Washington, Dec 23, IRNA , Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi felt an “almost pathological need” to criticize America but at the same time desired an improvement in Indo-US relations on a “more equal” basis after Washington recognized India as an “important country in the world.”
This assessment was given by the then powerful Secretary of State Henry Kissinger to President Gerald Ford after his meeting with Gandhi in October 1974, a few months after India exploded its first atomic bomb, PTI reported.
Kissinger’s views were contained in a memorandum put up for Ford by his National Security Advisor Brent Scowcroft, recently-released State Department documents show.
After India went nuclear, Kissinger told Gandhi that the US was not interested in “recriminations” but in how to prevent further proliferation.
Kissinger said he had raised concerns over New Delhi’s nuclear policy, telling Gandhi “very frankly” that “their nuclear explosion was a bomb no matter how India described it” and her undertaking not to produce nuclear weapons did not mean the next government would not do so.
“By our second meeting, she seemed to have reflected on this and asked if we had any specific proposals. I have asked (then Ambassador Daniel P) Moynihan to follow up this possible opening with her,” he said.
The talks with Gandhi were “frank but very warm” and it was evident that “they are very pleased by the visit and our recognition of India as an important country in the world and
the predominant power in the sub-continent,” said the former top official of Richard Nixon and Ford Administrations.
“Despite Mrs Gandhi’s almost pathological need to criticize the United States, she, too, desires to see relations between us improve on this new and more equal basis,” he said.