IK Gujral thought Saddam was India's friend, says ex envoy CR Gharekhan

The then External Affairs Miniter IK Gujral thought Saddam would win the Gulf War against the US and its allies and it was embarrassing for the country, said former Indian Ambassador Chinmaya Gharekhan, while delivering a speech at the book launch of his title "Centres of Power: My Years in the Prime Minister's Office and Security Council" in New Delhi.

New Delhi : India's stand on The Gulf War (August 1990 - February 1991) that erupted after Iraq, under dictator Saddam Hussain, invaded its neighbour Kuwait was "embarrassing" as "the then Foreign Minister IK Gujral thought that Saddam is India's friend and thought that he would win the war against the Americas and their allies", said Chinmaya Gharekhan, former Indian Ambassador to the United Nations.

Delivering a speech at the book launch of his title "Centres of Power: My Years in the Prime Minister's Office and Security Council" at India International Centre, New Delhi, the former career diplomat who had also served as Advisor to PM on Foreign Affairs from 1981-1986 said "domestic reasons play a very significant role in international diplomacy" while talking about New Delhi's stand on Gulf War.

Remembering his days at the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) where he served as an advisor to both former PM Indira Gandhi and his son Rajiv Gandhi, Gharekhan said, "Indira Gandhi was not a difficult person as it was shown. She was both kind and tough and always respected the opinions of the officials."

"But Rajiv Gandhi was different. His style of working was very different from his mother's. Rajiv Gandhi many a time was not very happy with IK Gujral's stand on several issues. He did not like when someone used to tell him that this is our policy which was decided by her mother, Indira Gandhi. He did not specifically like the term 'your mother', he further added.

Speaking on IK Gujral, Gharekhan said, "When the Gulf War happened and Saddam invades Kuwait, IK Gujral was visiting Moscow, Iran and thought Saddam is India's friend. He thought Saddam could fight and win against the US and its allies. This was very embarrassing for us. And many of the officials at the MEA back then tried to sober him (IK Gujral) down. "

Gharekhan, while talking about Indira Gandhi's assassination, pointed out that when the former PM was assassinated, "there was no ambulance and that she was taken to the AIIMs in a private vehicle. At the hospital, there were no senior doctors to attend her and only junior doctors attended her. That was extremely terrifying and should not have happened."

Gharekhan was sharing the dais with former Vice President Hamid Ansari, ex-Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran, former Ambassador and External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh and former Foreign Secretary M K Rasgotra who is 99 years of age.

While speaking during the launch of the book, Hamid Ansari said PM Indira Gandhi's main concern was China and she wanted that India should not remain unrealistic on China in the international arena. Quoting a few lines from the book, he said, "PM Indira Gandhi did not share the same equation with the Soviet Union as her father Nehru used to do. She was trying to please the United Kingdom and was very keen to attend Prince Charles's wedding but got disappointed when she failed to attend it."