Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume E–7, Documents on South Asia, 1969–1972

51. Letter From the Indian Chargé d’Affaires (Rasgotra) to Secretary of State Rogers¹ ²

Washington, March 5, 1970

Excellency,

Mr. Dinesh Singh, Minister of External Affairs in the Government of India, has asked me to transmit to Your Excellency the following message from him :

“4th March, 1970.

Dear Mr. Secretary of State,

Ambassador Keating has delivered to me your letter of 27th February, 1970. I am happy that you have written to me in a frank manner about the decision of Government of India relating to the functioning of Libraries, Information and Cultural Centres run by foreign Governments in India. I am replying in the same spirit of frankness.

2. I should like to assure you that it is not our desire to weaken our cultural relations but to continue to strengthen them and to promote better understanding between our two countries. Any impression that may have been given to you to the contrary is not correct.

3. As you may know we are seeking to introduce uniformity in the functioning of Information and Cultural Centres of foreign Missions in India. Our recent decision applies to all countries having Missions in India. It is not directed against the USIS or the Cultural/Information Centres of any particular country. The idea is not to curb cultural relations with friendly foreign countries but to put them on a regular and uniform basis. It is our belief that this effort will enable US to have more meaningful cultural contacts with friendly Governments than has been possible so far.

4. You have referred to “political and other undesirable activities” mentioned by me and my colleague the Deputy Minister in the course of the discussions in our Parliament on 26th February. We did not have any specific Mission or country in mind. We were referring in general to Cultural Centres performing functions which would be beyond the scope of purely cultural activities. I hope this will remove any misunderstanding on this score.

5. I have already informed Ambassador Keating that we shall be glad to discuss the manner and means whereby we can work more effectively for the objective of strengthening our cultural relations.

Yours sincerely,

Dinesh Singh.”

Please accept, Excellency, the assurances of my highest esteem.

M. Rasgotra

Charge d’Affaires ad interim of India.

Attachment

Telegram 2505 From the Embassy in India to the Department of State

New Delhi, March 5, 1970, 1357Z.

Subj:

• Cultural Centers

Ref:

• State 029569

There follows full text of copy of letters from Foreign Minister to Secretary dated March 4 and passed informally to us March 5 by MEA Joint Secretary Muthammas:

“Ambassador Keating has delivered to me your letter of February 27, 1970. I am happy that you have written to me in a frank manner about the decision of Government of India relating to the functioning of libraries, information and cultural centres run by foreign governments in India. I am replying in the same spirit of frankness.

“I would like to assure you that it is not our desire to weaken our cultural relations but to continue to strengthen them and to promote better understanding between our two countries. Any impression that may have been given to you to the contrary is not correct.

“As you may know, we are seeking to introduce uniformity in the functioning of information and cultural centres of foreign missions in India. Our recent decision applies to all countries having missions India. It is not directed against the USIS of the cultural/information centres of any particular country. The idea is not to curb cultural relations with friendly foreign countries, but to put them on a regular and uniform basis. It is our belief that this effort will enable us to have more meaningful cultural contacts with friendly governments than has been possible so far.

“You have referred to ‘political and other undesirable activities’ mentioned by me and my colleague, the Deputy Minister, in the course of the discussions in our Parliament on 26th February. We did not have any specific mission or country in mind. We were referring in general to cultural centers performing functions which would be beyond the scope of purely cultural activities. I hope this will remove any misunderstanding on this score.

“I have already informed Ambassador Keating that we shall be glad to discuss the manner and means whereby we can work more effectively for the objective of strengthening our cultural relations.”

Keating

1. Source: National Archives, RG 59, NEA/INS Files: Lot 73 D 377, India 1970, US Cultural Centers. No classification marking. The text of the letter was also conveyed to the Department from New Delhi on March 5 in telegram 2505. (National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 596, Country Files, Middle East, India, Vol. II, 10/69–8/70)
2. Rasgotra transmitted a letter from Foreign Minister Singh to Rogers. Singh explained that the Indian decision to close the U.S. cultural centers was part of an effort to establish a uniform policy with regard to such centers and was not directed against the United States. No suggestion of improper activities on the part of the U.S. was intended.