Rajiv Gandhi mulled backing ‘anti-Russian’ groups in Pak

Washington, September 1

Contradicting perceived proximity to the Soviet Union in the Cold War era, India under then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had toyed with the idea of supporting anti-Russian civilian groups in Pakistan if the then Zia regime was thrown out by Moscow, a recent declassified CIA document has claimed.

According to CIA documents of the era, which were recently declassified and posted on the CIA website under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), which is similar to India’s Right to Information Act, Gandhi wanted non-interference from both the United States and the then USSR.

“Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi would like both the USSR and the United States to end their involvement in South Asia,” noted the 31-page CIA document titled ‘The Soviet Presence in Afghanistan: Implications for the Regional Powers and the US’.

While taking note of the historic India-USSR relationship in particular in the defence field, the CIA report of April 1985 noted that India is likely to become increasingly concerned about long-range Soviet intentions in the region and could find itself moving towards confrontation with the Soviets if Pakistan was effectively neutralised.

“New Delhi regards Pakistan as a strategic buffer against the USSR and would oppose Moscow’s effort to dominate Pakistan,” said the report.— PTI