the china factor of india’s non-alignment
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THE CHINA FACTOR OF INDIAS NON-ALIGNMENT
A TEST FOR NEHRUS POLICY
AT REGIONAL AND COLD WAR LEVEL
Introduction
Indias non-alignment is often referred to as being the main principle and cornerstone of its
foreign policy, sometimes with a mystical connotation which was given by the Neruhvian
idealism. It was Nehru, as the first Premier Minister of independent India, who influenced this
specific foreign policy and tailored it to his person. In this policy, Nehru saw for India an
alternative to the one offered by the two blocs. He describes his policy of non-alignment in a
speech to Lok Sabha on 9 December 1958 as followed:
When we say our policy is one of non-alignment, obviously we mean non-
alignment with military blocs. It is not a negative policy. It is a positive one, a
definite one and I hope a dynamic one. But in so far as military blocs today and
in the cold war are concerned, we do not align ourselves with either bloc. 1
There are authors who stress the aspect that non-alignment is only a desire to play a specific
and independent role in world politics2, while others see it as a consequence of Indias
domestic policy. The choice of non-alignment based on the affirmation of independence of
1 cited by Norman D. PALMER,Indias Foreign Policy. The Political Quarterly, Vol.33, No.4 (Oct./ Dec.1962): p.4002 THUAN, Cao-Huy, Role et essence du non-alignement indien , Non-alignement et intervention trangre: lExemple de
lInde, in Peuple et Etats du Tiers monde face lordre international., Paris, P.U.F., 1978: p.111
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India was for Nehru also a way to pacify the opposed forces within the vast, newly
independent country and to assure a certain political stability within India. The internal factors
for Indias non-alignment can therefore not be neglected, but as it would enlarge the scope of
the analysis of this paper I will not go into further details and focus on the external factors
which determined Indias non-alignment under Nehru.
The external policy of non-alignment has many facets. To pin it down to a principle, it can be
summarized to the policy inspired by Nehru, a policy that refers to a non-involvement in
power blocs, a non-entanglement in Cold War alliances. This reflects a policy of
independence to guarantee the national interest of the newly independent nation.
Indias non-alignment has been influenced by many different factors, such as the need for an
independent foreign policy, regional preoccupations about its difficult relations with Pakistan,
as well as the search for a role according to its international ambitions. In this analysis I will
focus on the factor represented by China. From the Indian point, I will look at the impact this
factor had on New Delhis commitment to non-alignment. It goes without saying that the
China factor was not only limited to bilateral Sino-Indian interaction, but had an important
impact on the international perception of Indias non-alignment. The Third World will play a
major role when looking at the China factor of Indias non-alignment, as it reflects the
universal phenomenon of the neighbourly relations with all its consequences. Nevertheless the
China factor was, among others, also responsible for a change in attitude towards Indias non-
alignment of the United States and the Soviet Union.
My main argument is that China as a neighbour, partner and enemy has been one of the main
reasons for major changes in the application of Indias national policy of non-alignment.
First, I will emphasize the important aspects of territorial integrity and the promotion of
peaceful relations with regard to their bilateral relation. We will then see, with a view to
Indias performance on regional and Cold War level, how the concept of non-alignment had
to be readapted with the growing deterioration of the relationship between the two
neighbours. Another important consequence of the worsened relations was the differentiation
between the two concepts of Afro-Asia as proclaimed in Bandung and non-alignment in the
Third World. As a result of the Sino-Indian Border War in 1962, the two concepts could no
longer be considered as mutually supportive, but rather as two distinct and exclusive concepts.
For a better illustration, I will scrutinize Nehrus period, when India defined its policy and
when the quest for an independent foreign policy among ex-colonies was very important in
terms of nation building. This paper will explore the contribution of the relationship with
China for the definition of Indias non-alignment in the light of Sandhu Bims quotation that
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the policy of non-alignment is dynamic and adaptive to changing international environment.
Thus, after the Sino-Indian warfare of 1962, the premises as well as the objectives of Indias
non-alignment changed3.
Further questions will frame my argument: To which extent did Indias relation with China
influence the basic principle of foreign policy directed with and later against the neighbour
state? Why has there never been the realization of a common leadership of the Third World?
