Foreign policy of Nehru,

Congress System and

Nehru assessment
CSB IAS - Umesh Reddy Muli
Nehruvian foreign policy
Legacy of national movement
• Anti colonialism
• Anti imperialism
• Anti war
• Anti fascism
• Pro internationalism
• Pan Asian Consciousness
• Third world solidarity (newly independent, primary good
producing, centralized countries )
• Participated in International congress against Colonial
oppression and imperialism held at Brussels in 1927
• Foreign department in congress in 1928
• This aim finds an echo in the Directive principles of state
Policy, in the Article 51 of constitution: "Promotion of
international peace and security"
The state shall Endeavour to:
a) Promote international peace and security.
b) Maintain just and honorable relations between nations.
c) Foster respect for international law and treaty obligations
in the dealings of organized people with one another.
d) Encourage settlement or international disputes by
arbitration.
Aims of FP
• i. To preserve hard earned sovereignty.
• ii. Protect territorial integrity.
• iii. Promote rapid economic development.
• Asian Nations conference – 1947, 1949 New Delhi
(1947 – Asian Independence) (1949- Anti Dutch in
Indonesia)
• Asian nations conference – 1954 Colombo
• Afro Asian conference – Bandung 1955
• World peace, anti nuclear, economic and cultural
cooperation and anti colonialism
• Added few principles to panchasheel – Respect for
Human rights and Settlement of disputes by peaceful
means Dasasila Bandunga
• First summit of NAM – Belgrade – Yougoslavia – 1961
Panchasheel
• Part of Agreement on Trade and Intercourse
between the Tibet region of china and India
1954
• Loss of rights for India in Tibet region which
were given under Anglo Tibetan treaty of 1904
NAM formation
• The word Non Alignment is coined by VK Krishna Menon in
1953 in his adress to UN
• India, Indonesia, Ghana, Egypt, Yugoslavia
5 core principles
• Independent policy
• Development
• Peace
• No alliance with blocs – Non alignment
• No treaty with superpowers - No military base to first and
second world
• Havana decleration of 1979 redefined the purpose of NAM
as an organisation which will fight neo-colonialism
NAM
• Independent voice and Independent status
• Preserve the new found independence
• Not Neutralism / Isolation/ non
commitment / not a negative concept
• Not a creed/ bloc but a need
• Anti bloc politics
• Did not represent strong organizational
structure or uniform foreign policy so is not
a bloc itself
• Based on Indian culture – Vasudaika kutumbakam and
Indian tradition of Peace
• Peace is an imperative for India
• Democratization of international relations.
• Non alignment meant having the freedom to decide each
issue on its merits, to understand what was right or
wrong, and then take a stand in favor of right.
• Aspiration of Economic development – NIEO
• Aspiration of Independence in media – NIIO Non aligned
news pool in 1976 the stand of NAM is supported by the
McBride commission of UNESCO called Many voices one
world report it identified the problems of
Commercialisation, Concentration of Media power it gave
a call for National media to take centre stage. it criticized
the western media for promoting a false image of India.
• NIEO proposed in 1960’s accepted by UN in 1974
• Economic assistance from north and preferential
treatment for exports from south
• North south dialogue and south south
cooperation
• UNCTAD formed - United Nations Conference on
Trade and Development
• The organization's goals are to: "maximize the
trade, investment and development
opportunities of developing countries and
assist them in their efforts to integrate into the
world economy on an equitable basis".
The main tenets of NIEO were:
• Developing countries must be entitled to regulate and control the
activities of multinational corporations operating within their territory.
• They must be free to nationalize or expropriate foreign property on
conditions favorable to them.
• They must be free to set up associations of primary commodities
producers similar to the OPEC; all other States must recognize this right
and refrain from taking economic, military, or political measures calculated
to restrict it.
• International trade should be based on the need to ensure stable,
equitable, and remunerative prices for raw materials, generalized non-
reciprocal and non-discriminatory tariff preferences, as well as transfer of
technology to developing countries;
• and should provide economic and technical assistance without any strings
attached.
• Creating a more cooperative negotiating climate between developed and
developing countries, and streamlining the global bargaining process by
reducing the total number of participants involved
NAM principle in action

