’s Foreign Policy A Panorama

Some Vignettes from the Past and the Present

R. Rajagopalan August 9, 2019

1 What is Foreign Policy?

The policy of a sovereign state in its interaction with other sovereign states

2 A country's foreign policy, consists of self- interest strategies chosen by the state to safeguard its national interests * and to achieve goals within its international relations milieu.

[* May include values, ideologies and traditions]

3 Foreign Policy & Diplomacy General objectives that guide the activities and relationships of one state in its interactions with other states. The development of foreign policy is influenced by  domestic considerations,,  the policies or behaviour of other states, or  plans to advance specific geopolitical designs.

Diplomacy is the tool of foreign policy, and war, alliances, and international trade may all be manifestations of it.

4 Strategic Culture in India The Lament

The debate about the existence of strategic culture in India, views are often rudimentary and impulsive rather than based on an objective definition and understanding. The main reason for this is a lack of research and availability of literature on these dimensions . ... .An awareness of the distinction and essential relationship between strategic thinking (philosophical and intellectual discourse) and strategic culture (experience, action, attitude and habit) is also important in the process of this investigation. IDSA Conference on ‘Exploring the Roots of India's Strategic Culture’, October 5, 2017 -Concept note

5 India’s Strategic Culture Rodney W. Jones

India’s strategic culture is not monolithic, rather is mosaic-like, but as a composite is more distinct and coherent than that of most contemporary nation- states.This is due to its substantial continuity with the symbolism of pre-modern Indian state systems and threads of Hindu or Vedic civilization dating back several millennia. Embedded in educated social elites, the consciousness of Hindu values has been resident in essentially the same territorial space, namely, the Indian subcontinent.

This continuity of values was battered and overlaid but never severed or completely submerged, whether by Muslim invasions and Mughal rule, the seaborne arrival of French and Portuguese adventurers and missionaries, or the encroachment of the – with its implantation of representative political institutions and modern law.

[Prepared for: DefenseThreat Reduction Agency] https://fas.org/irp/agency/dod/dtra/india.pdf

6 Ramayana Artha Shastra th 7 /4th centuries BCE ~ 3rd century CE 2nd century BCE ~ 3rd century CE

Plato Tirukkural 5th Century BCE 1st century BCE ~ 6th century CE

Mahabharata Confucius Bhagwat Gita 551–479 BCE fifth century BCE ~second century BCE Sun Tzu 544–496 BCE

7 Kauṭilya - Vishnugupta – Chanakya 2nd century BCE ~3rd century CE The Arthashastra is a timeless and comprehensive treatise on all facets of statecraft: politics, law, economy, management of war and peace, intelligence, foreign policy, and diplomacy.

8 TIRUKKURAL

The chapters on politics, ministers, state, defence, finance, army and friendship apply to all kinds of government from monarchy of Thiruvalluvar’s time down to the modern democracy.

c. 1st century BC or 6th century AD

9 Ashoka the Great c. 268 BCE to 232 BCE

Raja Raja Chola I 985 CE - 1014 CE

10 Scope of this lecture  Past lectures have covered Indian Classical Concepts in Foreign & Security Policies, Ancient Indian thought on strategy, specific policies on sectoral subjects – and lectures following this talk will cover foreign relations with specific countries and regions.  This lecture will peripherally touch upon them to illustrate the trends in policy in general.  [Trends in] India’s Foreign policy – in the last seven decades – with a brief ‘mention’ of the immediate and distant past

Trends? -- Continuity? -- Change?

11 Significant Mile-Stones / Dates Pre-Independence 1971 - 1977 1947 to 1964 09 August 1971 October 1962 India signs a 20-year treaty of 1962 to 1970 friendship and cooperation with the Soviet Union Apr – Sep 1965 03 December 1971 India – Pak war - 1965 Bangladesh Liberation war 30 Jun 1965 02 July 1972 Cease-fire agreement n Rann of The Shimla Agreement Kutch 10 January 1966 8 May 1974 The Pokhran - I

12 1977 to1990 2004 to 2014 June 2005 1991 to 1996 United States -India Defence Economic Reforms Of 1991 framework agreement 26 December 1991 18 July 2005 Dissolution of The Soviet Union Joint Statement on Indo- January 1992 US nuclear deal Formal relations with Israel 2014 and beyond. 1996-1998 27 March 2019 20 June 1996 ASAT Test India rejects CTBT 1998 to 2004 11-13 May 1998 Pokhran - II

13 14 15 16 Pre-Independence

 As India before independence formed part of the British imperial possessions, the British Government decided her foreign policy...... After she won independence India had to evolve a foreign policy of her own, devoted to her own interests. However, it would be wrong to say that before then India had no foreign policy aims apart from those of Imperial Britain.  The Indian National Congress, from the time the independence movement gained strength under Gandhi's leadership, developed its own foreign policy ... .  Naturally it had little to do with what is strictly called international diplomacy,... ….  Indian foreign policy before independence was confined to the enunciation of basic principles which would guide the country's diplomacy after independence. Acharya J. B. Kripalani "For Principled Neutrality: A New Appraisal of Indian Foreign Policy" 'Foreign Affairs', Washington (DC), Vol 38, No.1, October 1959

17 The ‘Great War’ 1914-18

18 The relations between the First World War and the Indian independence movement are complex and vital, and it is not possible to draw a direct, linear trajectory between the two.

