The basic parameters of Nehru’s foreign policy and special reference to his relation with super powers: A survey
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53573/rhimrj.2023.v10n03.006Keywords:
Jawaharlal Nehru, non-alignment, Panchsheel, Cold War, United States-India relationsAbstract
This article provides a comprehensive survey of the foundational principles of Jawaharlal Nehru’s foreign policy and examines their application in India’s relations with the two Cold War superpowers—the United States and the Soviet Union. Drawing exclusively on pre-2022 scholarly sources, the article argues that Nehru’s foreign policy rested on five interconnected pillars: non-alignment, Panchsheel (five principles of peaceful coexistence), anti-colonialism, peaceful conflict resolution, and support for international law and multilateral institutions. These principles were not merely idealistic abstractions but strategic responses to India’s geopolitical realities following independence in 1947. The article demonstrates that Nehru’s relationship with the superpowers was characterized by a complex dialectic of engagement and distance. While professing equidistance from both blocs, Nehru in practice demonstrated a nuanced asymmetry—criticizing American foreign policy more frequently while maintaining a working relationship with the Soviet Union. This asymmetry stemmed from Nehru’s deep-seated anti-colonial worldview, which viewed American capitalism with suspicion and Soviet communism with relative sympathy. The article concludes that Nehru’s foreign policy framework, despite its contradictions and limitations, successfully preserved India’s strategic autonomy during the most polarizing years of the Cold War and established a diplomatic tradition that continues to influence Indian foreign policy thinking.
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