KIndia’s interactions with the world in the last 75 years have been an extraordinary success story. All the governments and leaders who have led India so far have contributed to this success. Looking back, we have many reasons to celebrate. The world admires the democracy and nation-building that India has achieved in the face of great odds and greater diversity. India’s positions in the United Nations and other international forums are of great importance. India is a member of the G-20, an organization of the world’s major economic powers. India will also host the next year’s G-20 summit.
Let us be ready
Be that as it may, the world today is going through a great crisis. After a while, war and strife are on the rise in Europe. Its resonances reverberate throughout the world. Democracy and protection of human rights are collapsing day by day and authoritarianism and liberalization are gaining strength day by day. In this interconnected world, external factors such as the global economy, food oil prices, climate change, epidemics, political and economic instability in neighboring countries, and growing terrorism there directly affect the well-being of our country. The world is likely to witness large-scale crises and turbulent situations in the coming years. We must be prepared to face it with courage. We should not be overconfident about the significant achievements so far.
Foreign policy started with Nehru
India was born in the midst of partition and communal riots. In the early years, India’s democracy was in an untested infancy. Most of the people are poor and illiterate. It had to rely mostly on imports for food items. People who had little industrial base. Not only the problems with the Pakistani government and army after the partition, but also fighting over Kashmir within a few weeks of independence. Because of partition, lakhs of refugees flowed out of India and from outside into India.
Later, the British left the country, leaving the freedom to the rulers of 565 princely states to decide whether to join India, Pakistan or remain independent. India’s approach to the world was formulated and implemented by Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, amid extraordinary anarchy and massive restrictions.
Nehru made freedom, internationalism, peace and peaceful settlement of disputes the core of Indian foreign policy without fear of the surrounding circumstances. It was inspired by India’s long history of open exchange and free exchanges with other communities, cultures and religions, and the non-violence messages of Sri Buddha, Ashoka, Mahatma Gandhi and others. Learning from our freedom struggle, decolonization, commitment to human rights, fight against racism and solidarity with developing countries etc., Nehru made part of our foreign policy. Nehru believed that India should become an active member of the UN and participate in its collective efforts to address global challenges. UN, World Bank, IMF India became a founding member and leader of third world countries globally in all international arenas. Delhi hosted the Afro-Asian Conferences in 1947 and 1949. In 1955, the Bandung Summit was jointly organized by India and Indonesia. Finally, integration policy was born in 1961 in Belgrade. It is well known that India’s current foreign policy is based on strategic autonomy and multilateral cooperation as opposed to non-alignment. This definition may be new. But it cannot be denied that the source of this policy of strategic autonomy was Nehru’s leadership.
Coincidentally, India was born at the beginning of the Cold War when the world was divided between East and West. Pakistan and Southeast Asia became partners in the US-led military alliance to counter the Soviet Union. India was forced to go to war with Pakistan in 1947 and 1965 and with China in 1962. The US condemned India’s accession policy as immoral. However, India remained steadfast in its independent stance without succumbing to any kind of pressure. Nehru reiterated that he would not be a part of the rivalry between the two sides that had created the Cold War. At a time when military and economic strength determined the status of the world’s nations, Nehru brought great prestige and influence to India, which had only limited military and economic power.
CONTRIBUTIONS OF DESCENDANTS
India managed to maintain good relations with the US or the Soviet Union even while being a leader of the policy of accession. India’s economic and social development also received assistance from these two countries. India also did not hesitate to join the British Commonwealth as it was convinced that establishing special relations with Britain and its former colonies would benefit the country’s economic development. India’s early foreign policy was both idealistic and pragmatic. Let’s not forget that our present economic strength owes to India’s early agricultural growth, industrial base and infrastructure for higher education and scientific research. Nehru also founded the Atomic Energy Agency and ISRO, which gave India nuclear power, nuclear weapons, space programs and armed missiles to counter its enemies.
If Nehru made India a prominent place on the world stage, the prime ministers and governments that succeeded him further strengthened that position and influence for India. The second war with Pakistan was during the time of Nehru’s successor, Lal Bahadur Shastri. It was his decision that led to the signing of the Tashkent Peace Treaty with Pakistan, mediated by the Soviet Union.
After Shastri, the golden moment in Indira Gandhi’s foreign policy was India’s victory in the 1971 war with Pakistan and the liberation of Bangladesh. The US, at the behest of Richard Nixon and Kissinger, pressured India to withdraw from the war. By the time the 7th Fleet was deployed in the Bay of Bengal, the Treaty of Friendship was signed with the Soviet Union, showing the pragmatism and brilliance of Indira Gandhi. Indira Gandhi also followed her father’s international policies. As part of that, India hosted the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and Commonwealth Summits. World leaders were brought together to discuss global challenges. The Pokhran nuclear test which enriched our nuclear power also took place during Indira’s time.
Rajiv Gandhi’s foreign policy reflected the relentless quest to modernize India and bring it to the forefront of technology. He took the initiative to improve relations with the US. P.V. initiated economic reform programs by integrating the Indian economy with the global economy. Narasimha Rao. Atal Bihari Vajpayee who decided to develop nuclear weapons and Dr. Manmohan Singh also gained more respect globally.
Since 2014, Narendra Modi has been implementing his foreign policy on the strong foundation laid by all of them. Modi’s approach to the world includes building strong ties with all foreign countries and inviting their leaders to his swearing-in ceremony, unexpectedly attending the wedding of Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s grandson, inviting Chinese President Xi Jinping to cities like Ahmedabad and Mahabalipuram, and addressing audiences full of Indians in neighboring countries with leaders like Trump.
There are many hurdles to cross
While reviewing India’s relations with the world over the last seventy-five years and examining its future, it should be borne in mind that many issues, including good relations with Pakistan and China, still remain unresolved. Relations with Pakistan are virtually frozen. Relations with China are at their worst in decades. There is no solution to the existing problems with Pakistan or the border disputes with China regarding Kashmir and there will be no solution in the near future. The return to Taliban rule in Afghanistan and the crisis in Sri Lanka illustrate the instability in the neighborhood. Many fear that Sri Lanka may follow the same fate as Maldives, Nepal and Bangladesh. We must be mindful of the large influx of refugees and terrorism that may result from instability in neighboring countries. With Russia starting a war against Ukraine, global oil prices have risen, food shortages, and events in distant lands have taught us that even events in distant lands can affect us significantly.
Unseasonal rainfall, cyclones, floods, sea level rise, heat waves etc. indicate that the effects of climate change are intensifying. The Covid pandemic has proven that a virus that cannot be seen with the naked eye can change the health and economy of the world. There is also concern about the increasing tendency towards liberalization in the world and within our country. Expatriate Indians may be targeted by far-right and anti-foreign organizations. If it is within the country, it will divide and weaken us and tarnish India’s name as a secular and pluralistic democracy in front of the world. During his visit to India, the former U.S. Secretary of State said that India will have the full support of the U.S. and the West as long as it adheres to the principles of equality, freedom of religion and expression. President Barack Obama announced.
The world may witness a major fluctuation in the future. But we need to ensure that there is unity within the country and that the country is heading in the right direction in times of crisis. While celebrating the successes of the past, it is necessary to introspect on the mistakes we have made in the past and where we are going wrong now. Let us prepare for an uncertain future by reaffirming our faith in collective strength, our democracy and the constitutional values that have earned India respect and esteem in the eyes of the world.
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