Responses to the War (India) Shantanu Das https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net

19 The Great War 28 Jul 1914 – 11 Nov 1918

20 The Great War 28 Jul 1914 – 11 Nov 1918 Over one million Indian troops served overseas. 74,187 Indian soldiers died during the war and another 67,000 were wounded.

21 The Great War 28 Jul 1914 – 11 Nov 1918

June 28, 1919 Maharaja of Bikaner at the Armistice signing to end ‘World War I’ 22 23 13,218 war dead are commemorated by name on the India Gate.

24 Teen Murti Chowk is now the “Teen Murti Haifa Chowk”  The three bronze statues at Teen Murti represent the Hyderabad, Jodhpur and Mysore Lancers who were part of the 15 Imperial Service Cavalry Brigade.  The brigade carried out the victorious assault on the fortified city of Haifa on September 23, 1918, during World War I.  Forty-four Indian soldiers made the ultimate sacrifice during the liberation of the city in World War I.

25 Vice-President Shri Venkaiah Naidu at the Indian War Memorial at Villers Guislain, France November 10, 2018

26 World War – II 1 Sep 1939 – 2 Sep 1945

27 World War – II 1 Sep 1939 – 2 Sep 1945

 The Indian National Congress, led by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Maulana Azad, denounced Nazi Germany but would not fight it or anyone else until India was independent.  Congress launched the Quit India Movement in August 1942, refusing to co-operate in any way with the government until independence was granted.  In 1939 the British Indian Army numbered 205,000 men. It took in volunteers and by 1945 was the largest all-volunteer force in history, rising to over 2.5 million men – who participated in World War – II  87,000 Indians perished in the war

28 Over 87,000 Indian soldiers died in World War II. 29 In memory of the Men of the 2nd Division who fell in the Battle of Kohima April 1944 June 1944 30 There is no War Memorial for those 87,000 who perished between 1939 and 1945

31 United Nations 1945

32 United Nations A Ramasawmy Mudaliar Commerce Member of the Governor-General’s Executive Council and leader of Indian Delegation, signing the UN Charter 26-Jun-45

33 Indian Independence act of 1947

34 15 August 1947

35 ‘The ’

36 TO November 1926 28 April 1949 The UK and its The Commonwealth Heads of agree they are ‘equal in status, Government issue the in no way subordinate one to London Declaration. It allows another in any aspect of their India (and henceforth all domestic or external affairs, other members) to remain in though united by common the Commonwealth without allegiance to the Crown, and having the British monarch as freely associated as members of Head of State, creates the the British Commonwealth position of Head of the of Nations’. Commonwealth, and changes the name of the organisation to ‘the Commonwealth of Nations’.

37 London Declaration - 22 – 27 April, 1949

 The Governments of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, and Ceylon, whose countries are united as Members of the British Commonwealth of Nations and owe a common allegiance to the Crown, which is also the symbol of their free association, have considered the impending constitutional changes in India.  The have informed the other Governments of the Commonwealth of the intention of the Indian people that under the new constitution which is about to be adopted India shall become a sovereign independent republic. The Government of India have however declared and affirmed India’s desire to continue her full membership of the Commonwealth of Nations and her acceptance of The King as the symbol of the free association of its independent member nations and as such the .

38 Non - Alignment

The1955 Bandung Asian-African Conference called for “abstention from the use of arrangements of collective defence to serve the particular interests of any of the big powers.”

39 The Non-Aligned Movement was thus born. Chinese Occupy Tibet - 1959

40 On the night of 17 March 1959, the 14th Dalai Lama, aged 23, slipped out of the Norbulinka, his summer residence in Lhasa, and began his flight to India, where he arrived on 31 March,

41 42 Sino-India war of 1962

India was attacked on October 20, 1962 The war continued for about a month and ended on November 21, after China declared a ceasefire.

