Indira Gandhi, Soviet Stooge?

According to this Times story, Indira Gandhi's government was so riddled with KGB agents, and the reach of the Soviets so pervasive in Indian society under her rule, that it would only be stretching the truth a little bit to say the country became a de facto Soviet satellite under her watch. Endemic corruption, economic stagnation and restriction of constitutional freedoms were already black marks against Gandhi's rule, and now we have this as well: was there anything good whatsoever which came of her years in power?

PS: An illuminating short biography of Indira Gandhi can be found here. Suffice to say that as much as one dislikes the notion of political change via assassination, those Sikh bodyguards who finished this power-hungry monster off actually did their countrymen a tremendous favor.

PPS: Also see this story for more on KGB operations in India. The following anecdote is particularly telling:

[Oleg Kalugin] recalls one occasion when the KGB turned down an offer from an Indian minister to provide information in return for $50,000 on the grounds that it was already well supplied with material from the Indian foreign and defence ministries: “It seemed like the entire country was for sale ...

Comments

[dsquared]

careful with this abiola; although it falls just outside the 20 year limit under Home Secretary Clarke's new legislation, the assassination of Indira Gandhi may yet be made a "listed event" and I'd hate to see you do five years in jail for "glorifying terrorism".

[Andrew]

I think he'd already be in trouble for criticising Islam so vehemently...

[Abiola Lapite]

Indeed, my sins are manifold. I've got my toothbrush and other accessories all packed for when the nice Mr. Clarke sends his boys over to make me a guest of Her Majesty ...

[Chuckles]

So much for being non aligned.

[Mycroft]

The KGB is an organization much given to exaggerating its influence. The New York Times probably has more sources in Washington than the KGB ever did in New Delhi, but few would succumb to the fallacious belief that the US government is the puppet of the NYT.

[Abiola Lapite]

The KGB's cash was real enough, as were the weapons and operatives it funnelled into India.

"The New York Times probably has more sources in Washington than the KGB ever did in New Delhi, but few would succumb to the fallacious belief that the US government is the puppet of the NYT."

This is ridiculous. The NYT isn't an ideologically expansionist totalitarian regime looking to subvert America to nefarious ends.

[Factory]

"This is ridiculous. The NYT isn't an ideologically expansionist totalitarian regime looking to subvert America to nefarious ends."
Indeed, but I'm sure some would disagree. :)

OTOH while this article does point fingers at Indira, it also seems to be saying that this was caused by endemic corruption in India, rather than Indira being the prime cause. I doubt that corruption changed much in her time as PM and had changed little in the cold war era.

[KXB]

The one positive aspect of her rule was dismembering Pakistan - forever removing the threat of a two-front war, and putting to rest the notion that Pakistan contained the subcontinent's "martial races" (along with the thinking that 1 Muslim soldier = 10 Hindu soldiers.

[Piraisoli]

I was no fan of Indira Gandhi, but approving of her assassination is unacceptable. She was a monster, but one who was democratically elected, defeated and elected, and few political monsters of modern times have allowed themselves to be defeated. The only condition under which assassination is an acceptable option is when there is no democratic opportunity to remove the leader from power, however much one disagrees with their policies and personalities.

[Abiola Lapite]

I have a feeling the hundreds of thousands of poor men snatched off the streets and involuntarily sterilized by this democratically-elected dictator would have a very different take on how much she deserved to be left alive.