• Opposed Dutch recolonisation of Indonesia

• Played a role in ending conflict between
French and Indo China – Geneva conference
of 1954 – 6 points of settlement
• Suez crisis of 1956 – troops in UNPKF
• Independence of Congo 1961
• Role in Korean war (neutral nations
reparation commission, Custodian force)
(1950 – 53)
• Panchasheel with china
• Got help from both superpowers
• USA – PL480 scheme, soft loans, CDP, support during
Chinese invasion UK in Durgapur and germans in
Rourkela
• USSR- 1955- support on J&K issue, 1959 – military
supply, support on the issue of Goa, soft loans, infra
building, 20 year peace agreement – 1973. Bhilai and
Bokaro,
• Strong belief in International institutions- UN –
Uniting for peace resolutions
• Role in disarmament
NAM today
Limitations of NAM
• Summit based movement
• No secretariat
• No uniformity in foreign policy
• Internal conflicts – Iran- Iraq, India- Pakistan
etc
• Leanings towards super powers – India –
USSR
• Liberal membership criteria – 120 members
• End of cold war question on relevance
Relevance of NAM
• Word lost relevance not purpose
• As a peace movement relevant- end of cold war
not end of all conflicts
• New domains- Terrorism, Environmentalism and
sustainability
• Nuclear disarmament
• Economic aims not achieved
• Need for 21st century agenda for NAM
Congress system (1952-67)
In pre Independence period INC was a pressure
group from 1885 then later became a political
party in 1920
Executive and political wing strengthened but
still an amalgamation of all political parties.
1948 – Rule of Exclusive membership
• one party dominance- Congress hegemony
• party of consensus and parties of pressure
• INC is a “Catch all” Party
• It was a coalition of parties
• Tolerance for difference of opinion
• Legacy of National movement – Consensus built over a long
drawn out period of struggle
• It contained both Right and left
• It had numerous factions and groupings within it but did not lead
to break away parties
• It has both ruling and opposition within it
• Democratic traditions were upheld with utmost regard
• Association with national movement
• Strong party organisation
• Nehru Head of the government and also party president –
Charisma
• Absence of unity in opposition
• High degree of control of the High command over party
organization
• No opposition till 1967
• Congress both at center and state no federal issues
• Prime ministerial form of government
• The Members of parliament irrespective of the political party
they belonged played the role of opposition leading to effective
planning of policies
• Advantage in FPTP system – Vote –seat mismatch
• Opposition parties are Divided but the opposition is All India in
character
• Congress absorbed the popular base of opposition by its broad
based policy programme
Congress dominance in action
• 1952

Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru's Indian National Congress party won 364 out of 489
seats.The nearest rival, the CPI, won only 16 seats. The Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Jan
Sangh (BJS) won only three seats.
• 1957

Congress won 371 out of 494 seats. The Communist Party of India (CPI) emerged as the
country's biggest opposition group with 27 seats.
• 1962

Nehru becomes prime minister for the third successive term. Congress won 361 seats.
The CPI got 29 seats, the liberal Swatantra (freedom) Party 18 seats and the BJS 14.
• 1967

