Q.
One of the points which occur to me is that there is an ethnic link between sections of the Indian population and the population in the Soviet Union, especially in the Central Asian region. Similarly, there are ethnic links between India and China. At least some of our people in the eastern region do have ethnic links; with China. The Soviet Union also has ethnic links with China to some extent at least in the Central Asian region. How is it that these ethnic links have drawn India and the Soviet Union closer, while this has not happened in the cave of India and China or, for instance, China and the U.S.S.R.?
A.
I think it is not true to say that because of the ethnic relations Soviet Russia and India have come together. They have come together because the national perception and the world view of the two countries are similar. I think we sometimes over emphasize this ethnic elements.
Inditia’s Neighbours
Q.
What are the important landmarks of India's policy of good neighbourliness? Could you give some ideas regarding India's relations with our close neighbours in
1974-77, beginning with Bangladesh?
A.
As India had played a very important role in the liberation of Bangladesh, there was a fund of goodwill in India for Bangladesh and the relationship was good. But the violent change-over in the Government of Bangladesh as a result of the assassination of Mujibur Rahman brought about some changes in the relationship between the two countries, and there was a degree of distrust on both sides. The question of the Farakka Barrage was an issue which created a feeling of tension between the two countries. The sharing of the Ganga waters was a very controversial matter and we were making efforts to solve it. We continued our talks with the Bangladesh Government and I am glad those talks ultimately succeeded in solving that problem though at our cost.