When Henry Kissinger’s Derogatory Remarks: Labeling Indira Gandhi and Indians During 1971 War

In July 2005, the US Department of State declassified taped conversations between former US President Richard Nixon and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger shortly before the India-Pakistan war in 1971, which led to the birth of Bangladesh.

In the tapes, Nixon refers to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as an “old witch,” while Kissinger uses derogatory language, calling her a “b***c” and describing Indians as “bastards” with Nixon making disparaging remarks about Indian women. Despite Kissinger later expressing regret and claiming the comments were in a Cold War context, the tapes became a stain on his legacy, revealing his disregard for human rights abuses in East Pakistan.

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The Nixon administration’s backing of Pakistan during the 1971 war was rooted in concerns about Soviet influence in the Indian subcontinent. With India strengthening ties with the USSR, the US sought to counter this by engaging with China. This outreach was facilitated through Pakistan. Kissinger explained in a 2016 interview that publicly condemning Pakistani atrocities in East Pakistan would jeopardize the channel needed for the US-China rapprochement.

Kissinger, a prominent figure in statecraft, died at the age of 100. He acknowledged the tension between human rights and national security, stating that in some situations, no choice between them is required. The US, attempting to dissuade India, even collaborated with China and deployed an aircraft carrier in the Indian Ocean during the 1971 war. However, India’s request to the USSR activated a security agreement, leading to Russian fleet deployment in the Bay of Bengal.

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Despite US efforts, India emerged victorious, routing Pakistan and giving birth to Bangladesh. Mrs. Gandhi, responding to US alliances with Pakistan, emphasized that treaties were meant to contain communism, not to suppress justice or democracy. Ironically, a day after Bangladesh’s liberation, Kissinger informed Nixon that he had “saved West Pakistan,” as revealed in later declassified documents.