On September 11, 1973, Fidel arrived in New Delhi during a brief stopover on his way to Vietnam. Drums and chants against US imperialism were heard as he disembarked from the airplane.

Then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and a large group greeted the Cuban leader with affection, and as part of the warm and colorful welcome at the airport, he received flower necklaces.

During the official dinner, Gandhi expressed satisfaction with the visit of the Commander-in-Chief and assured that he was very much loved and known here. Fidel reciprocated with a brief speech, according to the memoirs by José Miguel Miyar Barruecos, known as Chomy.

Fidel continued his journey to Hanoi the following day with a brief stop in Calcutta, where renowned Indian actor and director Goutam Ghose recalled a crowd thronging to see the leader at what is now the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport.

A most inspiring event, Ghose wrote in an article for The Times of India in recent years.

It was a time of socialist ferment in India, and Fidel Castro represented Cuba’s courage to defend its democracy against the powerful and nearby US empire, international media reported.

Ghose confessed that hearing how Cuba stood firm in the face of the US blockade that has been in place for more than 60 years was fascinating.

Although Fidel Castro’s visit was brief, it represented a transcendental step to promote Cuba-India relations.

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