43 June 30, 1965 AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA AND THE RELATING TO CEASE-FIRE ... IN THE GUJARAT/WEST PAKISTAN BORDER ... For the Government of India

M. AZIM HUSAIN Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs

For the Government of Pakistan

M. A. HUSAIN High Commissioner of Pakistan

44 Indo – Pak War 1965

45 46 The Bangladesh Liberation War 1971

Pakistani Instrument of Surrender 16 December 1971

India took and Released 93,000 PoW

47 48 UNITED NATIONS MILITARY OBSERVER GROUP IN INDIA AND PAKISTAN

 India and Pakistan signed the Karachi Agreement in March 1951 and established a ceasefire line to be supervised by observers. UNSC passed Resolution 91 (1951) and established a United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) to observe and report violations of ceasefire.  After the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, the two countries signed the in 1972 to define the in . India and Pakistan disagree on UNMOGIP's mandate in Kashmir because India argued that the mandate of UNMOGIP has lapsed after the Simla agreement because it was specifically established to observe ceasefire according to the Karachi Agreement.  However, The Secretary General of the United Nations maintained that the UNMOGIP should continue to function because no resolution has been passed to terminate it. India has partially restricted the activities of the unarmed 45 UN observers on the Indian side of the Line of Control on the grounds that its mandate has lapsed.

49 Again -There was no Till the War Memorial for those 25,942 Brave –hearts who perished between 1947 and 2018 Was opened in New Delhi on 25 February 2019

50 18 May 1974 Pokhran - I

51 1944 March 12: Dr. Homi Bhabha writes to Sir DorabjiTata Trust for starting Nuclear Research in India. Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) Mumbai is inaugurated in December 1945.

1945, August 6: first Nuclear Weapon dropped on Hiroshima.

1948 August: The Atomic Energy Commission of India constituted

1954: start up of the first civilian nuclear power station in the world (Obninsk, USSR).

1955: First ‘Atoms for Peace’ Conference - presided over by Bhabha.

1956, August 4: Apsara, first research reactor in Asia, attains criticality at Trombay, Mumbai 52 1969 March 12: Reactor Research Centre starts at Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu. 1969 October 2:Tarapur Atomic Power Station starts commercial production 1974 May 18: Peaceful underground Nuclear Experiment conducted at Pokhran 1985 October 18: Fast Breeder Test Reactor attains criticality 1998 May 11 & 13: Five underground nuclear tests are conducted at Pokhran

53 54 ARTICLE Vl: Board of Governors A. The Board of Governors shall be composed as follows: 1. The outgoing Board of Governors shall designate for membership on the Board the ten members most advanced in the technology of atomic energy including the production of source materials, and the member most advanced in the technology of atomic energy including the production of source materials in each of the following areas in which none of the aforesaid ten is located: North America; Latin America; Western Europe; Eastern Europe; Africa Middle East and South Asia; South East Asia and the Pacific Far East

55 Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) 10 September 1996

56 “India will never sign this unequal treaty, not now, nor later”  “We could have prevented, Mr President, the present sad turn of events in which a text which runs contrary to customary international law has been brought for adoption to the General Assembly of the UN.  “Mr President, I would like to declare on the floor of this august Assembly that India will never sign this unequal treaty, not now, nor later.As long as this text contains this article, Mr President, this treaty will never enter into force."

57 Op Megdoot – The Siachen Saga April 13, 1984, Captain Sanjay Kulkarni (now lieutenant General) and another army soldier jumped on to the heavily snow covered Bilafond La (17,881 ft), a tactically important pass on the Saltoro Range & planted the Indian Flag

58 59 POKHRAN _ II 11-13 May 1998

60 June 28, 2005 U.S., India Sign New Defense Framework

18 July 2005 Joint Statement on Indo- US nuclear deal

61 Lahore Summit February 1999

62 "Operation Vijay (May – July 1999)"

63 July 2001

64 13 December 2001 26-29 November 2008

65 Modi in Pakistan - December 2015

Modi makes surprise visit to Pakistan, attends Nawaz's grand-daughter's wedding

66 2014 and beyond

67 Indian Diaspora

31 Million Overseas Indians 13 Million NRIs – 18 Million PIOs

 Sustained engagement with the ‘forgotten sons and daughters of India’

 Ensure cultural and emotional moorings to the Indians who are now treated as an extended family

 ‘Contribute’ to India’s Growth Story

 What was earlier termed as ‘Brain Drain’ has now been turned into ‘Brain Banks’

68 Diaspora 15 September 2002 2 December 2005 [Merged with OCI in 2015]

69 ASAT Test 27 March 2019

70 G-24 on International Monetary The Group of 77 and China Affairs and Development, orThe a gathering of 134 developing Group of 24 (G-24) was nations, set uyp in 1964, established in 1971 as a chapter designed to promote its of the Group of 77 members’collective economic ______interests and create an enhanced joint negotiating G-7 .... G-8 .... capacity. ______G-4 ______G - 15 G2

71 Questions?

72