Congress, under Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, retained power but suffered setbacks in
the first general elections held after Nehru's death in 1964. It won 283 out of 520 seats.
• The Swatantra Party (44 seats), the BJS (35) and two socialist groups with 46 seats
emerged as the strongest opposition groups in this election.
Key features of First General
election
• The first general elections were held between October 25, 1951 and
March 27, 1952
• About 1874 candidates and 53 parties contested for the elections
• The parties contested for 489 seats
• INC won the elections with 364 seats as the people voted for the
party which was led by Jawaharlal Nehru
• CPI is the party which finished second with 16 seats as they got about
3.29 per cent votes
• Approximately 45 per cent of the total votes were polled for INC in
the first Lok Sabha elections
• The population of India was 36 crore, out of which, 17.32 crore
population was eligible to vote
• The voter turnout for the elections was 45.7 per cent.
Fall of Congress system
• Image gets eroded post china war
• Party was neglected by Nehru
• Party became a den for opportunists and method of organizing patronage
• Attempt made to bring reforms in party – tries Kamraj plan – but failure
• He proposed that all senior Congress leaders should resign from their
posts and devote all their energy to the re-vitalization of the Congress. In
1963 he suggested to Nehru that senior Congress leaders should leave
ministerial posts to take up organisational work.
• Death of Nehru 1964
• Non Congressism emergence – Smayukta vidayak dal (coalition of non
congress parties)
• Regional parties emergence – DMK, Vishal Haryana party
• Defections played a major role
• Congress (O) when it split away from congress (R) it took away 40% of the
organisational members of Congress
Main opposition parties