Was Indias non-alignment in danger to be given up due to the border war with China in
1962? Among several illustrations I will raise the argument that the decision of Indias non-
alignment was to a large extent defined and re-defined by its relation with China. I want to
illustrate that the China factor was the main reason why Indias non-alignment was especially
in danger to be given up in 1962, as a consequence of the Sino-Indian border war. This was a
serious test to Indias commitment to non-alignment, which had an important impact on both
the regional and the Cold War level.
I. Indias non-alignment in relation to China in the 1950s
1.1 Indias role in the settlement of the Korean War
The peaceful settlement of the Korean War was of great significance to India. On the pretext
of mediation, India could exert the closest possible collaboration with China with the
intention to develop friendly relations and goodwill with Peking4. It is to be understood from
this point of view why India abstained to brand China as one of the aggressor in the
Committee of the General Assembly of the United Nations on January 20, 1951. 5 The Indian
Government pursued the strategy of strict non-involvement and of neutrality. It took the lead
towards mediation between the different parties to the conflict in Korea, even though India
realised that China seemed to create a kind of Monroe doctrine on its own 6. In fact, it was at
this time that the policy of non-alignment, with its active understanding, came on scene as an
attempt to mediate between the opposing parties.
At the same time, the solution for world peace was clearly driven by self-interest, as it was
seen as a precondition for Indias own development. To Nehru, the policy of non-alignment
3SANDHU, Bim, Unresolved Conflict China and India,New Delhi, Radiant Publisher, 1988: p.52
4 KYOUNG-SOO, Kim. The Korean War and Indias non-alignment, Korea and World Affairs,
No.4, Vol. 7, Winter 1983: p.7185 GAOR Fifth Session, First Committee Mtg 428, p.528 (UN Doc A/C. 1/SR 428)6 GAOR Fifth Session, First Committee Mtg 415, p.461 (UN Doc A/C. 1/SR 415)
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legitimized his acts as a peacemaker between the conflicts parties in Korea. This was of a
fairly difficult nature as in Korea there was a complete absence of any cooperative spirit
between the parties which did not allow the coming of an agreement.7 But nevertheless, Nehru
contributed actively to the ending of the war by several proposals of immediate ceasefires and
a six-point program for the establishment of peace in Indochina.8
After the war in Korea, it was rather clear that it had the purpose of cementing the good
relations with China to prevent any further agitations of the huge neighbour. The possibility
was stressed, that it was not only the eventual further agitations of China at the regional level,
but rather the growing American support towards Pakistan, which pushed India towards a
continuing good relation with China.9
Consequently, in April 1954, Premier Nehru and Premier Chou negotiated the Sino-Indian
agreement on Tibet, better known as the Panch Shila-agreement.10 It was in the preamble of
the treaty, which accepted Chinese sovereignty over Tibet, that the five principles of
coexistence were mentioned. Among them the mutual respect for each others territorial
integrity and sovereignty as well as the guarantee for mutual non-aggression, were aimed to
become the cornerstones of the neighbouring relations. Correspondingly, during his visit to
China in October 1954, Nehru referred also to the ongoing border question between India and
China, while assuring several times that as far as the Indian side was concerned there was no
doubt about the demarcation.11 The China factor at this moment seemed to be the biggest
success in Indias foreign policy: regarding their common border - at least from Nehrus point
of view there seemed to be no longer any disagreement. Sino-Indian relations were at their
best, which motivated the neighbours to promote their basic principles in a united conference
of the Third World in 1955 in Bandung.
1.2 China-India rapprochement on the idea of an Asian solidarity
(from Panch Shila to Bandung)
7Jawaharlal Nehru. Letters to Chief Ministers 1947-1964. Oxford University Press. London/Delhi Vol.4: p.17
8 ND Jayaprakash,India and the Bandung Conference of 1955, online edition archives (May-June 2005)
http://www.politicalaffairs.net/article/view/1224/19 DOMENACH, J.-L./RICHERPhillippe. La Chine. Tome 1 1949-1971. Paris: Imprimerie Nationale. 1987: p.8210
Document on Tibet 1950-1957, p.66 cited in HONG Janjun,From Confrontation to normalisation:
the last two decades of Sino-Indian relations (a Chinese perspective). IUHEI, Genve, 1996: p.18
Five principals of Panch Shila: 1) mutual respect for each others territorial integrity and sovereignty2) mutual non- aggression 3) mutual non-interference in each others internal affairs 4) equality andmutual benefit 5) peaceful coexistence
11 Jawaharlal Nehru. op.cit.: p.82
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The Bandung Conference in 195512 resulted in the practical application of the theoretical
approach of the Panch Shila principles formulated between India and China the year before.
