India's Foreign Policy

Assuaging Cold War Anxieties: India and the Failure of SEATO

“…94 India apparently became the subject of 'bitter criticism' in Washington due to its uncooperative ways. 95 One can claim that Nehru's hard-to-get diplomacy denied Ceylon the chance to appeal to the Colombo Powers and prevented SEATO from recruiting states in the region to its cause. However, Nehru's influence on Ceylon's decision also worked indirectly and relied on soft power.…”

East Meets West

“…119 Rather, one is exposed to a "startling paradox", wherein Western intrusion or colonization resulted in the region's high political fragmentation into self-contained political and economic domains catering to imperial interests. 120 Interaction amongst the countries, mostly through the "ebb and flow of migrants and traders" within the region seemingly ceased, 121 and whatever history of "Southeast Asia" developed during this period could understandably be entangled with the history of European colonial regime. 122 Thus, it was not surprising, as many historians suggested, the colonial period introduced far-reaching changes, consolidated and divided cultures and communities, and becomes a significant contributor and/or factor to how modern Southeast Asia was shaped and contoured as to how it is known presently, including Nationalist movements in the region could be described in phases.…”

A study of deviant state behavior : Indian foreign policy, 1947-62

“…Hence, inviting China to the Security Council would send a powerful message that the Western powers had no desire to dominate the world, and would allow non-Western states to be stake holders in the apex body. 106 The demographic dimension also figured in the decision, as it was imperative to have one of the most populous countries in the world represented at the highest echelons of international relations. 107 To Roosevelt, China meant 400 million people whose views simply could not be ignored.…”

“…105 To that end, the Sikkim National Party highlighted that "Sikkim shall not, under any circumstances, accede to the dominion of India." 106 Events from 1948 conspired against the desire of those in Sikkim who wanted to maintain a certain distance from India. The political struggle between the ruling dispensation and the Sikkim State Congress undermined the stability of Sikkim.…”

“…The US military doctrine, NSC 162/2 of October 1953 clearly viewed nuclear weapons as conventional weapons and considered them "...as available for use as other munitions. "106 In 1954, NATO allowed tactical nuclear weapons to be used as a retaliatory measure in the event of a conventional attack by the Soviets.…”