Russian turbulence for Indian airbase
By Sudha Ramachandran

I didn't know this
Quote
India's relationship with Tajikistan has traditionally been warm. The two countries were on the same side in the Afghan civil war in the late 1990s. Both were opposed to the Taliban and backed the Northern Alliance. At Farkhor, southeast of Dushanbe, India ran a 25-bed hospital for injured fighters of the Northern Alliance in the late 1990s. And it was out of Tajikistan that India channeled its assistance to the Northern Alliance, which included, among other things, advice on strategy and help in repairing the Northern Alliance's Soviet-made aircraft.

BANGALORE - It does seem that India will have to downsize its big-power dreams in Central Asia. Its plan to deploy aircraft at the base at Ayni in Tajikistan is facing opposition from an unexpected quarter - Russia.
Ayni, located 10 kilometers from the Tajik capital Dushanbe, was used by the Soviets during the 1980s to support their military operations in Afghanistan. Following their withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Soviets left Ayni and the base fell into a dilapidated condition.
In 2002, India undertook renovation of the base under a bilateral defense agreement with the Tajiks. It spent over US$1.1 million
renovating the base: extending and re-laying its runway, and constructing three aircraft hangars, an air-traffic control tower and the base's perimeter fencing.
But India's interest in renovating Ayni is not just about making the base usable. It has been keen on setting up a military outpost there.

Full story
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Central_Asia/JB01Ag01.html

Well, it's unsurprising the Russians will be causing problem over this.

The six landlocked countries of Central Asia (Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan) are all the subject of rivalry from Russia, America, China and indeed India.

Access to bases, oil, overflying rights is one reason these countries tend to be given a pass on things like human rights (many have not had a change of government for fifteen years or so).

Didn't know India help the Northern Alliance's? Would this be when terrorist attacks pick up against India? Were Northern Alliance American allies back when India were helping?