India foreign policy

Different phases of Indian diplomacy

1947-1962: Phase of optimistic non-alignment where India resisted the constraining of its choices and dilution of its sovereignty in a bipolar world. It saw energetic Indian diplomacy from Korea and Vietnam to the Suez and Hungary. However, India’s focus on diplomatic visibility sometimes led to overlooking the harsher realities of hard security.

E.g.Going to UN regarding J&K.
Rejecting the offer “east west swap deal” of China where India would recognise Chinese claims on Aksai Chin and China would give up its claims on the eastern sector.
The anticipated 1962 war, yet, the reluctance to attach overriding priority to securing borders.

1962-1971: Phase of recovery and realism: India looked beyond non-alignment making pragmatic choices on security and political challenges

E.g. concluding a defence agreement with the US in 1964.
domestic challenges with political turbulence and economic distress.
India faced a tense situation with Pakistan in 1965 and finally lead to creation of Bangladesh in 1971.
India became realistic signed Indo-Soviet Treaty of 1971.

E.g. Creation of Bangladesh, but ended with the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) misadventure in Sri Lanka.
Sino-US rapprochement of 1971 and role of Pakistan as the interlocutor meant India had to face the US-China-Pakistan axis.
India’s optimistic outlook on Pakistan in 1972 at Shimla, resulted in a hostile Pakistan and a continuing problem in Jammu & Kashmir.

1991-1999: Phase of unipolarity made it a challenging task to retain India’s strategic autonomy.

India responded with upgradation of diplomatic relations with Israel, outreach to Americans were done.
India opened up economically more to the world but fell behind ASEAN and China which opened up a decade earlier
In 1998, India declared itself as Nuclear weapon power which led to US sanctions.

India gained the attributes of a balancing power, as China began to emerge as the 2nd pole in world geopolitics and moreover the centre of gravity of world geopolitics shifts towards Asia-Pacific region.
USA moved away from sanctions to Nuclear deal and in Kargil war and Operation Parakaram world community weighted in favour of India as India was a balancing power now.
India used rising power of Russia and Japan to balance the complex geopolitical scenario.

India’s rising global stature is evident from the overlooking posture of global community on the issue of abrogation of Article 370
India’s Act East policy- emphasising a multi-polar Asia at the core of a multi-polar world.

Suggestions to Indian diplomacy moving forward

Greater realism: purposeful pursuit of national interest in shifting global dynamics
Economic drivers to guide diplomacy instead of old dogmas like economic autarky, self-reliance, import substitution.

The recent decision to get out of RCEP should not define our diplomacy as India wants to be pro-trade but RCEP was a bad deal for India.

Multi-polar world has emerged and all the pillars (e.g. US, China, Russia Japan etc.) have to be managed without compromising with anyone.
Need of calculated risk-taking to take a quantum jump in global positioning. E.g. Uri and Dokhlam issue.
Need to read the global discourse right: E.g. growing multipolarity, weaker multilateralism, need of larger economic and political rebalancing needs to be carefully analysed.
Giving up the dogmas: in approaching a visibly changing global order. For instance,

India cannot continue with unsettled borders, an unintegrated region and under-exploited opportunities.
India needs to have a willingness to look beyond dogma and enter the real world of convergences to deal with contradictory approaches and objectives like-

India’s rising stature in the world

India looked by the countries of global south for diplomatic and geopolitical help.

Indian navy deployed in Gulf region since the attacks on oil tankers.
India was re-elected to the UN’s International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) with the highest margin beating China’s candidate

Multilateralism- part of Alliance for Multilateralism and advocates for having rules, even if imperfect, rather than no rules
Climate change- engaging actively with world community to mitigate its effects.

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