AUTONOMOUS COURSE

From Nehru to Modi, Indian prime ministers have always taken independent foreign policy decisions, keeping in mind the country's geopolitical interests

- PRATUL SHARMA

From Jawaharlal Nehru’s idealism to Narendra Modi’s pragmatism, Indian foreign policy has traversed a significant distance, marking a break from the past sometimes, but always retaining its essential spirit. Nehru used his charismatic personality to promote India’s image abroad and put emphasis on personal friendships as a means of diplomatic engagement. Despite his pronounced differences with Nehruvian policies, Modi, too, seems to be following the same playbook.

While Nehru remained equidistant from the two superpowers during the Cold War, Modi skilfully navigates today's complex geopolitical scenario marked by pronounced multipolarity. He is at ease working with the US-led Quad (US, India, Australia, Japan) on the one side and the Russia and China-dominated BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) and the SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization) on the other. India’s non-aligned stance during the Russia-Ukraine war is being questioned and debated fervently in the west, yet, it has stood its ground.

Ironically, both Modi and Nehru had to contend with China’s duplicity, causing them major headache on the domestic front. “Nehru misjudged the intention of Mao Zedong, who wanted to teach India a lesson," said former foreign minister and diplomat Natwar Singh. "China’s 1962 invasion hastened Nehru’s death. To this day, the Kashmir issue and the Sino-Indian border dispute remain unresolved.”