163. Letter From Prime Minister Nehru to President Kennedy0
New Delhi, August 5,
1962.
- [Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, India, Nehru Correspondence, 4/1/62-8/31/62. No classification marking. This letter has not been declassified by the Indian Government. The substance of the letter is summarized in Sarvepalli Gopal, Jawaharlal Nehru: A Biography (London: Jonathan Cape, 1984), Vol. 3, pp. 217-218, as follows: “In the same spirit, Nehru wrote to Kennedy thanking him for all the sympathy and friendship he had shown to India, more particularly in regard to aid for development. The United States had not only given India generous assistance but had taken the trouble to induce other countries also to do so. However, it was the friendly and sympathetic attitude, even more than the aid, for which India was grateful. ‘My colleagues here and I are particularly anxious to have the friendship of the United States in the great tasks that confront us. I believe that this friendship is good not only for our two countries, but also for the world.’ [Page 319] This had little to do with aid and, even if circumstances arose which might make it difficult for the United States to help India in her development, the Indian Government would still value the friendship of the United States and work for close relations between the two countries. Differences of viewpoint should not affect this friendship. ‘I can assure you, therefore, that whatever might happen, our attitude will continue to be to encourage friendly relations between our two countries.’”]↩