Very well said. You pointed out the jarring notes... clearly shows that there is no free lunch in international affairs. We did pay for the Soviet support. Having said that, one must remember that at a time when India faced tremendous pressures on its territorial integrity, faced war from a puny neighbour boasted by the US - Soviets stood by us (even if we had to pay for that support indirectly). Internationally, India would have been isolated on Kashmir had it not been for Soviet interventions at the UN. Russia has been a pillar of support for us, and we need to evaluate the future benefits of this relationship objectively, just like we need to "study" the US desire to make us a "global power".
