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by Jairam Ramesh
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Fiza's Tandav For Jehad

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COVER STORY: INDO-RUSSIAN RELATIONS

More Than A Bear Hug

In a new game of diplomacy, Russia moves to sign a strategic declaration with India that primarily aims to counter the blossoming Indo-US relations

By Raj Chengappa in Moscow

These are heady times for Indian foreign policymakers and the hangover is evident. What takes a decade to plot has happened in just six months. Not only have India and the US exchanged visits of heads of government since March but Delhi has also played host to the prime ministers of Japan, Australia and Nepal in between. Suddenly, it seems the world can't get enough of India. And not only for gastronomical reasons. So this may be one reason why South Block isn't looking too perky as Russian President Vladimir Putin begins his four-day visit to the country from October 2.

Should India be excited over Putin's visit? Good question. Early this year at the annual jamboree of top cats in Davos, prominent Russian politicians and businessmen were asked, "Who is this Putin?" There was an embarrassingly long pause before they could come up with an answer. Nine months later, the 47-year-old former KGB spy who came to power literally from the cold is still an enigma.

That apart, does Russia really matter anymore? After all, its claim to being a great power looks as wispy as an autumn mist on Moscow's azure skyline. After the Soviet Union was dismantled in the 1990s, Russia's GDP plunged by almost half. It is now just a tenth of the US, and five times smaller than China. An average Russian's annual income is today five times less than that of an American, British or French national. It is still 10 times more than what an Indian earns, but that isn't saying much. Economically, Russia is now part of the Third World. Putin knows it, as do India and the rest of the world.

Yet, Russia-and Putin-matter. True, the Russian President's visit lacks the flamboyance that marked US President Bill Clinton's journey through India and there is hardly any curiosity over his itinerary. Apart from a summit meeting with Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee on October 3 he will address a special session of Parliament on October 4; he will then do the mandatory sightseeing tour of Agra before leaving for Mumbai the same evening. After a pow-wow with Indian businessmen on the 5th, he will visit the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, the only part of his programme that has been the subject of talk among diplomats.

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Looking Glass
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