Office of the Historian

283. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in India1

Washington, January 18, 1966, 8:55 p.m.

CAP 66028. For Ambassador. Deliver following message soonest to new Prime Minister2 from President Johnson. “Dear Madam Prime Minister: Let me offer my warm congratulations on your appointment and wish you every success as you assume leadership of the world’s largest democracy. The relations between our two countries are firmly grounded in our common dedication to the principles of human dignity, human welfare, democratic institutions, and peace. Under your leadership I look forward to a broadening and deepening of this community of interests, and pledge our friendship and cooperation to this end.

You know how much I had been looking forward to seeing Prime Minister Shastri, under whom your government made such great efforts to bring a better life to India’s millions. I will be delighted if you can come on February 1, but realize that your new burdens of office may make this difficult. If you cannot come then, I hope that we can reschedule your visit for an early date, so that we can discuss the many momentous problems we both face. Mrs. Johnson and I remember with much pleasure our earlier meetings with you, and look forward to seeing you again soon.”3

  1. Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, POL 15–1 INDIA. Limited Official Use; Immediate. Drafted by Komer and Officer in Charge of India, Ceylon and Nepal Affairs Carleton S. Coon, Jr.; cleared by Handley, Public Affairs Adviser Daniel Brown (NEA), and Special Assistant Joseph W. Reap (P); and approved by Hare. A note attached to the telegram indicates that it was erroneously assigned a White House message number in the White House Situation Room, and consequently was not given a Department of State telegram series number. The same note indicates that McGeorge Bundy cleared the message with the President.↩
  2. Indira Gandhi, Minister of Information in the Shastri government, was elected Prime Minister at a meeting of the members of Parliament of the Congress Party on January 18. The final vote was 355 for Gandhi and 169 for Morarji Desai. Prime Minister Gandhi and the members of her Ministry were sworn in on January 24. The new government included Gulzarilal L. Nanda as Minister of Home Affairs, Sachindra Chaudhuri as Minister of Finance, and Asoka Mehta as Minsiter of Planning. Swaran Singh, Y.B. Chavan, and Chidambara Subramaniam retained their portfolios as Ministers of External Affairs, Defense, and Food and Agriculture, respectively.↩
  3. Printed from an unsigned copy. Gandhi returned a letter to Johnson on January 24, expressing her appreciation for the message of congratulations. She accepted the invitation to visit the United States but noted that it would be a few weeks before she felt free to go abroad. There were, she noted, decisions pending with regard to problems facing India which required urgent attention, and she asked Johnson to receive Ambassador Nehru to discuss them. (Johnson Library, National Security File, Special Head of State Correspondence File, India, 4/15/65–2/28/66)↩