Indo-Soviet relationship

Mitrokhin Archive -Special Relationship with India(Indo-Soviet Relationship)

Mitrokhin Archive -2 book's 17 and 18 chapter describes The special relationship with India. It represented the Indo-Soviet relationship during the cold war and KGB measurements in Indian politics.

                                                     Indo-Soviet Relationship-Nehru period

    During the cold war, KGB concentrated on the third-world country India. Stalin and his followers thought India was an Imperialist Puppet. The great Soviet encyclopedia dismissed Mohandas Mahathma Gandhi as a reactionary who betrayed the people and helped imperialism against them. Despite his distaste, the Stalinists attacked Jawaharlal Nehru. They regarded Nehru as a reactionary like Gandhi.KGB penetrated the Indian embassy during 1950-1960.

                                                        Jawaharlal  Nehru

    Nehru was one of the leaders of the Non-alignment movement. After Stalin's death, Kuruchev became a Premier of the Soviet. He opened a new era in Indo-Soviet relationships. India voted against the UN resolution. So USSR realised third-world countries' importance in the world.

    Congress leftwing supporter Menon became a defence minister of India. During the Indo-china war, Menon was a defence minister. Nehru removed his defence minister post after the Indo-China war. He became a scapegoat for the Indo-China war. In 1967, Mennon failed in the election. After two years, Mennon selected an independent candidate in West Bengal with communist party support.

 Indira Gandhi

    Nehru died in 1964, and Gulzarilal Nanda was the prime minister of India with Moscow's support. Then Delhi residency selected Lal bahadur Shastri as a prime minister. After Sasthri death, the Congress syndicate choose Nehru's Daughter Indira Gandhi as a primeMinister.Her code name is VANO.

    Indira Gandhi

    Indira visited the Soviet Union a few months after Stalin's death. She enjoyed that trip and wrote a letter to her father. Two years later, Indira accompanied her father to the Soviet Union. She impressed soviet economic modernisation and visited Russian factories.

    Moscow encouraged CPI and CPM to join the left-wing alliance to oppose congress. But congress won the election. Indira became the prime minister of India, and Morarji Desai became the deputy prime minister of India. In 1968, Desai and Kamarj (head of the syndicate) decided to remove Indira Gandhi from the prime minister position. Congress split two ways.

    In July 1969, Desai resigned from his finance minister and deputy minister post. Encouraged by Moscow, the communist party supported Mrs Gandhi. In November Congress syndicate split into two parties(Congress(O) and Congress(R)).Congress(O), followed by syndicate members. Congress (R), followed by Indira Gandhi's supporters. The syndicate hinted Mrs Gandhi sold India to the Soviets. In the 1971 election, the Indira congress got a landslide victory. In August 1971, Indira signed the Indo-Soviet peace agreement. Half a dozen of Indian people only know that trinity. Indira's name was popular among the Soviets. A lot of Soviet babies were named Indira. Soviet continuously support the Non-alignment movement.

    Dec 1971 whole capital (Delhi) was affected by a power cut because the war started between India and Pakistan.KGB member Shebarshin had realised the war. Looking out the window, he saw the whole capital in a power cut. Shebarshin drove a phone box some way away to ring a member of the agent network who confirmed that aggressiveness had started. Finally, US and China supported Pakistan, which lost the battle in the fourteen days war. East Pakistan became an independent nation named Bangala Desh. That was the first time in history that the United States and China both countries lost their victory in the war.

                                            1971 Pakistan surrendered to India

    Moscow celebrated Indo-soviet relations as an achievement for the KGB. In 1970, the KGB presence in India became the largest outside the Soviet bloc. Indian minister told the information about India to the KGB and CIA for $50000.It seemed like a whole country sold by KGB and CIA. (American Agency)Inder Malhotra wrote people taught Indira's party to bring socialism to the country more honest to the undividedCongress. But it turns out to be a vain hope. Corruption is not a new one in India. Indira got a Suitcase full of banknotes. Even the suitcases were also not returned by Indira Gandhi. Indir accepted soviet money. The Communist Party of the soviet union gave two million rupees to Congress(R).another one million rupees were given to newspapers which supported Indira Gandhi. Soviet spend 2.5million rupees on State Communist Party.

