To Hold a Hand Uplifted: The Principles and Developments of Indian Foreign Policy under Nehru

Abstract

This work is an examination of the developments of Indian foreign policy from the beginning of India's independence in 1947 to near the end of the Nehruvian era in the early 1960s. Nehru's initial vision of Indian diplomacy and foreign policymaking was one of humble peacekeeping, with an eye toward non-alignment policies as the ideological division between the West and the East rapidly expanded. Nehru's grand vision of how India would be perceived by the world translated into a movement towards non-alignment not only in India, but many other former colonies as well. But in a freshly dividing and changing world, how well could his ideals be followed? The five principles of the Pancha Sheela are also examined in regards to the basic concepts of Nehruvian foreign policy. With what seemed to the West as lofty, somewhat idealistic principles, Nehru intended India to shine as a beacon for peace, moral justice, self-determination among former colonies, and as a staunch opponent to the accumulation of arms and nuclear weapons. But non-alignment does not necessarily mean neutrality or inaction; India's high-placed principles would be tested many times while Nehru was in office, sometimes with mixed results.