US promised India help if China attacked during 1971 Indo-Pak war

asianobserve

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It won't. But it gives us the valuable tool of hindsight in making decisions now and in the future.
 

asianobserve

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BTW, what's that Gang of twelve? Are there 12 of you scouring the internet to counter anti-Chinese posts?
 

asianobserve

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Another excerpt: INDIA'S RELATIONS WITH
USA AND RUSSIA

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&...4q5WV9&sig=AHIEtbSV5Bda0yarBSDG_lsVKMi5o68daQ


After the Second World War (1945), the United States of America (USA or US in short)
emerged as one of the two super powers, the other being the Union of Soviet Socialist
Republics (USSR/ Soviet Union). These countries were militarily and economically so
strong as compared to other states that they could project their power to every nook and
corner of the world. When India attained independence in 1947, it wanted to have good
relations with both the countries. It was widely believed that a natural tie would exist
between India and the US since India seemed destined to emerge as the world's largest
and Asia's first, fully democratic state. And the US was considered the most powerful and
celebrated democracy of the world. So far as the relationship between India and the
USSR was concerned, a number of commonalties were easily noticed. But the directions
of India's relationships with these two countries took different courses.

xxx

27.1 Indo-Us Relations

Diplomatic contacts between India and the US were initiated in November 1941, six years
before our independence. There was a wealth of goodwill for India's independence in the
US. The decision to establish diplomatic relations with India reflected the American un-
happiness with the British approach to the question of independence. The United States
believed that Britain should promise self-government to India after the War, in exchange
for India's participation in the struggle against Hitler. The Atlantic Charter, spelt out by the
US and Britain, had offered hope of a new dawn to the suppressed people of the world
once the War had been successfully concluded. America got a lot of credit in Indian eyes
for this. However, Britain subsequently declared that the Charter applied solely to fellow
Europeans under Hitler's Nazi occupation.

27.1.1 Relations in the Cold War Years

The relations between India and the US failed to achieve their full potential. Many factors
were responsible in determining the actual course. This was due to the preoccupation of
the United States with the 'containment of communism' which started the Cold War
between the US and the Soviet Union. The newly independent India, led by our first Prime
Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, refused to be drawn into the Cold War politics of competitive
military alliances promoted by both the super powers. Nehru chose the policy of 'non-
alignment' which aimed to give India the much-needed independence of action in the
sphere of foreign policy and relations. America regarded India's refusal to collaborate as
a sign of unfriendliness. The cause of better Indo-US relations received a blow in 1954.
The US through Cold war brought rivalry to India's doorsteps by forming two military
organisation SEATO and CENTO with Pakistan who joined these alliances as a key mem-
ber. The US military aided Pakistan, given to check the spread of communism, was used
against India contrary to initial assurances.

The October 1962 war between India and China introduced a new element in the Indo-US
relations. Within India, there were for the first time many voices strongly advocating an
alliance with the US against China. Many also wanted a drastic modification of the non-
alignment policy. There was perhaps an expectation in the US too that India could now be
prepared to head an anti-Chinese and anti-Communist alliance. When the Chinese inva-
sion scaled up, the Government of India made an urgent appeal to Washington (US) for
military supplies. In a speedy response, the US President John F. Kennedy provided India
with small arms and equipment. The first batch of arms arrived even before the signing of
a deal between the two countries. Further, the US agreed to payment for these arms in
rupees.

However, the pro-American goodwill in India evaporated with the US reluctance to openly
blame Pakistan for starting the 1965 war against India. In addition to US support to Paki-
stan, US war on Vietnam contributed to certain coldness in Indo-US relations in 1960s. In
the beginning of 1970s, the US rapprochement with China (with Pakistan help) was an-
other turning point.

The Bangladesh episode created a new crisis in Indo-US relationship too. The US adminis-
tration (government) took the position that the East Pakistan's (present-day Bangladesh)
revolt was a movement to break up Pakistan and that Pakistan's brutal attempts to sup-
press it were justified. During the Bangladesh war (1971) the US moved a anti India
resolution in the Security Council and USA froze its economic assistance to India. The
only assistance that continued was food distributed free by voluntary agencies. Not only
that, Washington also made military moves. A part of the US Seventh Fleet was ordered
into the Bay of Bengal. The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Enterprise sailed to-
wards the Bay of Bengal in a show of solidarity with Pakistan army which could be saved
from defeat in Bangladesh. It took some time (a couple of years) for the US to recognize
India as the major country in the South Asian region. It was in this spirit of reconciliation,
India hosted President Carter's visit in 1977.

However, once again another blow struck. The Soviet invasion of Afganistan in 1979 had
thrown India and United States on opposite sides. Pakistan became the closest ally to
facilitate military help to Afghan Mujahiddeen. No doubt India's initial sympathies with the
Soviet action against Afghanistan harmed relations with America.