The call for an Afro-Asian solidarity under Indo-Chinese leadership seemed to be an
alternative for the newly independent states of Africa and Asia to the option to join either
Cold War bloc. A gathering of the newly independent states of Africa and Asia under a joint
leadership, the Chinese-Indian condominium, was promoted to be a success in the Third
World, while in the occidental press there were already echoes about rising differences on
the influence between India and China at Bandung.13 During the Conference, the bilateral
principles of peaceful coexistence became integrated in the multilateral creation of the Afro-
Asian movement. In addition to the attractiveness of the propaganda value attached to the
solidarity among the Afro-Asians, important practical decisions were taken. Furthermore,
both the principle of national sovereignty and territorial integrity in respect to colonial borders
and the principle of complete self-determination were officially proclaimed. Paradoxically,
this mutual respect of territorial integrity will be of crucial importance for the future relations
between New Delhi and Beijing.
The policy of Panch Shila and the era of the superficial friendship between India and China
reached its climax at the Bandung Conference, not only between the two countries, but also
between the two leaders Chou and Nehru who both claimed the leadership of a united Afro-
Asia, already threatened by divergent interests. Still, the Panch Shila principle seemed to keep
on dominating the relation between the two neighbours, as showed the statement made by
Premier Chou during the conference:
By following the principles of mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial
integrity, non-aggression, non-interference in each others internal affairs,
equality and mutual benefit, the peaceful coexistence of countries with different
social systems can be realized. When these principles are insured
implementation, there is no reason why international disputes cannot be settled
through negotiation.14
India found sufficient evidence of Chinese sincerity about Panch Shila and friendship within
Chous statement, which would later be proved as wrong assumptions.
The American press, taking a differentiated view regarding the key man at the Bandung
parley, declared Nehru to have failed in everything he aimed for at the conference, while
12 The first Asian-African conference at Bandung, Indonesia took place from April 18 to 24, 1955 :23 countries from
Asia (Afghanistan, Burma, Cambodia, Democratic Republic of Vietnam, Iran, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Japan, Jordan,
Laos, Lebanon, Nepal, Pakistan, Peoples Republic of China, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, South Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Syria,Thailand, Turkey and Yemen) and 6 Countries from Africa (Egypt, Ethiopia,Ghana,Liberia,Libya and Sudan) were present.
13QUEUILLE, Pierre.Histoire de lAfro-Asiatisme jusqu Bandoung-Naissance du Tiers-Monde, Paris, Payot, 1965: p.298
14 Chou Enlai cited by the New York Times, 20 April, 1955
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Chou got the most attention.15 India had to accept that the interests of the former colonial
territories were not necessarily identical to hers and that it implied not to accept India as the
natural leader of the non-aligned nations. Despite the fact that the respect Nehru gained
during the war in Korea among the newly independent nations remained, it was at the
Bandung Conference of 1955 that Communist China obviously took the leading role.16China
clearly aimed to dominate Bandung and gathered the more radical group around itself.
