☰
India’s External Relations
It is correct to say that domestic compulsions and prevailing international climate influence the foreign policy of a nation. For example, one of the India’s objective in the 1960s was the rapid economic development and alleviation of poverty. It needed financial and technical assistance for rapid industrialisation which was the object of second five year plans. Thus, India followed a policy of non-alignment and did not join any bloc. India, therefore, was able to get assistance from both the blocs.
Similarly international climate influenced India’s external relations. In 1962 China had invaded India and in 1965 there was a war with Pakistan who was an ally of the US. This led to India’s growing partnership with the Soviet Union. After the 1965 war, the Tashkent Agreement was brokered by the Soviet Union in January 1966. In 1971, 20 year Treaty of Peace and Friendship with the Soviet Union was too a result of the US-Pakistan-China axis.
Sponsor Area
(a) India’s Nuclear policy
(b) Consensus in foreign policy matters.
“Broadly, non-alignment means not tying yourself off with military blocs... It means trying to view things, as far as possible, not from the military point of view, though that has to come in sometimes, but independently, and trying to maintain friendly relations with all countries. ” —Jawaharlal Nehru
(a) Why does Nehru want to keep off military blocs ?
(b) Do you think that the Indo-Soviet friendship treaty violated the principle of non-alignment ? Give reasons for your answer.
(c) If there were no military blocs, do you think non-alignment would have been unnecessary ?
Sponsor Area
Sponsor Area