THE STORY OF INDIA-RUSSIA RELATIONSHIP SINCE INDEPENDENCE

Continuity, mutual trust and confidence are the major pillars of India-Russia relations and form the basis of a solid background of Indo-Soviet ties. The bilateral relationship has developed into a strong “strategic partnership” in recent years. One important point of the old Indo-Soviet friendship was a special bilateral trade and economic relationship. It helped many small and medium size private companies to become exporters. After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, this relationship had been badly damaged. Economic transformation in Russia from a centrally planned economy to a market economy in 1992 – coined as the policy of economic liberalization in India.

 These developments changed the nature and character of foreign economic relations in both the countries. Therefore, despite having solid economic and trade relations in the past, a large part of the 1990s was a period of difficult adjustments for both Indian as well as Russian business and foreign policy formulation.

INDO- USSR RELATIONS DURING THE COLD WAR

When India attained independence, the Cold War had already begun; the world had almost become bi-polar. The United States and the former Soviet Union had emerged as super powers who led the two power blocs.

India decided to remain non-aligned.

Pre-independence India had favorably disposed towards the Soviet Union ever since. Nehru was greatly impressed not only by the Russian Revolution of 1917, but also by the planned economic development brought about in the Soviet Union in accordance with the socialist ideology.

Nehru had visited the USSR in 1927. He was head of the foreign department of congress. Indian leadership was quite appreciative of the Soviet support to the cause of India’s freedom.

Prime minister Nehru had tried, soon after independence, to develop friendly relationship with Russia because :

• Russia supported India in it’s struggle against western imperialism and colonialism
• And in India’s national interest.

This growing friendship was seen as the Soviet’s attempt to spread communist ideology in South Asia by the USA and its allies.

THE MOMENTS OF UPS AND DOWNS BETWEEN INDO-SOVIET RELATIONS

After India’s independence, the relations between India and the Soviet Union could not develop along the lines envisaged by Nehru.

The main reasons for straining of relations could be highlighted as under:

• Stalin’s rigid approach implying that all those who were not communists were against Soviet Russia .
• India’s decision to remain a member of the Commonwealth Nations even after becoming a republic, created new irritation for the USSR.
• India’s decision to adopt the Non-Alignment policy.
•  India’s opposition to pro-Soviet developments in Malaya.
•  India’s support to Greece against possible communist expansion.

India made consistent effort to clear the misunderstandings between two nations, and stood strongly by the side of Russia :

• India was among the first few nations to have recognized the People’s Republic of China on December 30, 1949 within the three months of the completion of communist revolution.
• A trade agreement was concluded between India and Soviet Russia in 1949 itself.
•  Again, the adoption of free and fearless policy by India in the Korean War led Stalin to praise and appreciate India’s position.

 Since then, improvement in Indo-Soviet relations were clearly visible.

After the death of Stalin, Nikita Khurschev became the head of the Soviet Union and in his tenure Indo-Soviet relations took a new turn.

• In April 1954, India-China took the famous five principles of Panchaseel as basis of their bilateral relations. The principles of peaceful co-existence highly appreciated all over the world and when Indian PM Nehru paid a visit to USSR in June 1955 the USSR impressed with principles and appreciated India.

• It was the Soviet Russia which opposed sending foreign forces to Kashmir when the Kashmir issue came up.
• Both the nations, India-USSR adopted the identical position on the Suez crisis in 1956
• Both condemned the Anglo- French- Isreal aggression against Egypt.
•  In 1956, some misunderstanding came up in the ties of both the nations on the question of Hungary.
• In 1962, when China waged a war on India’s border, Soviet attitude was not very sympathetic to India.
•  But during the Indo-Pak war  of 1965 Soviet Russia  not only supported  India  but, also took the initiative of  arranging a ceasefire through security council & later sponsored an Indo-Pak submit in its own territory  at Tashkent in Jan 1966.
•  After this, the Bangladesh crisis of 1971 was also brought India & USSR to closer by signing a treaty of Peace, Friendship & Cooperation was signed by the both the nations in Aug of 1971.

Indian PM Moraraji Desai & Soviet President Brezhnav emphasized Indo-Soviet cooperation on the basis of peace, internal security & peaceful co-existence & some agreement was also concluded between both the nations.

 Soviet intervention in Afghanistan in 1979 brought back the threat & question mark for India’s friendly relation with Soviet and India’s commitment to the ideology of  non-alignment . Soviet intervention over Afghan regime was described as painful.

