Question

Assess the role of Jawahar Lal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India in the formation of India’s Foreign Policy.

Hint:

Nehru's foreign policy pillars: Non-Alignment (NAM), Afro-Asian Solidarity (Bandung 1955), Panchsheel Principles (1954), and Anti-Colonialism.

Answer 1

Concept: Jawaharlal Nehru, serving simultaneously as Prime Minister and Minister for External Affairs from 1947 to 1964, exercised a decisive personal influence on the formulation and implementation of India’s foreign policy.

Step 1: Policy of Non-Alignment (NAM).
Nehru's primary objective was to preserve India's hard-won national sovereignty amidst Cold War tensions. He refused to join either the US-led Western bloc or the Soviet-led Eastern bloc. Instead, alongside leaders of Yugoslavia, Egypt, Ghana, and Indonesia, he co-founded the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) to maintain an independent foreign policy.

Step 2: Preservation of Territorial Integrity and Autonomy.
Nehru ensured that India’s foreign policy supported territorial integrity and political independence. By avoiding military alliances (like SEATO or CENTO), India retained the freedom to take independent stances on international disputes based on merit rather than superpower directives.

Step 3: Afro-Asian Unity and Anti-Colonialism.
Nehru was an ardent champion of anti-imperialism and anti-racism. He organized the Asian Relations Conference in New Delhi (1947) and actively supported liberation movements across Asia and Africa (such as in Indonesia). He played a key role in the historic Bandung Conference in 1955.

Step 4: Promotion of World Peace and Panchsheel.
Nehru advocated for peaceful coexistence and nuclear disarmament. In 1954, he signed the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence (Panchsheel) with Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai, emphasizing mutual respect for sovereignty, non-aggression, and non-interference.