Russia to help if India is attacked
By Our Special Correspondent, NEW DELHI, Aug. 9.—The Soviet Union will come to India’s help in case of an attack or threats of an attack by Pakistan, China or any other country. The manner of help will be settled after mutual consolations. This was the main theme of a treaty signed here this mowing by India and the Soviet Union.
The signing of the Indo-Soviet treaty, of peace, friendship and cooperation came as a surprise. But all sides in Parliament, excepting Swatatra and Jana Sangh members, acclaimed it with tremendous cheers when the External Affairs Minister, Mr. Swaran Singh, announced it in the House.
This is the first time that India has entered such treaty, one of the articles of which virtually assured defense arrangements between the two countries.
The main provision of the treaty is that if a third country, like Pakistan, attacks India or administers threats of an attack, India and the Soviet Union will have mutual consultations to take “effective measures” for peace and security.
Other articles of the treaty included subjects like respect for independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, efforts to halt the arms race and achieve disarmament, measures against colonialism and racialism, mutual economic, scientific and technological cooperation.
When the treaty was signed (This is to be ratified within a month from today). Mr. Swaran Singh said this was a milestone in IndoSoviet relations.
The Soviet Foreign Minister, Mr. Gromyko, took it as the most important landmark for the Soviet Union and India”. This was a culmination of year’s of friendship.
He said : “Our relationship rests on mutual trust, equality, respect and non-interference in internal affairs of each other. The conclusion of the Soviet-Indian treaty provides an even stronger political and legal basis for these relations.”
Both Houses of Parliament will discuss the treaty. The Lok Sabha will consider it to morrow while the Rajya Sabha is likely to do so on Saturday.
Just an hour before Parliament met today, the Prime Minister announced the signing of the treaty at a hurriedly convened meeting of Opposition leaders.
Mr. Singh’s announcement was followed by a demand from some Opposition members for a discussion on the treaty. The Parliamentary Affairs Minister. Mr. Raj Bahadur, immediately agreed to have a discussion. A similar demand was also made in the Rajya Sabha.
Some of the members also referred to the treaty during discussion on the supplementary grants. Both Mr. K. R. Ganesh and Mr. R. K. Khadilkar; Ministers who intervened in the debate, held that the treaty would make India the bastion of peace and would act as the deterrent to any potential aggressor. The stray comments made by the members showed that the treaty, would get the support of a large section of the House.
Following is the text of Mr. Swaran Singh’s statement made in the House:
“I have the honour to lay on the table of the House a copy of the Treaty of Peace Friendship and Co-operation, signed today by me on behalf of the Government of India with Mr. A. A. Gromyko, Foreign Minister of the USSR Government, who has signed it on behalf of the Union of Soviet socialist Republics. The Government welcome this treaty as a further step towards strengthening friendship and cooperation between India and the Soviet Union. The treaty will, we are convinced, provide a stablishing factor in favour of peace, security and development not only of our two countries, but the region as a whole. It is not aimed against any third country.
“In fact, we hope that this treaty will provide a pattern for similar treaties between India and other countries in this region. Such treaties between countries of this region would stabilise peace and strengthen their independence and sovereignty.
“I should like to emphasise in particular that this treaty is, in its trusense, a treaty of peace. It strengthens our policy of nonalignment, respect for which is expressly mentioned in the treaty. We sincerely hope that the policy of non-alignment will be further strengthened and will become an effective instrument for the safeguarding of our national interests as well as an important factor in the maintenance of universal peace and international security and in the lessening of tensions in the world.”
“The world is presenting a repidly changing and dynamic picture. There is a change in the configuration of various world forces. Our policy of nonalignment is a dynamic policy which can be adapted to these changing situations. I should like to assure honourable members that our policy of peace stands firm as ever. We have no designs on the territory of other countries. At the same time, we shall not tolerate aggression of threat or aggression from any country. We do not want to provoke war with any country. We shall do everything in our power to defend peace and prevent war.”
Reference: Hindustan Standard 10.8.1971