Highlight the role of Jawaharlal Nehru the first Prime Minister of India in the formation of India’s foreign policy.
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India’s foreign policy was conducted under the guidance of Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of independent India.
The shaping of India’s foreign policy was largely influenced by the international development after the Second World War, the weakening of the forces of imperialism and growth of the forces of democracy and progress.
Several countries in the post war era in Europe and Asia broke away from the capitalist system to form the socialist system. There was an upsurge in the movements for national liberation that resulted in the collapse of the colonial system of imperialism.
The Indian National Congress party had as early as 1920s adopted a resolution expressing a desire to establish cooperation with the neighbouring countries.
But at that point the internal situation of India did not permit them to pay attention to international developments. It was mainly due to Nehru’s efforts that since the mid-twenties the Congress party began to take interest in international affairs.
The Congress resolved to support the subject peoples and races in their struggle for freedom and equality. They also decided to condemn racial discriminations throughout the world. After 1927 Nehru took an active part in formulating the foreign policy of the Congress that was in effect its first foreign policy statement.
It contained a declaration that India should not participate in imperialist and any other war. This position was taken up as the key foreign policy principle in late 1920s and 1930s. When in 1930s Japan, Italy and Germany engaged themselves in imperialist aggressions, the Congress condemned their brutal imperialist designs and passed resolutions to defend the cause of the nationalist forces in various countries such as China, Ethiopia, etc.
The inter-war period shaped a substantial portion of India’s foreign policy. India agreed to cooperate with Britain against Nazi Germany but since the cooperation was sought on British terms, the newly constituted Congress ministries resigned.
At no time did India have sympathies for the fascist countries. The Indians consistently criticized the Non-Aggression pact signed between Germany and the USSR in August 1939 and regarded it as an eyewash.
The dropping of atom bomb by the Americans on Japanese soil wounded India’s feelings and was strongly condemned. Soon after the formation of the interim government in September 1946, India took steps to establish friendly relations with all countries.
During the time that the interim government was in office, India established diplomatic relations and exchanged ambassadors with the USA, USSR, China and some other countries.
Meanwhile rout of the forces of Nazism and Japanese militarism in World War II altered the correlation of forces in the international arena.
It resulted in an upsurge of movements for national liberation in Asia. Nehru on behalf of the Congress participated in several international conferences including the one held at Brussels in 1926 that declared its profound aim of fighting imperialism. The Congress under the leadership of Jawaharlal Nehru constantly supported the newly liberated countries and their struggle against imperialism.
After independence, Nehru became the virtual director of India’s foreign policy. And under his guidance India became the first state to have pursued a policy that was new in the history of international relations- the policy of Non-Alignment. He was ably supported by Naser of Egypt, Sukarno of Indonesia and Joseph Broz Tito of Yugoslavia.
Early in 1947, at the initiative of India, the Asian Relations Conference at Delhi was convened where the principles of foreign policy of independent India were proclaimed. It was attended by representatives of 29 countries. The Conference helped to strengthen the solidarity of all Asian countries.
Nehru also participated in the Afro-Asian Conference held in 1955 in Bandung and popularized the policy of non-alignment there. The agenda contained in these conferences was the economic and cultural cooperation, respect for human rights and self-determination and finally the promotion of world peace and cooperation.
The role of Jawaharlal Nehru in the formation of India’s foreign policy:
- India's foreign policy was carried out under the direction of Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first elected prime minister. The shaping of India's foreign policy was largely influenced by post-World War II international development, colonial powers weakening, and the capacities of independence and change increasing.
- There was an upsurge in the national liberation struggles that culminated in the fall of the capitalist colonial system. But India's internal condition at that point did not allow them to heed external developments.
- It was mainly due to Nehru's initiatives that the Congress party began to take an interest in int since the mid-200s. It resulted in an upsurge of national liberation movements in Asia.
- Nehru participated in several international conferences on behalf of the Party, including the one held in Brussels in 1926, which announced its strong intention to combat imperialism.
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