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India Foreign Relations

INDIA'S FOREIGN RELATIONS reflect a traditional policy of nonalignment, the exigencies of domestic economic reform and development, and the changing post-Cold War internationalenvironment. India's relations with the world have evolved considerably since the British

colonial period (1757-1947), when a foreign power monopolized external relations and defenserelations. On independence in 1947, few Indians had experience in making or conducting foreign policy. However, the country's oldest political party, the Indian National Congress (the Congress--see Glossary), had established a small foreign department in 1925 to make overseas contacts and to

publicize its freedom struggle. From the late 1920s on, Jawaharlal Nehru, who had the most long-standing interest in world affairs among independence leaders, formulated the Congress stance oninternational issues. As a member of the interim government in 1946, Nehru articulated India'sapproach to the world.

During Nehru's tenure as prime minister of India (1947-64), he achieved a domestic consensus on

the definition of Indian national interests and foreign policy goals--building a unified and integratednation-state based on secular, democratic principles; defending Indian territory and protecting itssecurity interests; guaranteeing India's independence internationally through nonalignment; and

promoting national economic development unencumbered by over reliance on any country or groupof countries. These objectives were closely related to the determinants of India's foreign relations:the historical legacy of South Asia; India's geopolitical position and security requirements; andIndia's economic needs as a large developing nation. From 1947 until the late 1980s, New Delhi'sforeign policy goals enabled it to achieve some successes in carving out an independentinternational role. Regionally, India was the predominant power because of its size, its population(the world's second-largest after China), and its growing military strength. However, relations

with its neighbors, Pakistan in particular, were often tense and fraught with conflict. In addition,globally India's nonaligned stance was not a viable substitute for the political and economic role itwished to play.

India's international influence varied over the years after independence. Indian prestige and moralauthority were high in the 1950s and facilitated the acquisition of developmental assistance from

both East and West. Although the prestige stemmed from India's nonaligned stance, the nation wasunable to prevent Cold War politics from becoming intertwined with interstate relations in SouthAsia. In the 1960s and 1970s, New Delhi's international position among developed and developingcountries faded in the course of wars with China and Pakistan, disputes with other countries in

South Asia, and India's attempt to balance Pakistan's support from the United States and China bysigning the Treaty of Peace, Friendship, and Cooperation with the Soviet Union in August 1971.Although India obtained substantial Soviet military and economic aid, which helped to strengthenthe nation, India's influence was undercut regionally and internationally by the perception that itsfriendship with the Soviet Union prevented a more forthright condemnation of the Soviet presencein Afghanistan. In the 1980s, New Delhi improved relations with the United States, other developed countries, and China while continuing close ties with the Soviet Union. Relations

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with its South Asian neighbors, especially Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Nepal, occupied much of theenergies of the Ministry of External Affairs.

In the 1990s, India's economic problems and the demise of the bipolar world political system haveforced New Delhi to reassess its foreign policy and to adjust its foreign relations. Previous policies

proved inadequate to cope with the serious domestic and international problems facing India. Theend of the Cold War gutted the core meaning of nonalignment and left Indian foreign policywithout significant direction. The hard, pragmatic considerations of the early 1990s were stillviewed within the nonaligned framework of the past, but the disintegration of the SovietUnion removed much of India's international leverage, for which relations with Russia and theother post-Soviet states could not compensate.

Pragmatic security, economic considerations, and domestic political influences have reinforced New Delhi's reliance on the United States and other developed countries; caused New Delhi toabandon its anti-Israeli policy in the Middle East; and resulted in the courtship of the CentralAsian republics and the newly industrializing economies of East and Southeast Asia. AlthoughIndia shares the concerns of Russia, China, and many members of the Nonaligned Movement (seeGlossary) about the preeminent position of the United States and other developed countries,different national interests and perceptions make it improbable that India can turn cooperation withthese countries to its advantage on most international issues. Furthermore, although Cold War

politics have ceased to be a factor in South Asia, the most intractable problems in India's relationswith Pakistan--conflict over Kashmir, support for separatists, and nuclear and ballistic missile

programs--still face the two countries. India foreign relations - 1995 loc data