MADELEINE BRAND, host:
David Letterman, Tiger Woods - we've certainly had our share of sex scandals in America last year. But the exploits of those two celebrities pale in comparison to the allegations now leveled against a political leader from India, as NPR's Philip Reeves reports in his latest letter from New Delhi.
PHILIP REEVES: He really doesn't have the look of a lothario. He doesn't strut or swagger. He's not sleek or lean. Age has left its mark on his round and baggy face. Yet accounts of this man's sexual escapades have caused a mixture of outrage and amazement in India. His name is Narayan Dutt Tiwari. He's 86 years old.
Few outside India had heard of Tiwari until 10 days ago. That's when a local TV channel aired a video that apparently shows him in bed with three young women. The video astonished many Indians, partly because of Tiwari's age, but also for another reason: Tiwari happens to be governor of one of India's largest states, Andhra Pradesh, in the south - or rather, he was the governor. Last week, he resigned.
America has a long history of outing public figures who stray from the straight and narrow, be they presidents or golf champions. India does not. It has more than 1 billion people, many of them still very poor, with much else to worry about. They don't generally have high expectations of their politicians. Legislators here are routinely accused of murder, kidnapping and bribe-taking. Sex scandals involving politicians are rarely publicized, no matter how widely known.
That attitude may now be changing, though, thanks to Tiwari's alleged frolics. The Tiwari video instantly made headline news. It was an overnight hit on YouTube. The media embarked on a debate about the meaning of the octogenarian's purported sex romps. The pundits found much to talk about: Should India demand far higher standards from its public figures? The post of state governor is widely seen as a form of political patronage, a job handed out as a reward for loyalty or favors. Has the scandal damaged India's national government? Tiwari's a senior figure in the ruling Congress Party. The party is squirming with embarrassment.
Other questions focus on the media. Should India's gung-ho TV news channels be in the grubby trade of peddling political sex scandals? India has no shortage of hard-line religious extremists and is socially conservative. But paradoxically, it also has a proud tradition of tolerance. Will that change if the private sex lives of India's leaders are seen as fair game by the ratings-hungry media?
As for Tiwari, some reports suggest he's the victim of a sting after failing to keep a promise to hand out a mining lease. He concedes he did entertain women at his government headquarters, but only official delegations. He and his party insist the video is fabricated and that the only reason he's resigned is on health grounds. He's actually won a few new fans.
We should be proud of this man, said one comment posted on the Internet. It added, I hope I'll do the same when I'm 86. Philip Reeves, NPR News, New Delhi.
STEVE INSKEEP, host:
Today in Dubai, residents will be marveling at the world's tallest building. We've been hearing about financial troubles in Dubai but today, it celebrates the formal opening of the Burj Dubai skyscraper: a swimming pool on the 76th floor, a mosque on the 158th floor, and 169 floors altogether. The chief engineer on this project says he experimented, adding one floor after another to see how high he could go. The building is approximately 2,700 feet tall, which is more than twice the height of the Empire State building, although the exact height is secret, or may be unknown.
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