CHANGING DYNAMICS OF INDIAN FORIEGN POLICY

As the 7th largest landmass, the world's 2nd most populous country and the world's most populous democracy with diaspora of 6 million people dispersed globally, INDIA is one of the fastest growing economies of the world. With the world's fifth largest military expenditures (SIPRI military expenditure report-2017) and 3rd largest economy by purchasing power parity (PPP); the country is a regional power and a potential global power.

It is India’s growing international influence that increasingly gives it a more prominent voice in global affairs.

Foreign policy of any country is a result of mutual interaction of several elements.

POST INDEPENDENCE POLICY

_NEHRUVIAN ERA:_

With the termination of World War 2, the European and the Japanese economies being adversely shattered; the world saw emergence of two blocs’ i.e. USSR (Russia being the leader) and USA (forming NATO) and thus started the cold war era. India along with some other Asian and African nations who recently got free from the clutches of Europe, were reluctant to join any camp and opted to pursue a policy of non-alignment, though the country welcomed aid and assistance from both the blocs and helped in slackening tension between them; and the foreign policy was determined  largely  in accordance to our freedom struggle, Gandhian philosophy and fundamental principle of Indian tradition of vasudhaiva kutumbkam(the whole world is one single family) and panchsheel  principles were propounded.

_POST NEHRUVIAN AGE:_

After the death of pt. Nehru, some changes did occur in our foreign policy under Mrs Indira Gandhi (pro Soviet shift was seen as a result of discontinuation of food aid from USA), sh. Desai, sh. Rajeev Gandhi , sh. Atal Bihari Vajpayee etc. representing a new pragmatism in foreign policy.

New avenues of cooperation were seen due to disintegration of USSR and with the LPG(liberalization, privatization and globalization) reforms. India reoriented its foreign policy according to changing international scenario and improved its relations with USA; and “look east policy” and “Gujral Doctrine” became part of the foreign policy.

PRESENT SCENARIO

_BEGINNING OF THE CENTURY:_



The twenty first century has seen rise of other factors like economic interests, energy security (relations with central Asia i.e. oil producing nations), geostrategic considerations (china and Pakistan on two fronts). India and USA relations saw a boom due to converging interests i.e. countering china’s growing ambitions in the world affairs. China’s ‘one road one belt’ initiative, its neo-colonialism model (pushing the smaller nations into debt trap), its interest in Indian ocean and other water bodies and Bejing’s increasing closeness with both Islamabad and Moscow. They formulated quadrilateral alliance i.e. India, japan, USA and Australia to tackle Dragon’s growing ambitions. The closeness with Washington was so that the foreign policy experts even stated that New Delhi has now completely entered the USA bloc and non-alignment model has lost its relevance. But wait, Indian foreign policy recently witnessed a new turn.
_U TURN IN INDIAN FOREIGN POLICY:_

India’s recent  informal summits with china and Russia; its increasing cultural ties with Kathmandu and Shangri la dialogue in Singapore are billed as major foreign policy advancements.

Why is India in mood to stabilize its relations?
Is it the upcoming elections or signal to the world of New Delhi’s reorientation towards non-alignment principles again or is it volatile and unpredictable Trump administration?

USA moving out of Iran nuclear deal and the first in the on-going trade war being first fired by Trump i.e. imposing high tax on steel and aluminium imports is definitely agitating the other nations including European nations, china and India too. The global recession situation as of 2007-08 can get culminated if this trade war game goes on and if Washington continue firing such fragile decisions as it is ultimately a ‘lose-lose’ situation as stated by mr.Raghuram Rajan, ex-governor of RBI. These uncertainties can impact India’s interest too and as a result New Delhi is seen to be on a way to improve relations with other economies as we know *“In international relations, there are no permanent friends and no permanent enemies. What remains permanent are supreme national interests and foreign policy is aimed to protect its supreme national interests”.*

However India must continue with its *omnidirectional approach and follow look west, act east, involve north and drive south approach* with a say in global governance and fulfil its vision of multilateral Asia and multilateral world. India should lead to balance the world order and should continue to materialize its asset of young demographic profile to achieve desired growth. An approach towards neither confrontation nor pacifism but mutually beneficial resolution through democratic means can yield best results for the country and the world at large.