Indira Gandhi, P N Haksar proved more than a match for Nixon-Kissinger in 1971: Jairam Ramesh


PTI, Nov 30, 2023, 10:28 AM IST

As former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger passed away, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Thursday recalled that in 1971 then US President Richard Nixon and Kissinger created huge headaches for India but then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and her close aide P N Haksar proved “more than a match for them”.

Kissinger, who dominated foreign policy as the United States extricated itself from Vietnam, died Wednesday. He was 100.

In a post on X, Ramesh said, “Henry Kissinger has passed away. He was as immensely consequential as he was hugely controversial.” In his long and eventful life he has been both celebrated and condemned, Ramesh noted. “But there can be no doubt about his sheer intellectual brilliance and awesome charisma,” he said.

For the last three decades, he positioned himself as a great friend and supporter of India and indeed he was, Ramesh said.

“But this was not always so and in 1971 especially, President Nixon and he created huge headaches for India and thought they had us cornered. However, Indira Gandhi and P N Haksar proved more than a match for them,” the former Union minister said.

“I have described the Kissinger-Haksar and Nixon-Indira Gandhi encounters with archival detail in my book ‘Intertwined Lives: PN Haksar & Indira Gandhi’,” Ramesh said.

He also pointed out that Gary Bass in his book ‘The Blood Telegram: Nixon, Kissinger and a Forgotten Genocide’ indicts Kissinger severely for his role in the events of 1971 leading up to the creation of Bangladesh.

Udayavani is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel and stay updated with the latest news.

Top News

Ullal: Auto-rickshaw accident near Konaje claims driver’s life

Congress victory in bypolls not a clean chit to CM in MUDA case: R Ashoka

IPL 2025 | Got someone who can do captaincy job: Ricky Ponting on Shreyas Iyer

Bad timing: Fraudsters call senior Indore cop during press briefing to pull off ‘digital arrest’

Kangana says MVA lost in Maharashtra because it disrespected women

UP: Protest over Sambhal mosque survey turns violent; 3 killed, 20 cops among injured

Ranbir Kapoor says he would love to remake grandfather Raj Kapoor’s ‘Shree 420’

Related Articles More

No one has right to break law: BJP on Sambhal violence

Will review INDI alliance’s dismal performance in Maharashtra, says Tejashwi Yadav

Minor girl out with friend raped in MP forest; truck driver, associate held

Kangana says MVA lost in Maharashtra because it disrespected women

UP: Protest over Sambhal mosque survey turns violent; 3 killed, 20 cops among injured

MUST WATCH

Coconut Flower

Prakash Belawadi

Naxal Leader Vikram Gowda

Christmas Cake Fruit Mixing

DK Shivakumar


Latest Additions

No one has right to break law: BJP on Sambhal violence

Ullal: Auto-rickshaw accident near Konaje claims driver’s life

Congress victory in bypolls not a clean chit to CM in MUDA case: R Ashoka

IPL 2025 | Got someone who can do captaincy job: Ricky Ponting on Shreyas Iyer

Will review INDI alliance’s dismal performance in Maharashtra, says Tejashwi Yadav

Thanks for visiting Udayavani

You seem to have an Ad Blocker on.
To continue reading, please turn it off or whitelist Udayavani.