Nehrus role was clearly limited as not all the present Afro-Asian countries felt obliged to the
neutralism he represented and promoted.17 It was argued by Edwardes that the above cited
mediatory role which India occupied during the Korean War was one of the main reasons for
leading India into isolation. Accepted by the major powers in its role as a mediator, India
could no longer represent the revolutionary mood of the newly independent nations present
in Bandung.18
A first indicator that the Hindi-Chini-bhai-bhai- policy (Indians and Chinese are brothers)
was not supposed to be of a long duration was the unsettled border question between the
neighbours. As mentioned above, India thought that there was no border disagreement with
China, since the border question had never been raised during the Sino-Indian agreement of
1954. It was shortly after the Bandung Conference, when India discovered Chinas secret
construction of a road across the Aksai Chin plateau, a region of major strategic importance to
both countries in 1958.19 Obviously, the colonial borders between the two countries were
perceived differently. Nehrus above mentioned declaration that there was no doubt about the
border question suddenly became questionable. Until 1959, it became increasingly clear that
the relation of the two neighbours was gradually shifting away from Panch Shila policy to an
open territorial dispute in the Himalayan region. Chinas brotherly relation with India
increasingly targeted its influence among the Afro-Asian countries, and especially on the
regional level among the common neighbour countries. Strategically, Beijing concluded
several border arrangements between 1960-1963 with Nepal, Burma, Pakistan and
Afghanistan.20
15 ALDEN, Roberts. Key men at the Bandung Parley, Special to the New York Times, April 24, 1955/
SANDHU, Bim. Unresolved Conflict: China and India.New Delhi. Radiant Publishers, 1988: p.9916 EDWARDES, Michael. Illusion and Reality in Indias foreign Policy, International Affairs, Vol.41,No.1 (Jan 1965): p.5117LACOUTURE, Jean. Die Asian-Afrika Konferenz in Bandung 1955. Le Monde diplomatique, Nr. 7640, 15.4. 2005: p.318 EDWARDES, op.cit: p.5119
STEELE, Tracy Lee. The Politics of Anglo-American Aid to non-aligned India 1962
Electronic journal of International Historyhttp://www.history.ac.uk/ejournal/art7.html: p.120DOMENACH, J.-L./ RICHERPhillippe.La Chine. Tome 1 1949-1971. Paris: Imprimerie Nationale. 1987: p. 217
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1.3 Rising rivalries between the neighbours
To Nehrus surprise, Premier Chou shattered all previous remaining beliefs and illusions of
the Indian Government in his letter of January 23, 1959. For the first time, Chou declared
openly his countrys policy regarding the Sino Indian border. Chou questioned the legality of
the Mc Mahon line, the official Sino-Indian border, as it is was a product of British
imperialism. He also claimed a large proportion of the NEFA (North East Frontier Agency)
area.21 India, on the other hand, believed in the legality of the Mc Mahon line. 22While Indias
official response to Chinese actions was rather comprehensive, it was the Indian public and
Parliamentarians who reacted shocked to the Chinese aggression in Tibet the same year. 23 The
intervention in Tibet in 1959 marked therefore a turning point for the Sino-Indian relations.
The suppression of the Tibetan uprising was viewed by India as a violation of Tibetan
autonomy and thus a violation of the Sino-Indian agreement on Tibet. Chinas imperial
ambitions in the Himalayan region undermined not only the bilateral agreements between
India and China, but also its credibility as a friendly member of the Afro-Asian movement.
The Chinese action in Tibet attracted international attention and was widely denounced, while
for the neighbouring countries it represented an awakening of the fear of a Chinese threat to
their national integrity. As far as India-China relations were concerned, the border incidents
were followed by a forward policy, a reciprocal arms race on both sides of the undefined
frontier. In fall of the same year, there was a military collision in the region of Ladakh and
NEFA areas claimed by China. Whatever small element of faith may have remained in the
Sino-Indian friendship was finally erased by an active correspondence between the two
governments concerning border incidents and other issues regarding the regional policy
between the two states.24 With the degradation of the relationship between India and China,
India turned towards non-alignment, as it became obvious that the Afro-Asian idea under the
principle of Panch Shila could no longer be the focus of Indias cold war policy. Non-
alignment was put in an official framework at the first non-aligned conference in Belgrade
from the 1st to the 6th of September 1961, where India was undoubtedly the leader together
with Yugoslavia and Egypt, while China clearly aligned to the communist ideology, was not
invited to the Conference. At this stage, Indias non-alignment, in Belgrade defined as a
principle of equidistance to the two blocs, was no longer orientated on China. It was even an
21 SANDHU, Bim. Unresolved Conflict: China and India. New Delhi. Radiant Publishers, 1988: p.10522
Letter of October 21 1962, Jawaharlal Nehru. Letters to Chief Ministers 1947-1964.
