Contents
What is Foreign Policy?
Foreign policy is state’s behaviour towards other states. In simple words, Foreign policy is the sum total of principles, interests and objectives that guide the activities and relationships of a state with other countries and international organizations.
Meaning of Foreign Policy
Foreign policy is an essential factor for maintaining national security, promoting economic development, exert influence on global governance, and chasing alliances and partnerships that promote a country’s strategic objectives in the international arena.
Foreign Policy is not a fixed concept. It keeps on changing with the changing national and international scenario. Still there are certain objectives and principles which are very essential for the foreign policy of a nation. For example: primary national interests like national power and national security that no country can compromise for the shake of foreign policy. So foreign policy without fulfillment of national interest is a purposeless activity.
Definitions of Foreign Policy
According to Hans Morgenthau, “Foreign policy is the art of identifying, safeguarding, and advancing the national interest in the international arena.”
According to Robert Keohane, “Foreign policy refers to the strategies chosen by states to safeguard their national interests and achieve their goals in the international system.”
According to Henry Kissinger, “Foreign policy is the art of establishing goals and the means to achieve them in an international environment.”
According to Richard Haass, “Foreign policy is the set of decisions and actions taken by a state to manage its external relations, including diplomacy, trade, defense, and development, in pursuit of national interests and security.”
According to, Stephen Walt, “Foreign policy encompasses the decisions and actions that states undertake to manage their external affairs, protect their interests, and influence global events.”
India’s Foreign Policy
India got its independence in 1947 and the world itself has undergone through a dramatic change since 1947 like – from a period of bi-polarity dominated by the U.S. and Soviet Union, to a brief period of U.S. dominance, and now to a more complex era where China and the US are dominant players in a shifting global landscape. Among all these uncertainty, India must figure out how to define its foreign policy in a way that balances its national interests with its moral values. Now it’s a challenge in front of India to establish it’s own unique identity on the world stage- balancing relations with other actors without hampering her own national interest and moral values.
Objectives of India’s Foreign Policy
According to Appadorai and M.S. Rajan, there are three fundamental objectives of India’s Foreign Policy:
1. The Preservation of India’s Territorial Integrity and Independence of Foreign Policy:
Territorial integrity and protection of national territory and border is the primary objective of a nation. India got its independence after a hard earned and very long struggle against the British rule. So it is more important for India to remain independent in making of its own foreign policy without any foreign interreference for which India adopted Non-alignment as its first foreign policy move.
2. Promoting International Peace and Security:
India as the largest democracy, always realized the importance of International peace and security since its independence. India’s emphasis on disarmament, the policy of making distance from the military alliance, work against terrorism and support to United Nations shows India’s interest to promote Global peace and security.
3. Economic Development of India:
After the independence from British Raj, the primary objective of India was the fast economic development of the country. In order to gain financial resources and technology from both the power blocks and concentrate her all energy on economic development, India kept distance from power block politics during the Cold war. The journey from a poor and agrarian country to world’s 5th largest economy shows India’s efforts and interest for it’s economic development.
Principles of India’s Foreign Policy
There are some basic objectives which can also be called as the basic principles of India’s foreign policy, were not changed overtime and remained as major pilar of India’s foreign policy. These basic principles are:
1. Non-Alignment
Non-alignment means not to align with any particular country, power blocks or institutions for any kind of military and economic assistance. The chief architect of non-alignment policy was Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India. India adopted the policy during the period of cold war by did not joining any of power block, the United States and the Soviet Union.
Nehru wanted India to remain non-aligned with the two power block, in stead focus more on development and fighting with social evils such as poverty, hunger, death and illiteracy. In simple words, Non-alignment was India’s the first foreign policy principle by which India stayed away from power politics and stood for peaceful coexistence and active international cooperation with both aligned and non-aligned states.
2. Anti-Colonialism and Anti-Imperialism
The roots cause of adopting the anti-colonial and anti-imperial principles in India’s Foreign Policy was lies in her own experience of British rule. India suffered a lot in the period of British imperialism and fought a long battle for independence.
Therefore, India supported the national liberation movements in Asia, Africa and Latin America. India used the NAM forum and also the UN platform to fight for the people under colonial rule. India helped the people fighting for independence of Indonesia, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and most importantly the decolonialization of Namibia and South Africa. India played a vital role in making Bangladesh an independent state from Pakistan.
3. Anti-Racialism:
Like imperialism, racialism was seen in time of British rule in India. After independence, Nehru sought an end to the apartheid policy and racial discrimination which prevailed in Africa, particularly in South Africa. according to Nehru, ‘ anti-imperialism and anti-racialism were the Kernel of our foreign policy‘.
4. Panchsheel or Peaceful Coexistence
The cardinal principle of Indian foreign policy is Panchsheel or Peaceful Coexistence. Panchsheel was an agreement between India and China enunciated by the Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai and the Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru concluded in April29, 1954.
The Panchsheel is the combination of 5 principles that form the foundation of India’s bilateral relations with China. The Panchsheel principles are:
- Mutual respect for each other’s territorial integrity and sovereignty
- Mutual non-aggression
- Mutual non-interference in each other’s internal affairs
- Equality and mutual benefit
- Peaceful co-existence
Although the Indo-China war 1962 lost the relevance of these Principles but India continues to have faith on these 5 principles in the relation with her neighbours and with other states of the international community.
5. Disarmament:
Another important India’s foreign policy principle is disarmament and arms control. Although India is not a signatory to NPT,1968 and CTBT,1996 as these are discriminatory and create the dominance of nuclear weapon nations. But India supports complete disarmament and peaceful resolution of conflicts. India adopted the No-First-Use as its nuclear policy and believe in peaceful use of nuclear energy.
6. Faith in the United Nations:
India has showed a great faith in the working of United Nations and always respects the objectives and principles of UN. India participated in a number of peace keeping activities. India is also striving for a permanent member in UN security council so that India can be more actively work for UN.
7. Promotion of World Peace:
India actively participates in United Nations peacekeeping operations and advocates for the peaceful resolution of conflicts. India since independence believes in peaceful settlement of international disputes and this principle is also included in the constitution of India deals with Article 51 of Directive Principles of State Policy.
8. Counterterrorism:
Combating terrorism is a key focus of India’s foreign policy. India seeks international cooperation to address terrorism, particularly concerning cross-border terrorism affecting the country. India has always voiced her concern over the issues of terrorism.
All these above objectives and principles are corner stone of India’s foreign policy, which are continued since independence. These objectives and principles played a vital role to make India’s picture as an emerging super power in the globe.