Henry Kissinger, the well-known American statesman and former secretary of state, has passed away at the age of 100. Despite his past disdain for India’s leadership under Indira Gandhi in the 1970s, Kissinger had been advocating for stronger US-India ties for the past decade, particularly under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Kissinger, considered the architect of the US-China relationship, died at his home in Connecticut. The cause of his death has not been disclosed by his consulting firm, Kissinger Associates.
Since Modi became Prime Minister in 2014, Kissinger, who also served as the US National Security Adviser, had been actively promoting closer relations with India. In fact, he had become a great admirer of Modi over the past few years.
Despite his declining health, Kissinger made the effort to travel to Washington to attend a luncheon at the State Department during Modi’s official state visit to the US in June this year. There, he patiently listened to Modi’s speech and had an interaction with him.
In 2018, Kissinger expressed his support for the India-US relationship during a closed-door fireside chat organized by the US India Strategic and Partnership Forum. This was a significant change from his strained ties with India in the 1970s when he was in the administration.
Kissinger’s views on India evolved over time, and he had been advocating for strong ties with the country for successive administrations. He had several meetings with Modi during the Prime Minister’s trips to the United States.
Kissinger’s efforts to improve relations with India were not always successful in the past. He had acknowledged that Gandhi did not have a personality that appealed to Americans, but he recognized her importance as India’s leader.
Throughout his career, Kissinger was known for his diplomatic achievements, including helping to end the Vietnam War and facilitating the opening of relations between the US and China. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1973 for his contributions.
The news of Kissinger’s death comes as a loss to the diplomatic community, but his legacy of advocating for stronger ties between the US and India will continue to influence future relations between the two countries.
