Beyond Autonomy: Roots of India’s Foreign Policy

In a world of instant communication, no country can remain in isolation. The impact of socio-cultural and economic trends receive instant reverberations the world over. This is equally true of foreign policy. While the balance of power and ideology may have undergone changes, the fundamentals of Indian diplomatic expression has remained the same, with its commitment to our national interests and autonomy in all spheres of decision-making. On account of her geographical position and size India plays a dominant role in world politics. The messages of religious prophets have emanated and spread from this region. Religions and cultural influences from other parts of the world have been accepted and assimilated over the centuries. The Ashokan and Gandhian concepts of Ahimsa or non-violence and non-aggression, along with Nehru’s idea of non-alignment have formed the ideological basis of our foreign policy. Even in today’s uni-polar world where many think that non-alignment is a redundant concept, the underlying principle of independent decision-making and a resistance to economic pressures from elsewhere continue to dominate our policies in the sphere of external affairs. While challenges to our foreign policy are continuous, the essays contained in this volume attempt to understand, articulate and project India’s role in world affairs at the present time. The country’s equations with her immediate neighbours with whom conflicts have erupted are also discussed in some detail. Another factor to be considered by the makers of Indian foreign policy is the utilisation and contribution of the overseas Indian communities in a way that will serve our national interests. This collection of papers will go a long way in enhancing the reader’s knowledge of the forces and philosophies that have constituted the basis for India’s autonomous foreign policy.