Oxford University Press. London/Delhi Vol.5: p.536 as fort the so-called McMahon Line, it is clearly stated in the
old treaty (confirmed on July 3,1914 in a tripartite agreement between Britain, Tibet and China) that the High ridge of
the watershed of the Himalayas is the international frontier.23 ibid: p.11324
PRINGSHEIM, Klaus H., China, India, and their Himalayan Border (1961-1963)
Asian Survey, Vol. 3, No. 10 (Oct. 1963): p.474
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emancipating movement from its Asian neighbour. The China factor in Indias policy of non-
alignment led at this stage to Indias steady withdrawal from the Afro-Asian movement of
Bandung. The Non-Alignment Movement created in Belgrade became, despite divergent
approaches to an eventual institutionalisation of non-alignment, an important platform for
common action of the Third World.25 Non-alignment, contrary to the Afro-Asian movement,
de-emphasized the issue of colonialism in favour of the importance of peace. 26 The events in
late 1961 introduced several questions: Did India, as a founding member of both the Afro-
Asian movement and the Non-Alignment Movement, no longer see any perspective in the
former, while believing in the persistent success of the latter? Was it possible for India to
maintain the fundamental principle of non-alignment in a situation when there were growing
tensions with China?
The main components of non-alignment - the importance of peace and the equidistance to the
two superpowers were challenged in the open Sino-Indian Border War in 1962, which I will
analyze in the second section.
II. The Sino-Indian Border War
2.1 Test for Indias non-alignment
The Chinese invasion in Tibet and its Indian equivalent, the invasion in Goa in December
1961, sent the signal that the two nations were willing to use force in order to make accesible
any region they perceived as part of their territory. In the run-up to the 1962 Border War, the
Sino-Indian relation had already experienced several blows to Panch Shila and the Hindi-
Chini-bhai-bhai- policy in the Himalayan region claimed by both sides. However, the war of
1962 was different from the preceding conflicts as it would not only have an impact on
bilateral relations, but also introduce the final separation of non-alignment and Afro-Asian
solidarity.
The time before the war can be characterized as a dual policy27 . It implies the pretence of
the two nations that they were interested in peaceful and amicable settlement of disputes,
while continuing to build up military strength on both sides of the frontier. Different authors
25BRAILLARD, B. et DJALILI, M.-R.,Tiers Monde et Relations Internationales, Masson, Fribourg, 1984 : p.180
26 PRINGSHEIM. op.cit.: p.47527 SANDHU, Bim. Unresolved Conflict: China and India. New Delhi. Radiant Publishers, 1988: p.105/ 202
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emphasise the importance of the unilateral attempts to increase their bargaining power
regarding the disputed area. According to Pringsheim, China at the end of the year 1961
wanted to renew the treaty of Friendship from 1954 with New Delhi, while the Indian
government refused.28 Behind the faade of Panch Shila both sides boosted their military
presence in the disputed area. Indias in spite of all, Nehru did not believe that the Chinese
would really take the risk to attack and he seemed surprised about the Chinese invasion as
became clear in his letters shortly after the beginning of the open aggression:
We have felt no ill will against the Chinese people. In international matters,
we have often helped the Chinese Government. It has been a matter of grief to
me that, in spite of our friendly attitude to them, the Chinese Government
should have paid us back aggression and calumny. The Chinese newspapers are
full of the utmost vituperation against India and the Government of India.29
Chinese invasion started on October 20, 1962 simultaneously in the Eastern and the Western
sector in the region Aksai Chin. Within only a few weeks China occupied the territory that it
claimed in the Ladakh and NEFA area. Consequently, after an overwhelming success, China
declared a unilateral ceasefire on November 21, 1962. After the announcement of the
ceasefire, Beijing did retreat its troops towards 20km from the effective control line between
China and India. The reasoning why China ended the conflict as surprisingly as it began can
only be guessed about: Was the date of the conflict chosen to get the Soviet support for the
military action as it took place in the week of the hottest phase of the Cold War, when the
missile crisis in Cuba was on the brink of an atomic war? Or was the conflict deliberately
chosen to distract from internal problem the Mao-regime faced in the beginning of the year
1962? The policy of the Great leap was a failure and it seemed to be necessary for the regime
to restore an internal legitimization by a quick military success.30 With regard to the
relationship with India, the main question we have to ask concerns the essence of the border
conflict: Was it only a demonstration of power or was it a concrete Chinese attempt to
diminish Indias prestige and its influence not only in the region but also among the non-
aligned countries?31
The Nehru government was persuaded and there seems to be a wide consensus that China
aimed to launch an attack on non-alignment itself.32 Moreover, even on the regional level it
28 PRINGSHEIM, op.cit.: p.47629
Letter of the 21. October, in Jawaharlal Nehru. Letters to Chief Ministers 1947-1964.Oxford University Press.