27.1.2 American Aid to India

There was a slow start to the economic assistance that India received from the US.
India's food production at the time of independence was insufficient to feed its millions; its
industrial and service sector were also quite backward. That is why, India was dependent
on other countries for bilateral assistance. The first of the many food aid shipments to
India from the US started in 1951. In 1954, the US Congress passed a Public Law 480 (PL
480) allowing the sale of surplus American wheat to India. India continued to receive
foodgrains from the US under PL 480 till the early 1970s.

The story of suspicions in political relationship uses only one side of the coin. During the
cold war, despite political differences, India received significant economic and food aid
from the US, right from 1950s.

In addition to food assistance, the US had provided large bilateral developmental assis-
tance to India. However, you must not forget that this assistance was not available for the
development of heavy industry but in the field of agriculture, development of raw materi-
als and minerals. For creating a heavy industrial base, India had to turn to the Soviet
Union. The development assistance given by the US reached a peak of around $500
million in 1962.During the Bangladesh war, the US froze its economic aid to India. How-
ever, the bilateral assistance started in 1978 after a long gap. But the importance of bilat-
eral aid decreased from the late 1970s onwards because of the substantial increase in
multilateral assistance given by the International Development Authority (IDA), the soft-
money affiliate of the World Bank. Much of the IDA money was, of course, funded
indirectly by the US. In the 1980s, the World Bank lending typically ran into $2 billion (one
billion is one hundred crores or one thousand million). So, for India, the US stance towards
multilateral financial institution mattered more than the bilateral aid. US had no objection
to clear India's request for a $5.8 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF)
in 1981 - the largest ever sought by a member country.
 

The Messiah

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Ah, the great Indian pride. I think the Chinese people must be very grateful that Zhou and Deng did not share your attitude.
Yes the great India pride is not only great but also massive in size.

We will not bow down in front of any nation nor become a lackey. People who dont have pride will not understand because they've always been quashed and are used to play second fiddle.
 

The Messiah

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No offense to my US friends; from an Indian (as well as Asian or European) perspective, the American lingo can sound rather crude and abrasive. I don't want to sound judgmental here, but there are certain differences. Like in India and in the UK of recent past, it was inappropriate to address an acquaintance called John Smith as 'John' and it was expected that one should use 'Mr. Smith' instead. I was hanging out with a lady one evening and jokingly she told me, 'I'm your b!tch tonight!' Of course, it's not always taken seriously. I was at Myrtle Beach last year and I saw a girl wearing a bikini with the following words on the posterior of her bikini bottom: 'I know I'm a b!tch, just not yours!' :rolleyes:

What does that mean (Irish)? :)
and did you make your move ?
 

W.G.Ewald

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This book would be an interesting read on the matter. I can't get the title from the link though. In any case, the excerpts bring to mind "What ifs.." Nehru really dragged his feet on the matter of closer alliance with the US until he and the issue were taken over by events and personalities. The current Indian mindset on the US is clearly a product of the Indo-Soviet after Kennedy alliance, and it seems to be holding on (the misconceptions).
The publisher is MacMillan India, not McMillan, I believe.
 

Nagraj

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:rofl::rofl::rofl:
Nixon favoring india........
lol....
ok just stop kidding!!
:tsk:
This is not funny....
our own media is bullshitting us ............
 

asianobserve

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:rofl::rofl::rofl:
Nixon favoring india........
lol....
ok just stop kidding!!
:tsk:
This is not funny....
our own media is bullshitting us ............


I think you wouldn't know if an asteroid hit you in the face. Maybe you should verify from your External Ministry the accuracy of the report.
 

Dovah

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I think you wouldn't know if an asteroid hit you in the face. Maybe you should verify from your External Ministry the accuracy of the report.
His skepticism is not ill founded. Nixon was pretty hostile towards us,the "bastard" Indians.
 

asianobserve

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His skepticism is not ill founded. Nixon was pretty hostile towards us,the "bastard" Indians.

Indians should have taken consolation in the fact that he was more hostile to his political enemies.

Aside from the Watergate, Nixon is known for "Expletives Deleted." Some quotes from his recordings:

NIXON: "The Ivy League presidents? Why, I'll never let those sons-of-b------ (expletives deleted) in the White House again. Never, never, never. They're finished. The Ivy League schools are finished ... Henry, I would never have had them in. Don't do that again ... They came out against us when it was tough ... Don't ever go to an Ivy League school again, ever. Never, never, never."

NIXON: "What in the hell did you think of McGovern's statement on the election? Wasn't that the sour grapes crap again?"
COLSON: "Well, it's unbelievable, the arrogance of the guy ... God, what a bad man. Just awfully glad we got him buried and put away for good. I think he is."
NIXON: "Oh, he's buried. He's buried."
 
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