Embedded Files
Che's 1959 Trip to India
Che visited India in 1959 as part of an official Cuban delegation. He met with Nehru, Krishna Menon and others.
"In India, the word war is so distant of the spirit of the people that they didn't resort to it even at the tense moments of their struggle for independence. The great demonstrations of collective peaceful discontent forced the English colonialism to leave forever the land that they devastated during one hundred and fifty years." Che spoke of the differences between the Latin American and Indian struggle and the importance of Gandhi.
An account of the visit is available here. A description of the interview of Che by K. P. Bhanumathy is here .
India's recognition of the Cuban Revolution
India was one of the first countries to recognize the new Cuban state after the revolution. The first Indian ambassador to Cuba was M. C. Chagla. Chagla wrote in his autobiography, "When I went up to him as he stood in the receiving line, and I was introduced to him, he paused instead of passing to the next person in the queue, and spoke to me for two or three minutes expressing his great admiration for Jawaharlal Nehru. He said that in the administration of his country he always placed before himself the great principles governing international affairs which Nehru had enunciated, and asked me to convey to Nehru his deep respect and regard for him".
Fidel's meeting with Nehru at Hotel Theresa
When the Cuban delegate led by Fidel reached New York to attend the UN Conference, they were not given space in any of the major hotels. Malcolm X and others invited Fidel to stay in Hotel Theresa in Harlem which the Cubans immediately accepted. Jawaharlal Nehru was the first leader to visit him there. Nehru said to Fidel, "“I wanted to meet you for many reasons, above all, because you are a very brave man.” In return Fidel said "“I have been wanting to see you. If you had not come I would have come to you. You are a man of peace... You are doing the work of all of us". Fidel presented Nehru with a bust of Jose Marti. More about the meeting can be read here.
Joliot-Curie Medal Awarded by the World Peace Council
Fidel was awarded the Joliot-Curie Medal by the World Peace Council led by Romesh Chandra. Cuba would host the meetings of the World Peace Council. In a 1981 meeting, Fidel would say, "Our country has been deeply honored to host this meeting of the Presidency of the World Peace Council. We highly value the significance of this gesture of friendship and solidarity for Cuba. We are particularly pleased to welcome back to Cuban soil that active, tireless, and tenacious fighter of international renown—our dear comrade and friend, Romesh Chandra." Romesh Chandra led a delegation to the famous 1966 Tricontinental Conference.
1983 Non-Aligned Movement Conference
Fidel and Cuba became a central part of the non-aligned movement. They supported the struggles of African and Asian countries against colonialism and imperialism. Cuba supported Bangladesh in its liberation war. On Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Fidel said "I have not seen the Himalayas. But I have seen Sheikh Mujib. In personality and in courage, this man is the Himalayas". Fidel greatly admired Indira Gandhi and considered her a sister. He had warned her in 1973 about U.S. sponsored attempts on her life and was shocked by her assassination a decade later. He sent a message, "We saw her disappear amidst flames, while her people, her descendants, and statesmen from all over the world surrounded the funeral pyre in respectful silence. And we recalled the august calmness with which, years earlier, she had indicated that one day she also would, with resignation, give up her life in a holocaust for the unity of her nation".
Artistic and Cultural Connections
Cuba has always admired the poetry of Rabindranath Tagore and a bust for the poet exists in Havana. The famous ballet dancer Alicia Alonso performed in India on the occasion of Tagore's centenary. Her performance took place on a makeshift stage and organisers worried that the quality of the stage was unsuitable for her performance and the Indian crowd unused to ballet. However, she not only performed but received a standing ovation on the conclusion of her dance. Many progressive artists and poets like Sajjad Zaheer visited Cuba and admired Fidel and the Cuban revolution. Cuban artists like Nicolas Guillen were part of the struggle to create a new literature by Afro-Asian writers like Mulk Raj Anand and others.
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