Question

Write an essay for or against the following proposition: ‘With the disintegration of the second world, India should change its foreign policy and focus more on friendship with the US rather than with traditional friends like Russia’.

Answer 1

The disintegration of the Soviet Union certainly had strong implications on India, compelling her to rethink her foreign policy and strategies. There is considerable debate on whether India should maintain close ties with the US, which emerged as a hegemon, rather than traditional friends like Russia. We may present the following arguments to support India’s healthy relations with the US:

a. Even during the Cold War period, India’s stand with regard to maintaining an independent foreign policy was clear. It never allied with any of the military blocs, while maintaining cordial relations with both the US and the USSR, gaining support from both.
b. After the disintegration, with the emergence of a unipolar world and the US emerging as a superpower and occupying predominant position in the world affairs, India certainly stands to gain from its closer ties with the US.With common democratic ideals and beliefs, both India and the US stand to gain by sharing healthy relations on the social, economic, cultural and strategic fronts.
c. Both countries have cooperated in civil nuclear programmes in exchange of technology and have entered into defence agreements.
d. Nuclear deal between both the countries opened a new chapter of relations between the two.

On the other hand, we may also argue that in maintaining close ties with the US, it is imperative for India and in its national security interest to maintain close relations even with its traditional allies like Russia.

The erstwhile USSR has continued its friendly relations with India. Today, even after the disintegration of the USSR, India must continue to maintain friendly relations with Russia, one of the Union Republics. India’s friendly relations with the Soviet Union had always served as a necessary bulwark against the Chinese nuclear blackmail as also against the American technological squeezing.

i. There are two distinct phases of relationship between India & Russia.

1) Relations with the USSR before 1991 (First Phase).
2) Relations with Russia since 1991 (Second Phase).

First Phase

a) Relations between the two countries have remained that of mutual cooperation & trust. In the 1950’s, the Soviet Union supplied technical know-how and capital for India’s heavy industries.
b) The Soviet Union has taken a pro-India stand on the Kashmir issue. It also supported India’s military action in Goa. In the Security Council in the 1960’s, the Soviet Union also provided general support to India during its war with China.
c) A treaty of friendship between the two countries was signed which was renewed in 1991. In 1979, they signed a treaty & stressed the need to make the Indian Ocean ‘a zone of peace’.
d) Both the countries have entered into a number of other agreements, particularly with regard to health, technology, etc.

Second Phase

a. India recognized the 15 Union Republics as sovereign states after the collapse of the USSR. Both India and Russia shared a common vision of a multipolar world, peaceful resolution of conflict, and strengthening regional organisations.
b. In 1993, an Indo-Russian treaty was signed, where both the countries agreed to respect each other’s territorial integrity & sovereignty. According to this treaty, it was decided that Russia would support India on the Kashmir issue. Moreover, India’s burden of loan would be reduced by 30%.
c. There has also been an exchange of high-power delegates between the two countries, resulting in a number of agreements between the two. More than 80 bilateral agreements have been signed between India and Russia as part of the Indo-Russian Strategic Agreement of 2001.
d. As against other countries, Russia did not condemn India’s nuclear testing. In fact, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the two to further strengthen their relations on the economic and technological fronts.
e. During the Kargil infiltration, Russia supported India. In 2000, the then Russian President, Vladimir Putin, visited India. Agreements were signed between the two, whereby both India & Russia agreed that they would form a united workforce to fight against terrorism. A defence agreement was also signed, whereby Russia promised to increase India’s military strength. Both the countries also agreed to set up nuclear energy plants in India.
f. In 2002, a tripartite talk took place between India, Russia & China, which focused on the issue of strengthening the role of the U.N., making it more democratic and empowered.
g. Russia also supports India’s claim for a permanent seat in the U.N. Security Council.
h. Russia also stands to gain from its relationship with India, with the latter being the second largest buyer of arms and military equipments from the latter.
i. Russia and its Republics, such as republics of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, have gained from India’s increased oil imports. They have invested in oil fields, supported India’s space programmes and cooperated in many scientific projects.

In conclusion, it may be said that the pace is already set for evaluating the strategic relationship between India & Russia to a higher level.