India’s foreign policy was built around the principles of peace and
cooperation. But India fought three wars in a space of ten years
between 1962 and 1971. Would you say that this was a failure of the
foreign policy? Or would you say that this was a result of international
situation? Give reasons to support your answer.
Answers
Answer: Right from the beginning, India has desired for peace not merely as an ideal but also as an essential condition for its own security. According to Pt. Nehru, peace for India was not “Specific Neutralism” but an active positive approach towards international relations.
The territorial regions of Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin area of Ladakh were the main pretext of the war. The war started with the Chinese launching offensives in the Ladakh region on October 20, 1962 and subsequent advancement of the Chinese troops over the Indian forces. The war eventually ended after the Chinese ceasefire on November 20, 1962.
c. A more serious armed conflict with Pakistan was over the Kashmir issue, when in April 1965, Pakistan launched armed attacks on the Rann of Kutch area of Gujarat, followed by a bigger offensive in Jammu and Kashmir in August-September resulting in a fierce battle between the two countries. The hostilities between the two were temporarily suspended with the 1966 Tashkent agreement.
d. The 1971 Indo-Pak war was due to the developments in East Pakistan where India was confronted with the problem of refugees from East Pakistan and offered all moral and material assistance. With the US coming closer to Pakistan, India, in looking into its increased vulnerabilities, came closer to the Soviet Union so as to counter the US-Pakistan-China axis. After months of military and diplomatic tensions, a full-fledged war broke out between India and Pakistan in 1971. However, with the signing of the Shimla agreement between the two nations, peace was restored.
India’s three wars within a span of 10 years cannot be regarded as the failure of its foreign policy, rather it was the result of an international situation that had cropped up and forced India in order to guard its own territorial integrity and sovereignty to compromise on its principles. However, the country firmly maintains its stand of promoting peace and security.
Answer:
The three wars in the span of ten years were not due to foreign policies but due to international situations.
Explanation:
The following three situations prove that the three wars were not because of the foreign policies:-
a. The war with China in 1962 was the result of China’s invasion into India. China started claiming the Aksai Chin region and a part of Arunachal Pradesh as well. China even began to influence the Tibetan culture and claim Tibet. Even long discussions with top leaders couldn’t resolve this issue, so India had to fight the war.
b. The war with Pakistan was the result of Pakistan’s fight over Kashmir partition in 1965. Tashkent Agreement was signed then in 1966 between both the countries and this heavily impacted India’s economic development.
c. India had to fight back in 1971 again against Pakistan when it attacked on Punjab. India was supporting Bangladesh for its freedom and even supporting the refugees from Bangladesh. But, within ten days, Pakistan had to surrender and free Bangladesh.