Mikhail Gorbachev’s India visit scripted history; enhanced ties & weaned US grip on Delhi

In the wake of the last Soviet Union chief Mikhail S. Gorbachev’s death on Tuesday, several tributes poured in for the Nobel Peace laureate who is credited for ending the decades-long Cold War. While Gorbachev played a complicated but essential role in world history, his association with New Delhi has always been strong and reliable.

It was November 26, 1986, when the Soviet leader arrived in New Delhi for a three-day visit. It was one of the most high-profile visits of the year and amidst massive security concerns and hundreds of thousands of people gathering to welcome India’s all-weather ally. The huge turnout was, according to local media reports, a reflection of Rajiv Gandhi’s own enthusiasm for Gorbachev’s visit.

This visit was particularly important for the Congress and Rajiv Gandhi because it was a time of great international pressure and the late PM was anxious to show that India would not swing toward the United States, which maintained closer ties with rivals Pakistan.

Gorbachev’s visit presented another opportunity for both countries to reaffirm ties and bolster cooperation for onlookers, but it was also a statement of reassurance on the durability and exclusivity of Indo-Soviet relations.

This move was decisive and came in light of the strained relations with Pakistan, and thus indirectly with the United States. Earlier in the same year, the US Congress approved a six-year economic and military aid program to Pakistan worth $4.02 billion and expressed interest in supplying high-tech weapon systems to the Islamic country in further provocation. This led India to seek help from Moscow to redress the balance and sign several impactful dals. This relationship stands true till today.

Delhi Declaration

• Joint proposal for international convention banning use or threat of use of nuclear weapons
• Open-door participation for Indians in key Soviet research programmes
• Soviet Union’s offer to build an international space centre in India, which Delhi politely declined to focus on creating her own indigenous capabilities
• Array of sophisticated weaponry, submarines and fighter jets were to be supplied to India
• Dramatic expansion of economic and technical cooperation, and credit line worth over Rs 2,000 Crore and energy investments were all part of the agreement

Who is Mikhail Gorbachev?

Mikhail Gorbachev is regarded as an iconic leader who changed the course of history by triggering the collapse of the Soviet Union and taking down the Berlin Wall. He was instrumental in ending the Cold War and developing US-Soviet relations. As one of the most influential leaders of his time, Gorbachev transformed Russia and allowed Eastern Europe to free itself from Soviet rule and be established as seven other countries.

The changes he set in motion saw him win the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990, a year after the collapse of the Soviet Union as a global superpower. He was also responsible for acting as an intermediary to mend ties with the US when tensions soared again after Moscow annexed Crime in 2014.

India-Russia relations

The Ministry of External Affairs explains bilateral ties with Russia is a key pillar of India’s foreign policy. Despite the long-standing Non-Alignment Movement, Russia has been credited as a time-tested friend. Even during the Cold War, India and the Soviet Union had a strong military, economic and diplomatic partnership, much to the disappointment of the US.