Introduction

• India has come a long way since Independence in 1947 and is gradually emerging as a global power.

• Despite internal challenges due to her unique character as a sub-continental, multilingual entity, India has managed to demonstrate her strength in nuclear and military capabilities.

• India has exhibited restraint when necessary, balancing power and diplomacy.

• India’s foreign policy has evolved over the years, shaped by various internal and external factors.

• Internal factors influencing Indian foreign policy include:

  • Geo-strategic location

  • Economic conditions

  • Political tradition

  • Societal fabric

  • National character

  • National morale

  • Personality traits of leaders

• External determinants of Indian foreign policy are influenced by:

  • International political environment

  • Foreign policies of major powers

  • Foreign policies of neighbouring countries

• Indian foreign policy has never been static; it has evolved in response to changing domestic and international scenarios.

Basic Objectives

Non-Alignment

• Certain basic objectives have remained unchanged in Indian foreign policy over time and form the core principles.

• These principles are considered the pillars of Indian foreign policy.

• The chief architect of non-alignment policy was Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India.

• Nehru’s primary concern was to consolidate Independence and ensure peace and economic development for India.

• Non-alignment was aimed at keeping India out of entangling alliances.

• The Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union provided the immediate impetus for formulating non-alignment.

• The Cold War divided the world into two hostile camps, and the US attempt to rope Asian countries, including Pakistan, into military alliances like the Baghdad Pact, SEATO, and CENTO, made non-alignment a better option for India.

• Nehru aimed to distance India from the two power blocs, focusing on development and addressing social evils like poverty, hunger, and death.

• India preferred to stay away from the power politics of opposing alliances, which had previously caused World Wars and could lead to disasters in the future.

• Nehru believed that entering an alliance would result in the loss of independence, as the recipient country would have to take orders from the supplying country in times of emergency.

• Nehru argued that if Asian countries entered into alliances with the West, it would give the West an opportunity to solve Asian problems without Asia’s involvement.

Anti-Colonialism and Anti-Imperialism

• The roots of India’s anti-colonial and anti-imperialistic politics lie in its experience of British imperialism.

• The anti-imperialist feeling that developed during the Indian freedom movement was expressed through mass struggles like the Swadeshi Movement, Non-Cooperation Movement, Civil Disobedience Movement, and Quit India Movement.

• Post-Independence, India expressed solidarity with national liberation movements in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

• India used the NAM forum and the UN platform to fight for the cause of people still under colonial rule.

• India extended help to the people fighting for independence in Indonesia, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, and especially in the decolonization of Namibia and South Africa.

• India played a vital role in the evolution of independent Bangladesh by supporting the people of East Pakistan in their fight for liberation from West Pakistan.

• India continued to fight against colonialism, as traditional colonialism was increasingly replaced by neo-colonialism.

• India also played a significant role in the Third World’s struggle to establish a New International Economic Order (NIEO), aimed at international equity and justice.

Anti-Racialism

• Racialism in India can be traced to its historical experiences under British rule, where British racialist policies permeated all services and were a defining characteristic of British rule in the 19th century.

• Post-Independence, anti-racialism became one of the major principles of Indian foreign policy.

• By 1947, anti-imperialism and anti-racialism became core imperatives of the Indian national mindset, with Nehru expressing that these were the “kernel of our foreign policy.”

• Soon after Independence, India took a leading role in condemning apartheid and racial discrimination in South Africa.

• In 1952, India, alongside 12 other Afro-Asian states, raised the issue of apartheid in the UN, highlighting its violation of the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

• India argued that apartheid constituted a threat to international peace.

• India also supported the ‘black’ population in the USA and the African population in Rhodesia (Zimbabwe).

• India used the NAM platform to support the struggle of people against racialism and apartheid.

• India remains committed to anti-racialism and continues to fight against racial discrimination as a violation of human rights.