Hindustan- Soviet Union Treaty on 9 August 1971

Abstract

One of the most outstanding events in contemporary world affairs was the signing of the Hindustan-Soviet twenty-year Treaty of Peace, friendships, and Co-operation in New Delhi, on 9 August, 1971. We have referred earlier to a shift in the Soviet policy in 1965 because growing Sino-Soviet difference gave Moscow an interest in curbing Chinese influence in Pakistan. Ayub Khan’s visit to Moscow in April 1965 had given the first intimations of a change, soon to be reflected in the neutral attitude of Russia over the Rann of Kutch incident.1 In the Larger conflict in September 1965, Moscow carefully maintained this equi-distance to be able to play the peace-maker at Tash-kent, in January 1966.2 Kosygin went to Pakistan for the first visit by a Soviet Prime Minister3, followed by the arms contracts in mid-1968.4 But this flirtation proved unrewarding for despite the arms supply, Islamabad proved totally unwilling to endorse the Russian moves for a regional trade and transit treaty. Worse still, Islamabad’s reaction to the subsequent Soviet proposal for collective security in Asia was almost identical to that of China, presumably under the pressures of Nixon and the Shah of Persia. This led to a re-evaluation of Soviet policy towards Pakistan, culminating in the tapering of arms supplies. These had ceased well before the Bangladesh crisis erupted in full fury in March 1971, but the fact was made known by Russia only after Podgorny, the Soviet President, had publicly intervened in favour of a political settlement to resolve the crisis