Spectre off Arms Balance

ECONOMIC AND PLITICAL WEEKLY ONLY those who naively believed that there was a total identity of Indian and Soviet national interests will feel shocked by the announcement of Moscow's intention to supply arms to Pakistan. The truth is that Pakistan's position as a factor in great power politics has undergone a sea-change since the time when the Soviet Union . first extended its support to India on the Kashmir issue and it would be unnatural for Moscow to fail to respond to this new situation even though Rawalpindi's attitude to India remains as hostile as ever. There is, therefore, no basis for regarding this perfectly predictable Soviet move as a breach of faith.