                                                      Brezhnev's India visit

    Brezhnev's state visit in 1973. Two million people gathered in Redford. His speech was very long and had poor Hindi translation. People are not interested in hearing that poor translation. So people left the stadium, and the police turned back to them for fear of offending the Soviet leaders. 12 June, Allahabad high court announced Indira's 1971 MP election invalid.26 June, congress(R) declared a state of emergency. Opposition leaders were arrested and jailed during the emergency period. In the first year of the emergency period, more than 110,000 people were arrested and detained without trial. But Indira responds to public opinion. Moscow believed Indira's activity did not turn her into a dictator. In 1975 Moscow spent 10.6 million rubles on the Indira government and undermined her opponents. In 1975 Indira visited the Soviet. Soviet media telecasted her speech and articles in Russian translation.

                                                         National Emergency

    Meanwhile, Kremlin worried about Indira's son Sanjay's activity. He regularly suspiciously met the US embassy. Indira returned to India at the point her son announced he praised a big business, denationalised banks and scorned communists in public. His announcement created a problem for the entire Soviet bloc.

                                                                     Indira's downfall

    On 18 January 1977, Indira announced an election. Communist Party and Congress(R) joined the election. Soviet media called for unity of action of all the democratic forces, particularly the ruling Indian National Congress and the Communist Party of India Repeated. In the 1997 election, over 3 million subsidies spend CPI election campaign. But non-communist aligned Janata party won 40 seats in the election. Janata party's MP Desai became a prime minister. People celebrated Indira's downfall, and they danced on the streets. Thirty years ago, they celebrated Indian independence in this way.

                                                              Morarji Desai

    Moscow heard Congress(R)'s loss in the 1977 election. They declared KGB measurement failure in that election campaign. Soviet media telecasted that the election campaign failed Indira's fault. On 21 March, Indira submitted her resignation. Janata Party won the election. So Desai became a prime minister. Desai government committed to the Indo-soviet treaty of peace, friendship and cooperation. It was the advantage of the USSR. In 1980 Janata government collapsed. Indira had another victory in the 1980 election. But the Soviets worried about the power of Sanjay(Indira's anointed heir), whom it strongly untrusted, his heir apparent unaccessible. Sanjay and his partners' code name PURI. In June 1980, Sanjay died in an air crash. Moscow undoubtedly welcomed that incident.

                                         Sanjay Gandhi with Indira Gandhi

    CPI spread rumours that Indira bought bribes from state ministers and french suppliers, and she decided to purchase the Indian air force. So Indira broke her party. Moscow failed to make CPI   into line. But Indo-Soviet relations survived. Indira Gandhi attended Berzanov's funeral. she was the one and only non-communist leader who attended Berzanov's funeral.

    Indira's Assassination

    Indira's home minister Jail Singh criticised USA  and china for instigating unrest in the northeast. The American agent CIA 'pumping money into a region through Christian missionaries. Mrs Gandhi referred to the foreign hands involved in the domestic unrest in the northeast.

                                                   Indira  Assassination

    During the 1980 CIA and Pakistan help Sikh separatism in India. Pakistani intelligence fund for Sikh separatism in Punjab, and Pakistani inter-service intelligence provided weapons and money for the Sikh separate state of Khalistan. In June 1984, Mrs Gandhi sent troops to the Sikh holy place, the golden temple. KGB claims Pakistani intelligence was planning to recruit Afgan refugees to assassinate her. Indira largely thanks to KGB from the United States and Pakistan threat. Indira added secular in the constitution. Because of that, she lost her life very soon. On 31 October, Indira's Sikh bodyguards killed her in her garden. 

                                           Rajiv Gandhi and Gorbachev

                                                               Soviet Collapse

    Later on, Rajiv Gandhi became a prime minister. The personal friendship between Rajiv and Gorbachev could not disguise the declining importance of the Indian special relationship with the Soviet Union. Rajiv Gandhi lost his power in 1989. Meanwhile, the soviet block starts to disintegrate. Two years later soviet union collapsed. Prime Minister Narasimha Rao declared that it might serve as a warning to those who attempted change too rapidly. His statement against Gorbachev and Yeltsin. Gorbachev has released house arrest after his release under house arrest. He did not want to call Rao. The Indian ambassador did not attend the briefing after the coup collapsed.KGB spent a lot of energy on the Indo-Soviet special relationship during the cold war that ended.