A favour returned.

Early morning today, India abstained from voting against the resolution in the UN Security Council condemning Russia on its military adventure against Ukraine. Mind you, in terms of relationships between countries, the underlying factor is that there are no permanent friends/enemies but permanent interests that matter!

Over 50 years ago, in 1971, the US threatened India to stop the 1971 war. An alarmed India sent an SOS to the Soviet Union. This is a story that has been neatly erased from Indian history books.

When Pakistan's defeat in the 1971 war seemed imminent, Kissinger spurred Nixon to send the US 7th Fleet's Task Force, led by the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, to the Bay of Bengal. The carrier, at 75,000 tons, was the world's largest nuclear-powered carrier in the '70s with more than 70 fighter aircraft. A monster. The Indian Navy's fleet was led by the 20,000-ton aircraft carrier, Vikrant, with 20 light fighter aircraft.

The USS Enterprise was being dispatched to secure American citizens in Bangladesh was the official American statement. Unofficially it was to threaten the Indian forces and prevent the liberation of East Pakistan. India soon got another bad news.

Soviet intelligence reported to India that a powerful British naval group led by the aircraft carrier HMS Eagle with commando carrier HMS Albion, several destroyers and other ships were approaching India's territorial waters from the west, towards the Arabian Sea. The British and the Americans planned a co-ordinated pincer attack to intimidate India : the British ships in the Arabian Sea will target India's western coast while the Americans would make a dash to Chittagong. Caught between the British and the American ships was the Indian Navy.

It was Dec '71 and the world's two leading democracies were now threatening the world's largest democracy.

An SOS from Delhi was sent to Moscow. The Red Navy soon dispatched 16 Soviet naval units and six nuclear submarines from Vladivostok to block USS Enterprise. 

Admiral N Krishnan, the Chief of the Eastern Command of the IN, wrote in his book, "No Way But Surrender" that he was afraid that Americans will reach Chittagong. He mentions how they even thought of attacking Enterprise, in a do or die move, to slow it down.

In the 2nd week of Dec '71, the US 7th Fleet's Task Force, led by the monstrous USS Enterprise arrived in the Bay of Bengal. The British fleet was arriving in the Arabian Sea. The world held its breath.

But unknown to the Americans, the submerged Soviet submarines had overtaken them.

As USS Enterprise moved towards East Pakistan, the Soviet submarines surfaced without any warning. The Soviet subs were now standing between India and the US naval force.

The Americans were shocked.

Admiral Gordon told the 7th American Fleet Commander, "Sir, we are too late. The Soviets are here!"

Both the American and British fleets backed off.

Today, most Indians have forgotten about this colossal naval chess battle between the two superpowers in the Bay of Bengal.....

Moreover, the Americans and the other western powers tried to table a resolution, in the UN Security Council, condemning India as the aggressor and to cease hostilities forthwith, with the sole thought of giving an advantage to the miserably disposed Pakistan. It was the Soviet Union that vetoed the resolution to give the Indian armed forces sufficient time to liberate Dacca.

My take

That's the reason that we always say that India and Russia are strategic partners!

Tailpiece.

Got up at a quarter past 6, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10.

Participated in the 557th episode of the Aazhchakkoottam : "Reading and Science towards Society's Progress" by Prof VK Damodaran, International Scientific Scholar. The interaction was short but interesting.