THE POWER OF USEFULNESS
On July 20, 1990, Hindustan Times carried a report from its Moscow correspondent, Mr. Bhavani Sen Gupta, titled “A New USSR is Emerging.” In it, while describing changes in the Soviet Union, he quoted a senior Russian expert on international affairs as saying: “The United States will not be the first love of the USSR. The first love will be united Europe. Then Japan, followed by the US and China.” I asked, surprised, “What about India?” The Russian replied calmly, “India is special. India is not our first, second, or third love. India is our love forever.”
For forty years, our government told us that the Soviet Union was our greatest friend. But this reply shows that India has now been reduced to a mere formal relationship. The reason is simple. Earlier, Russia needed us; now it no longer does. During the Cold War, Russia used us to counter the United States. But with peace between Russia and America, that rivalry ended, and so did our importance. Today, Russia values only those countries that can help build its modern economy—and Europe and Japan can do that, not India. The secret of importance for any person or nation lies in becoming useful to others. Every other basis is hollow, collapsing with the first gust of wind.
On December 28, 1990, Hindustan Times published another report, this one by Mr. N.C. Menon, an Indian journalist based in Washington. He wrote that when Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev visited India during Rajiv Gandhi’s government, the Prime Minister had proposed close cooperation between India, China, and the Soviet Union to form a bloc against the US (and possibly against the rising European union). Gorbachev, with blunt honesty, replied that what we need most is new technology, and neither India nor China can provide it.
For forty years, Russia saw “capitalist West” as its enemy and “socialist India” as its friend. But after long experience, it realized that India brought it no benefit, while the capitalist West could play a vital role in its development. So Russia let India go, ignored complaints, and befriended the capitalist West.
The “capitalist nation” won over its greatest enemy through its fruitfulness, while socialist India’s lack of fruitfulness caused it to lose its greatest friend. This is the true secret of success in today’s world. Success in this world is achieved through fruitfulness, not by erecting lofty structures of mere words.
