This year will mark the centenary of the October Socialist Revolution and it’s encouraging that both India and Russia are willing to further jointly counter challenges and threats of the 21st century
In his monumental book, Ten Days that Shook the World, John Reed has brilliantly reflected on the soul of the epoch-making Great October Socialist Revolution of 1917. The author gives a gripping account of this landmark event of the 19th century in world history, which left a profound impact on socio, economic and political spheres. He followed many of the prominent Bolshevik leaders that time, which enormously facilitated his access to intricate details for in-depth analysis and objective assessment. No wonder, this American journalist had the unique distinction of being buried, after his death in 1920, at the Kremlin Wall Necropolis in Moscow — a special site allotted for outstanding Soviet leaders.
The father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi, the first Prime Minister and architect of free India, Jawaharlal Nehru, and national poet Rabindranath Tagore, highly valued and revered the 1917 revolution. S Radhakrishnan, former President and Indian Ambassador to the Soviet Union, reminded us on imbibing the true spirit and of the message the revolution left to mankind. The momentous victory over fascism in the great patriotic war of 1941-1945 was yet another crucial event in the long annals of the Soviet Union. India offered unreserved support to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), lauded the heroic deeds of the red Army and its people, and appreciated the country’s supreme sacrifices and the people’s terrible sufferings.
The 27 million mark record toll of human lives and the sequel to the war, still remains, with potential relevance, a painful reminder to humanity on the imperative of non-violence and world peace. It deserves special mention here that the Soviet Union and the people expressed their solidarity with India’s freedom struggle, and always recognised its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The liberation movement gathered steady momentum across the world in the wake of India’s independence, and several countries in latin America and South-East Asia, liberated themselves from colonial rules one by one in quick succession. While Western powers kept on undermining the Third World, with the persisting cold war global scenario looming large, India and Russia fought together shoulder-to-shoulder at international forums, particularly the United Nations, for peace and harmony, development and prosperity, and to contain hegemony, hostility, violence and terrorism.
India’s pioneering and constructive efforts with regard to the establishment and functioning of the non-aligned movement received over-all appreciation and support always from Russia.
This writer had the rare privilege of having 43-year-long working experience as a journalist with the Soviet/Russian information/cultural centres. Although having an overview of the October revolution through books and periodicals in the past, this writer had the precise grasp of this great event from no less a person than the legendary EMS Namboothiripad. It was a wonderful opportunity through an assignment to have an interview with him from M Sivaram, eminent journalist of international repute, who was the Director at the Institute of Journalism in Trivandrum. Malayala Manorama published this interview with him. A genius, thinker, critic, writer and ideologist, he was a moving encyclopaedia. Again, this writer had a chance meeting with him in Moscow in 1987.
It is to be recalled that Jawaharlal Nehru, after the inauguration of the Bhakra Nangal Dam, described it as the “temple of progress”. With due recognition to the prediction of this great visionary, and given the significance of such ambitious projects as the prime source of economic development, the Bhilai Steel Plant can be described as the first of its kind installed in India with Soviet technological help and assistance, as the “temple of prosperity”.
A symbol of ever-lasting Indo-Russian friendship and cooperation, it turned out to be a solid foundation of the country’s industrial infrastructure. During its silver jubilee celebration, it was amazing to watch the red-hot molten-steel gushing out of the blast furnace like volcanic eruption, along with instant briefings from Indian and Russian engineers.
The emphatic priority given to the Indo-Russian cooperation in space science is manifest in the remarkable success of satellite launchings and joint space flight. This writer was present at the Thumba Equatorial Rocket launching Station (TERlS) at Trivandrum on February 2, 1968, when the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi dedicated TERlS to the UN. By the time, the Indian Space Research Organisation and the HMS of the USSR had signed an agreement to launch its meteorological sounding rockets M-100 every week from TERlS. The USSR has already provided TERlS with radar and telemetry systems.
leading scientists such as MGK Menon, UR Rao, MR Kurup, APJ Abdul Kalam, Eswar Das and Vasant Gowarikar, spoke high of the glorious Soviet achievements and credible Indian creativity in space science. Who can forget the astounding account of his personal experience of space odyssey from Wing. Com Rakesh Sharma, the first Indian cosmonaut who travelled in space with the Russian spaceship.
Famous Indian film-makers Mrinal Sen and Basu Bhatacharya, and cine stars Nargis and Rekha, who visited the USSR as the winners of Soviet land Nehru Award, shared how deeply and intensely the Russian people adored Indian movies and artists. Raj Kapoor and his film, Awara, were all and all hit in the USSR. The 25-year-old Russian artist Kseniya Ryabinkina, who acted in Mera Naam Joker with Raj Kapoor in 1970 is 72 today.
Our people have always had mutual sympathy and respect for each other’s spiritual value and culture. The 1971 Indo-Soviet Treaty of Peace, Friendship and Cooperation set forth the fundamental principles of bilateral relations. The 1993 Treaty of Peace, Friendship and Cooperation confirmed the inviolability of these basic principles.
The 2000 declaration on strategic partnership provided for close coordination of approaches to ensuring international peace and security and resolving pressing global and regional issues. The joint document on strategic vision for strengthening India-Russia cooperation in peaceful uses of atomic energy, is aimed at enhancing energy security.
The 1986 Delhi declaration on nuclear-free, non-violent world is aimed at consistently serving mankind. The Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation will encourage reciprocal capital inflow. India and Russia are willing to further jointly counter challenges and threats of the 21st century, promote the unifying agenda and contribute to maintaining global and regional security.
(The writer is media advisor, Russian Centre of Science and Culture, New Delhi)