Nehru’s Nonalignment Foreign Policy: A Reassessment

• In Event: Global Perspectives on Foreign Policy

Abstract

In 1946, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru declared that India would not align itself with any state. Soon thereafter, nonalignment became the dominant and shorthand characterization of early Indian foreign policy. Explanations for nonalignment include: 1) it was a strategy to prioritize development over defense; 2) it was driven by a desire to preserve political autonomy; and 3) it was a reflection of the idealism that underpinned the independence struggle. However, these arguments are only partial and, therefore, incomplete. I argue that nonalignment should be read in conjunction with the internationalist foreign policies that Nehru pursued, such as One Worldism and nuclear disarmament. When taken together, nonalignment and Nehruvian internationalism can be interpreted as a global peace project aimed at mitigating anarchy in the international system. For Nehru, the overarching objective of this peace project was the preservation of social democracy at home. If India was dragged into another world war, it would lead to economic collapse and the growth of domestic communalism, communism, and fascism. In short, Nehru sought to make the world safe for Indian democracy.

Author

• Sunil Vaswani