1971, Nixon's chief officer by name Haldeman hatched an illegal plan to get Nixon re - elected as the President. Nixon had contested against Kennedy in 1960 and was defeated. Then he came back to California and contested the election for Governorship which also he lost. Thus defeats were haunting him and he got suspicious that he may not win the re-election and hence, thought of illegal and unethical means to win in the elections. Some of his top aides encouraged Nixon to carry out such plans using State machinery. One illegal act led to the other and thus there were a series of scandals.

Nixon belonged to Republican Party and the Democrats were popular and this caused great worry to Nixon and his men. Liddy, Magruder, Mitchel and two others who were close to Nixon, gained entry into the Democratic headquarters and adjusted electronic equipment in such a way that every word of the conversation of the Democrats was recorded and made available to Nixon. When it came to light, they tried to cover it up. At the instance of Nixon, they destroyed all documents connected with it.

The Director of FBI admitted that he had destroyed the evidence and to escape punishment, resigned from the post. All these people were arrested. This happened on June 23, 1972. All these men who worked were paid hefty amounts for wire - tapping and other nefarious activities. The FBI took up the investigation in all seriousness. Nixon stopped the investigations citing the security of the country as the reason. The unwilling officer resigned. When it got publicity in media, on Aug. 29, Nixon stated no one in his administration were involved in this scandal and it was the handiwork of Democrats.

In the meantime, Nixon was re - elected and he became confident that he can cover up the scandal successfully. But it did not happen and the powerful Judiciary convicted seven officers for conspiracy, burglary and illegal wire - tapping. The United States Senate did not cover it up. It decided by vote to conduct an investigation against the whole affair.

Gray, Director of FBI, during the hearings, accepted the involvement of top White House officials at the instance of the President. Nixon, with his top aides, tried to rubbish the evidence of Gray. However, Dean warned President Nixon that cancer is growing in the White House and Hunt had thought of making all these public. Immediately to avert it, President's men paid $75,000 to Hunt to hush up this incident.

On March 23, Judge Sirica charged that witnesses had committed perjury and hence were punishable. At this stage, many top Nixon aides stopped the cover - up and implicated White House fully. A special investigation cell was created under Cox of Harvard Law School. During investigations, it was revealed that White House had appointed 28 agents in 12 seats to cover up the scandals, by planting stink bombs and writing fake letters and involvement in sexual affairs. They even tried to implicate John Kennedy in the murder of Vietnamese President who was a Catholic, in order to get Catholic votes for Nixon. Kalmbanch accepted to have donated $100,000 towards election campaign without any receipt and account.

Thus all evidences proved that the entire affair was done at the order of Nixon. However, he argued that as President, he was immune to legal proceedings and hence no action could be taken against him and it was his prerogative to give or not to give evidence and records. But the Court turned this down. Nixon dismissed two attorneys who did not toe his line. This triggered serious moves to impeach Nixon. The court proceedings continued and 22 officials were sent to jail. To escape punishment, Nixon resigned from the Presidency on 9th Aug. 1974. Then Ford became the President.

Entire America was for the impeachment of the corrupt Nixon. But some well - meaning Americans felt impeachment of a President will bring shame on the American history. They advised President Ford to pardon Nixon, who thus escaped ignominy. But Watergate has entered into the books of history and many works on that scandal have been published. Nixon faded away and died.

Prof. A.V. Narasimha Murthy,
Former Head,
Department of Ancient History & Archaeology,
University of Mysore

Courtesy: star of mysore