Dr Satya Dev Gupta
On February 4, 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking in the Lok Sabha during the Presidential Address, highlighted India’s foreign policy under the leadership of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. His remarks were in response to a speech by Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, who expressed a keen interest in understanding the foundation of India’s foreign policy. In his engaging and insightful discourse, Prime Minister Modi referred to a 2015 book by Bruce Riedel, titled JFK’s Forgotten Crisis: The Handshake That Was Not. Riedel, a former CIA agent, thoroughly analyzed Sino-Indian relations, both hot and cold, before and after 1960, particularly focusing on the 1962 Chinese aggression during Nehru’s tenure.
Nehru, influenced by a mix of Anglo-socialist left-wing ideology and his admiration for Mao Zedong’s People’s Republic of China, disregarded warnings about China’s imperialistic ambitions. Key figures such as Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, India’s then Home Minister, and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar had cautioned Nehru about China’s expansionist agenda in the early 1950s. However, Nehru remained undeterred. Eventually, China demonstrated its true intentions by invading Tibet and later, India. Nehru’s decision to take the Jammu and Kashmir issue to the United Nations, without consulting his cabinet, is often viewed as a pivotal moment in India’s foreign policy, which posed a significant threat to the country’s security both along its borders and internally.
United Nations Security Council:
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, during Modi’s Government, labeled Nehru as the “original sinner” for advocating for China’s permanent membership in the UN Security Council. This statement references an American diplomatic move in August 1950, when Washington, through the Indian Ambassador in the U.S., proposed the removal of China from its permanent seat and suggested India as a potential replacement. The issue remains a point of contention in India’s foreign policy history.
Indus Water Treaty:
On September 19, 1960, the Indus Water Treaty was signed between India and Pakistan, brokered by the World Bank. This agreement, signed by Nehru and Pakistani President General Ayub Khan in Karachi, established the distribution of water from the Indus River system between the two nations. India, however, was left at a disadvantage, as it gained access to only 20% of the water, with the majority flowing to Pakistan. The allocation of the western rivers, rich in water resources, to Pakistan, and the smaller eastern rivers to India, became a significant challenge, especially considering India’s growing population and increasing water needs.
President John F. Kennedy’s Role in 1962:
Bruce Riedel’s book also highlights U.S. President John F. Kennedy’s approach to the 1962 China-India war. Kennedy sought to respond firmly to China’s aggression and worked diplomatically to keep Pakistan neutral. Had Pakistan entered the conflict, the situation would have become even more precarious. India’s Air Force was far superior to China’s at the time, and had India chosen to use its air superiority, the war’s outcome might have been different. The Soviet Union, despite being urged by India to send MiG-21 aircraft, refused. However, by November 1962, President Kennedy began sending essential military supplies to India and advised Britain to do the same. U.S. Secretary of Defense, Robert S. McNamara, prepared for any eventuality, even suggesting that the use of nuclear force might be necessary to safeguard India. This moment could have been an opportunity to strengthen Indo-American relations, but Nehru’s commitment to the Non-Aligned Movement proved to be a significant obstacle, despite evidence of correspondence between JFK and Nehru discussing potential support.
A Goodwill Mission:
In March 1962, Jacqueline Kennedy, the First Lady of the United States, visited India as part of a goodwill tour, accompanied by her sister, Lee Radziwill. This visit aimed to strengthen diplomatic ties between the U.S., India, and Pakistan, amidst the backdrop of the ongoing China-India rivalry and the longest disputed border in the world. Bruce Riedel’s book notes that JFK informed U.S. Ambassador to India, John Kenneth Galbraith, of Nehru’s notably warm reception of the Kennedy family, particularly the women. Had India been more receptive to U.S. offers at the time, it could have accelerated its progress in science, technology, and innovation. Over the years, however, India has extended its diplomatic hand to the United States, with Prime Ministers like Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Narendra Modi fostering closer ties, while maintaining a cordial relationship with Russia.
(The author is Ex Professor and Head of Department ICU of Medical College Jammu)
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