NEW YORK: The “New York Times” reported today [Feb 12] Mrs Indira Gandhi, the Indian Prime Minister, has appealed to President Johnson for an immediate resumption of economic aid to India.

In a Washington report quoting US Administration sources, the newspaper said that in a letter to the President expressing her wish to visit Washington “as early as possible,” Mrs Gandhi emphasised that resumption of economic aid was becoming so urgent to the Indian economy that it could not await her visit to Washington.

Mr Johnson told a Press conference yesterday he had received a letter from Mrs Gandhi on Thursday night. He did not say when she planned to arrive for her visit, but authoritative sources said they believed she would try to begin her US visit in the latter half of March.

The President declined to make any further comment, saying he did not want to read extracts from a private correspondence.

He said that Vice-President Humphrey, on his visit to New Delhi next week, will discuss with Mrs Gandhi some of the matters she raised in her letter, such as economic aid and food shipments to relieve famine in India.

The “New York Times” said Mrs Gandhi’s appeal for an immediate resumption of economic aid reflected the concern of Indian officials that the lack of American assistance was beginning to have a harmful effect on the Indian economy. The most immediate effect of the lack of new aid, according to Indian officials, has come in the inability of the Indian Government to purchase raw materials and components for Indian industry.

Official sources in Washington were not immediately available for comment on the reports of Mrs Gandhi’s urgent request.

But other sources noted that other assistance to India, including food supplies, were already flowing to India, and they could not see that the need for new aid was so urgent.

Published in Dawn, February 13th, 2016