Indira Gandhi government in 1980 continued the previous regimes policy. The soft line adopted by her was strongly criticized as compromise with the policy of non-alignment & clear shift towards to the Soviet Union.

Indo-Soviet relations were further consolidated during the period that the two nations were led by Rajiv Gandhi & Mikhail Gorbachev. The two nations had more or less identical views on most of the international questions. Therefore, the Indo-Soviet friendship would be maintained at a very high level.

During 1990-91, India generally supported the position taken by the Soviet Union in the Gulf Crisis.

After that Soviet Union suddenly collapsed in Dec 1991 and as a result 15 new states emerged in world map. But India has maintained friendly & cooperation relations not only with Russian Federation but also the other newly emerged states.

INDO-RUSSIA RELATIONS: POST COLD WAR TO PRESENT

After the breakdown of Soviet Russia, Russia aspired  friendship with the western bloc & as well as non-aligned group.

Russia & India  pledged to cooperate with each other in political & economic fields & Russia agreed to continue with the supply of spare parts for Indian defense equipments.

 After the end of the cold war, India would need for a long time to come Russian Technology & machinery , & Russia would have to import several consumer goods from India.

 During the period of 1994-96 several high level visits were exchanged between the two countries & agreed to take necessary measures to remove the bottlenecks in the bilateral trade.

The relations between both the nations for the first time in the post-cold war period poised for the revival of the traditional Indo-soviet friendship.

 Again, the friendship was clearly evident during & after Kargil War, where since the beginning Russia firmly supported  India.

 Besides strategic partnership, trade & cultural cooperation, the two nations also joined hand to fight against terrorism.

 In Dec 2002, the commitment to expand nuclear cooperation with India by selling additional nuclear reactors also highlighted  Indo-Russian co-operation in the  field of nuclear energy.

The long-term geopolitical interests of both Moscow and New Delhi are also compatible. The former’s non-intrusive approach in sub-continental affairs, which acknowledges and respects India’s sovereignty, is especially valued in New Delhi.

Traditionally, the Indo-Russian strategic partnership has been built on five major components: 

• Politics,
•  Defence,
•  Civil nuclear energy,
•  Anti-terrorism co-operation, and
• Space.

However, in recent years a sixth component,

• Economic, has grown in importance with both countries setting a target of reaching US$30 billion in bilateral trade by 2025, from about US$ 9.4 billion in the year 2017 .

In order to facilitate this target both countries are looking to develop a free trade agreement.Bilateral trade between both countries in 2012 grew by over 24%.

The powerful IRIGC (India-Russia Intergovernmental Commission) is the main body that conducts affairs at the governmental level between both countries.

Both countries are members of many international bodies where they jointly collaborate closely on matters of shared national interest. Important examples include the UN, BRICS, G20 and SCO.

 Russia has stated publicly that it supports India receiving a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council. 

 India is the second largest market for the Russian defence industry. In 2017, approximately 68% of the Indian Military's hardware import came from Russia, making Russia the chief supplier of defence equipment.

The recent deal between the two countries regarding the procurement of the The S-400 Triumf ,  an anti-aircraft weapon system highlights the continuing strength and vigour of Indo-Russian friendship.

According to a 2014 BBC World Service Poll, 45% of Russians view India positively, with only 9% expressing a negative view.

Similarly, a 2017 opinion poll by the Moscow-based non-governmental think tank Levada-Center states that Russians identified India as one of their top five "friends", with the others being Belarus, China, Kazakhstan and Syria.

To conclude,it can be said that  the warmth in Indo-Russian relations has been maintained & sustained over various highs and lows of history. Trade between the two countries continues to grow. Our defence ,technology and cultural co-operation ties continue to exhibit robust growth.

India has been able to follow a balanced foreign policy in the 21^st century with a prime focus upon the principle of “strategic autonomy  and sovereign self interest”.  The relationship of friendship and mutual respect between India and Russia shall continue to flourish even in times of eminent global turmoil ahead.

REFERENCES :

1. Khanna, VN- Foreign Policy of India, Sixth Edition, (2007) Vikas Publishing House Pvt Ltd, Noida(UP),
2. Dutta, VP- India’s Foreign Policy Since Independence, (2015) National Book Trust, New Delhi
3. Wikipedia.com