Foreign Affairs are the matter, activities and global issue which regulate by the foreign policy.
Foreign affairs are the concern about activities or issue hat involve interaction, engagement and relationship between territories and outside the boundaries.
Foreign policy are the strategies and decisions regarding how a country interact with other nation and solve global issue.
Basic principle of Indian foreign policy
- Promotion of world peace
It aims the promotion of international peace and security. Article 51 of constitution (directive principle of state policy) directs the Indian state to promote international peace and security, maintain just and honorable relation between nations, respect for international law and treaty. Beside peace is necessary to promote economic development of nations
- Anti -Colonialism
It opposes colonialism and imperialism. India views that the colonialism and imperialism lead to exploitation of the weaker nations by the imperialist powers. India advocated the liquidation of colonialism in all forms support the liberation movement in Afro-Asian countries like Indonesia, Malaya, Tunisia, Algeria, Ghana, Namibia an so on.
- Non-Alignment
After independence in 1947, the world war divided into two blocs on ideological basis, capitalist bloc and communist bloc. In such situation of cold war, India refused to join any of these two blocs and adopted a policy of non-alignment.
It means.
-India has no military alliances with countries of either bloc or indeed with any nation.
-India has an independent approach to foreign policy
-India attempts to maintain friendly relations with all countries.
- Panchsheel
It was embodied in the preamble of the Indo-China treaty on Tibet, signed in 1954 by Jawaharlal Nehru and Chau-Eu-Lai,Chinese premier.
-Mutual respect for each other’s territorial Integrity and sovereignty.
-Non-aggression
-Non-interference in each other’s internal affairs.
-Equality and mutual benefit.
-Peaceful Co-existence.
India perceived the “Panchsheel” as productive of peaceful corporation of sovereign nations Instead of the balance of terror and degrading cold war tensions, being brought about by the rival great power pacts and alliances. India explained it as based on the concept of universalism as against the concept of the balance of power. It became popular and many countries of the world like Burma, Yugoslavia, Indonesia and so on adopted it.
- Afro-Asian bias
Indian foreign policy stands for maintaining friendly relation with all the countries of the world, it has always exhibited a special bias towards the Afro-Asian nations it aims to promoting unity among them and tries to secure for them a voice and an influence in the international bodies. India has been seeking international assistance for the economic development of these countries. In 1947, India called the first Asian relations conference in New Delhi.
- Link with Commonwealth
In 1949, India declared the full membership of the Commonwealth of the nation and the acceptance of the British crown as the head of the Commonwealth. But this extra constitutional declaration does not affect Indian’s sovereignty in any manner as the Commonwealth is a voluntary association of independent nation. It also does not affect India’s republican character as India neither pay final allegiance to the British crown nor the latter has any functions to discharge in relation to India.
India remained a member of the commonwealth because of pragmatic reason. It thought that the membership in the commonwealth would be beneficial to country in the economic political, cultural and other spheres. It has been playing an important role at the CHOGM (commonwealth heads of governments meet). India hosted the 24th Commonwealth summit at New Delhi in 1983.
- Support to the UNO
India became a member of the UNO in 1945, it has been supporting the activities and programmers of UNO. It has expressed full faith in the objectives and principle of UNO.
Some of the facets of India’s role in UNO are:
-It is through the UNO that India embarked on the policy of fighting against the colonialism, imperialism and racialism and now neo colonialism and neo imperialism.
-In 1953, Vijay Lakshmi pandit of India was elected as the president of the UN general assembly.
-India actively participated in the UN peace-keeping mission in Kore, Congo, EI Salvador, Cambodia, Angola, Somalia, Mozambique. Sierra Leone, Yugoslavia.
-India was the Co-chairmen of the working group on the strengthening of the UN which submitted its report in 1997.
-India has been a non-permanent member of the UN security council. Now it is demanding for permanent seat in security council.
- Disarmament
It opposed arm race and advocates disarmament , both conventional and nuclear. This is aimed the promoting world peace ad security by reducing or ending tension between power blocs and accelerate economic development of the country by preventing the unproductive expenditure on the manufacturing of arms. India has been using the UNO platform to check the arms race and to achieve disarmament . India took the initiative of holding a six-nation meeting summit at New Delhi in 1985and made concrete proposals for nuclear disarmament.
By not signing the nuclear Non-proliferation treaty (NPT) of 1968 and the comprehensive test ban treaty (CTBT) of 1996, India has kept it nuclear option open India opposes NPT and CPCT due to their discriminatory and hegemonistic nature. They perpetuate an international system in which only five nations (USA, Russia, China, UK and France) can legitimately possess nuclear weapons.
Objective of Indian foreign policy
- To protect Indian’s national interests and concerns in a rapidly changing international environment by promote to supportive and understanding in the international community.
- To strengthen the international campaign against the terrorism which is globally threat and ensure that cross boarder terrorism is brought to an end and the entire infrastructure of terrorism operating from Pakistan is dismantled.
- To build an environment which is supportive of Indian’s rapid economic growth including higher Investments, trade access to technology and strengthening Indian’s energy security.
- To work closely with P-5 countries (Permanent Member of Untied Nation) to build with strategic ties with major powers such as the USA, the EU (European union), Japan, Russia, and China.
- To work for the realization of SAARC as an economically integrated region at peace with itself and engaged with the world. To further the gains from India’s ‘Act East policy (erstwhile ‘look East’ policy) and aspire for substantive progress in several areas of common interest to India and ASEAN (Association Of southeast Asian Nation).
- To strengthen our ties with the countries of the gulf region that has become home to over 4 million Indians and is a major source of aupply of the oil and gas.
- To continue to work closely with regional groupings like the EU (European union)
- To closely interact with Indian emigrants on a continuing basis in order to strengthen their bonds with India and to recognize their important role to grow Indian’s International relations.
- To work towards the goal of global nuclear Disarmament with Ina time bound framework.
- To work towards the goal of global nuclear disarmament with in a time bound framework.
Gujral principle of India
The principle of Gujral is a milestone in India’s foreign policy. It was founded and initiated in 1996 by I.K.Gujral, then foreign minister in the Deve Gowda Government. The doctrine advocates that India, being the biggest country in South Asia, should extend one sided concessions to the smaller Neighbours.
In simple word, the principle is formulated on Indian’s Accommodating approach towards its smaller neighbors on the basis of the principle of non-reciprocity. It recognizes the supreme Importance of friendly and cordial relations with India’s neighbors
The principle has a five-point road map to guide the conduct of India’s foreign relation with its neighbors.
- With the neighbors like Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, India should not ask for reciprocity, but give to them what it can in good faith.
- No South Asia country should its territory to be used against the Interest of another country of the region.
- No country should Interfere in the internal affairs of another country.
- All south Asia countries should respect each other’s territorial Integrity and sovereignty.
- All south Asian countries should settle all their disputes through peaceful bilateral negotiations.
Gujral himself explained; “The logic behind the Gujral doctrine was that since we had to face two hostile neighbours in the north and the west, we had to be at total peace with all other Immediate neighbors in order to contain Pakistan’s and China’s influence in the region.
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