• Bharatiya Jan sangh – Shyam Prasad Mukherjee

• Congress socialist party- JP and Achyuta patwardhan
• Kisan Mazdoor Praja party – J B Kriplani – Gandhian
sarvodaya - 1950
• Praja Socialist party (CSP+ KMPP)
• Socialist party of Ram Manohar lohiya – Demands of OBC
and agitational politics, Anti English
• CPI split in 1964 – CPI and CPM
• Swatantra party – Secular conservative party –
Rajagopalachari, N G Ranga, Minoo Minsai, K M Munshi –
established in 1959. 1967 election largest opposition party –
44 seats
India-China war
• India first to recognize china
• Support in UN
• 1950 – invasion of Tibet – compromise on the
Anglo tibetan treaty of 1905
• But India recognized Tibet as an integral part of
China.
• 1954 chineese maps showing Indian territory
• 1954 – Panchasheel
• 1957 – 59 – forward policy in Aksai chin
• 1959 Dalai Lama seeks asylum India grants it –
No political activity and no govt in exile
• 3 sectors in border
• Western sector – Aksai chin region - India
claims Jhonson line china disputes it with-
Mcarty Mc Donald line
• Eastern sector – Arunachal Pradesh
• Central sector – spiti valley and Doklam
• Border line – McMahon line – Shimla Accord
1913-14 China claims this to be a Colonial line
1962 war
• Two front war – west and east
• East plan for deep threat
• Army looses position
• Indian casualitites 3000 and 4000 soldiers
captured by chineese
• Chineese side 1000 soldiers killed in action
• By the time USA and USSR extended help –
China declared cease fire and left
• Limited war no usage of Naval or air power
• Idealism of Nehru
Causes of war
• Isolated china – USA (ideological conflict)
and USSR (border dispute, MIG sale, Non
transfer of Nuclear technology and PTBT)
• Tibet issue
• Internal problems of china
• International stature of Nehru
IMPACT
External
India's external image gets dented
Pakistan emboldened
USA and UK stricter conditionality for loan and
food aid
USA extended non combat help
USSR extendend combat airplanes MiG 21
India turns more left and closer alliance with
USSR
Idealism to realism
Internal
Fall of congress system – loss in by-election
No confidence motion
CPI split
Reorganization of North east
Increased military spend
Break in planning 1966 to 1969
Nehru an assessment
• Anti colonial Nationalist, Secular Humanist and Social
Democrat
• Non alignment, strong statist and High modernism
• Socialist pattern of society
• Institution builder –Parliamentary democracy,
Constitutionalism
• Emphasis on Scientific temper
• Planning as a model
• Land reforms
• Emphasis on industrialization
• Progressive and reform orientation in social sense -
Hindu code reforms
• Foreign policy achievements
• Industry grew at an overall rate of 7% between 1950 to 1965
• Overall growth rate of the economy from 1951 to 1964 is 4% which is too
slow to catch with developed countries and was not sufficent for a
country with rapidly growing population
• Education - More focus on Higher education than on primary education
• Foreign policy - punching above our weight and idealism
• Sucessful in Zamindari abolition but failure in Land celing and
Cooperative agriculture
• Dams at Damodarpur valley - Bengal, Hirakud - odisha and Bhakra dam in
Himachal
• "Socialist pattern of society" , according to the
planning Commission, means ."that the basic
criterion for determining the lines of advance
must not be private profit but social gain, and
that the pattern of development and the
structure of socio-economic relations should
be so planned that they result not only in
appreciable increases in national income and
employment but also in greater equality in
incomes and wealth".
Science projects of Nehru
• Department of Atomic energy – H J Baba
• Atomic physics programme- HJ Baba and Meghanands Saha
• Shifted TIFR to Bombay
• Atomic energy establishment in Trombay in 1954 - BARC
• National physical lab – Vikram Sarbhai
• CSIR many research labs were established S S Bhatnagar
• 5 IITS- 1950’s
• INCOPASR Indian National committee for space research
TERLS thumba equatorail rocket launching station
NSSO (1950) and CSO (1951)- Mahalnobis
• Scientific policy resolution of 1958
• Temples of modern India
Criticism
• Dependence on state
• Public mobilization absent
• Idealism in foreign policy
• Neglected Party
• Too much of Benign democrat
Lal Bahadur Shastri period
Issues
• Food Crisis
• Anti Hindi agitation
• Set up of PM secretariat
• Wanted to replicate the AMUL model across India – set
up NDDB in Ananad under Varghese Kurien
• Gave a push to New Agricultural strategy under Green
Revolution under M S Swaminathan - Package technology
• Set up Agriculture Prices commission 1965 (later day
CACP)
• Set up of FCI in 1965 -
• to implement objectives of the National Food Policy :
• Effective price support operations for safeguarding
the interests of the poor farmers
• Distribution of food grains throughout the country
for PDS
• Maintaining a satisfactory level of operational and
buffer stocks of food grains to ensure National Food
Security
• Regulate market price to provide food grains to
consumers at a reliable price
Criticism
• Absence of decisive action – Drift policy
– Delayed decision on Anti Hindi
agitation, Punjab state demand and on
Nuclear weapons
• Growth continued at 3.5%
1965 Indo- Pak war
• India's position on resolution 47
• J & K integral part of India
• No need for plebiscite today as the
constituent assembly has accepted accession
• Indian secularism is adoptive
Reasons for 1965 war
• Pakistan emboldened by Indo china war
• Trans Karakorum pact
• Death of Nehru
Course of war
• Phase 1 attack on sir creek
• Phase 2 – operation Gibraltar – revolt against
India in J and k
• Operation Grand slam – to cut the supplies from
Akhnora to army – attack on south west Jammu
and Kashmir
Indian response
• Fight back in J and K- by crossing LOC and
blocking the passes
• Attack on international boundary and extend till
Lahore
• Casulaities 3000 on indian side and 3800 on pakistan side - 17 week
war
• India lost 540 sq.km territory pakistan had lost 1840 sq km of territory
in sindh lahore sialkot and kashmir
• UN resolutin 211
Response
• USA and UK cut aid to both
• China declared India to be the aggressor
• Russia criticizes china and offers mediation
Tashkent agreement
• Removal of troops
• Return of POW
• Assurance of PAK that it will maintain international
peace under UN charter
• Not to use its territory for anti India activities
• Haji pir pass given back- go back to pre war
positions, Economic and diplomatic relations to be
restored.
• US and UK pressure
• Crossing International border made India aggressor
according to UN charter
• But the pact is criticised in India for not extracting a no
war agreement and in Pakistan the pact is considered a
national humilation
Consequences of 1965
• Defense supply department
• India USSR became closer
• Pak – China and USA axis formed
• 3rd plan not implemented
• 3 plan holidays
• Jai Jawan Jai Kisan
• Write a critical note on evolution and significance
of the slogan Jai Jawan Jai kisan .
• In a country which hiled peace till then hailing of
soldier is a break from past
• and in a county which was trying to Industrialise
Hailing the farmer is a departure
• It has changed the morale of Indian Army and
Indian society.
• Ethical policies of Shastri:
• Resigned as Railway minister for train accident
• Took up Shastri Vrat during war