Rajiv more open-minded than his mother, Zia-ul-Haq told Thatcher

[Zarvan]

Former PM Rajiv Gandhi (C) with then Pakistan President Zia-ul-Haq (R) at the Palam airport on Decemeber 17, 1985. (HT File Photo)

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As president of Pakistan, General Zia-ul-Haq told British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher that he believed Rajiv Gandhi was “more open- minded” on India-Pakistan relations than his mother, Indira Gandhi.




A confidential note of a meeting between Thatcher and Zia-ul-Haq in Moscow on March 13, 1985, now declassified, also reveals that according to Thatcher, “India remained heavily dependent upon the Soviet Union for arms”.

CD Powell, private secretary in 10 Downing Street, recorded the meeting, “He (Zia) had pinned considerable hopes for a reasonable Indian attitude on Mr Gandhi but had been disappointed by some of his recent remarks about the military equipment which Pakistan was procuring from the United States”.

“It seemed that he did not want Pakistan to be armed at all. The trial of the Sikh hijackers was in progress and its conclusion should remove an irritant in Pakistan/India relations. He believed that Mr Gandhi was basically more open-minded than his mother had been,” he said.

On Thatcher’s view that India was “heavily dependent” on the Soviet Union for arms, the record of the meeting states: “President Zia said that he very much hoped that Britain would sell more arms to India to reduce this dependence”.

“The Prime Minister referred to Britain’s problems with India stemming from the activities of Sikh extremists in the United Kingdom”, the record states.

The meeting also discussed Pakistan’s re-entry into the Commonwealth (it had withdrawn from the Commonwealth after Britain recognised Bangladesh after the 1971 India-Pakistan war, and President Zia was lobbying actively for its re-entry at the time).

Thatcher encouraged him to lobby Commonwealth members such as New Zealand and Canada. “The Prime Minister said that Pakistan would have to do some lobbying and would have to start now”.

Rajiv more open-minded than his mother, Zia-ul-Haq told Thatcher
@Horus @nair @SpArK @GURU DUTT @OrionHunter @doppelganger @Manticore @Oscar @TankMan @syedali73

 

[Manindra]

And he is stupid also. Sanjay Gandhi was good candidate if he not died in crash in fact he is more ruthless & smarter than Indira Gandhi.

 

[livingdead]

Rajiv was an outsider, he never wanted to be in politics, too happy with his wife and kids and being in a regular job. Sanjay was political heir to Indira, too bad he died before Indira.
Rajiv was political noob which had its blessings. He brought new thinking to govt overrun by old people.

 

[uparyupari]

Rajiv was so open minded that he tried to kill our Nuclear program to usher in "world peace"

Thank god he was killed. No wonder Zia loved him. Everybody loves an idiot.

 

[third eye]

The young are invariably more open minded than the old.

 

[Musalman]

And he is stupid also. Sanjay Gandhi was good candidate if he not died in crash in fact he is more ruthless & smarter than Indira Gandhi.

Wasn't Sanjay getting out of hand by acting like a prince?

 

[[Bregs]]

He could have been a good leader but he was politically naive

 

[Imran Khan]

sad end of his life covered everything including end of his goods and bads

 

[third eye]

Wasn't Sanjay getting out of hand by acting like a prince?

He was a yahoo who brought his mother to ruin which led to imposition of the emergency .

Air crashes have happened at providential times both in India & Pakistan.

 

[Echo_419]

And he is stupid also. Sanjay Gandhi was good candidate if he not died in crash in fact he is more ruthless & smarter than Indira Gandhi.

Indeed the only congressional I like

 

[uparyupari]

He could have been a good leader but he was politically naive

By that logic every moron in India can be a "good leader" .................... even pappu has a chance.

 

[nForce]

Wasn't Sanjay getting out of hand by acting like a prince?

Out of whose hand will be an important question.
And I'll say acting extravagantly at times is one of the qualities of a head-strong leader. Indira Gandhi had similar qualities.

He could have been a good leader but he was politically naive

He(Rajiv Gandhi) was weak and could be easily manipulated, so unlike his mother. some of the biggest scams in India started during his rule.

 

[Manindra]

Wasn't Sanjay getting out of hand by acting like a prince?

Indeed, but so does everyone but Sanjay Gandhi have a dream of poverty & filth free India which only he can fulfill it ( Dictator style) neither all Congress are messiah of poors so no poor then no Congress.

He could have been a good leader but he was politically naive

You can't be politically naive & good leader at the same time.
Correct word is he was good man not leader.

 

[Anuj Tagra]

None of these guys should have become the PM of India.

Only a desi guy ll do,no need for people who drink/smoke.

 

[Rangila]

Both died a violent death...