London/Delhi, 1989,Vol.5: p.538
30 PRINGSHEIM, Klaus H., China, India, and their Himalayan Border (1961-1963)Asian Survey, Vol. 3, No. 10. (Oct., 1963): p.477
31DOMENACH, J.-L., RICHERPhillippe.La Chine. Tome 1 1949-1971. Paris: Imprimerie Nationale. 1987: p. 21732
Vice-President of India, Dr. Z. Hussain, in Times of India, March 9, 1963 cited in CRABB Cecil V.
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is very interesting to stress the assumption that Chinas lesson mainly targeted Indias
influence among the non-aligned Afro-Asian Countries and its neighbours. The border
arrangements China concluded between 1960 and 1963 with its neighbouring countries except
with India support such an argumentation.33Considering that the Chinese drive was mainly
directed against Indias non-alignment and to openly challenge Indias legitimacy for
leadership of the Afro-Asian, the reaction of the non-aligned countries as well as the Cold
War protagonists will be analysed in the following.
Brechers analysis regarding the unilateral ceasefire on 21st November reflects how much
Indias non-alignment policy depended on Chinas behaviour. According to him, one day
before the Chinese declared their ceasefire; Nehru made a special and personal request to the
Western world for massive air defence. The nature of the secret note to the President of the
United States indicates that Nehru was aware that such a demand could be interpreted as a
breach of the principle of non-alignment.34 Although the term military alliance was not stated,
it could be understood that Nehru was giving up non-alignment due to the intense security
dilemma caused by the Chinese attacks. Was Nehru willing to renounce to certain principles
of non-alignment in order to resist the Chinese attack and prevent a disastrous defeat? Would
China have risked the Indias moving away from non-alignment?
Through this lens, the unilateral ceasefire seemed to be the natural solution for China, since
the Soviet Union was moving away from neutrality and the United States were ready to fully
support India. It seems a logical move given that it was not in Chinas interest to see India
completely dependent on the West. Such a situation would have been especially after the
Sino-Soviet rift - contributing to an uneasy situation of encirclement for the Peoples
Republic of China. As controversial as it may sound, it is in this period of two days that, due
to Chinas action, India nearly completely sacrificed its basic principle of non-alignment, and
thanks to the unilateral ceasefire it was possible for India to ensure its continued legitimacy 35
of non-alignment, although in a redefined version which will further be developed.
In the following I will try to emphasize, guided by the above cited assumptions, that the
border war of 1962 was not only the final blow to the peaceful coexistence between India and
China, but also to Indias strict non-alignment. Chinas aim to break Indias status as the
Testing of Non-Alignment, the Western Political Quarterly, Vol.17, No.3 (Sep.1964): p.52333 DOMENACH, op.cit:p.21734 BRECHER, Michael.Non-alignment under Stress: The West and the India-China Border War,
Pacific Affairs,Vol.52, No. 4 (Winter 1979/80): p.61835 BRECHER, Michael, op.cit: p.619
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Leader of the Belgrade non-alignment movement probably was its biggest success. The
reaction of the non-aligned countries reflected the important loss of Indias prestige and the
loss of credibility of its non-alignment policy.
Reaction of the non-aligned countries
As India came out of the war completely humiliated and shocked, it was the most turning
points in its relationship with its non-aligned friends as it felt betrayed by them because they
took a neutral position towards the two parties of the conflict. In the article of 29th October
1962 in the New York Times, A.M. Rosenthal writes about the Indian disillusionment of the
non-alignment policy:
Still another well of disillusionment for the Indians these last few days has
been the silence of her non-aligned friends. Last year in Belgrades conclave of
non-aligned powers Mr. Nehru sat honoured and admired among men who had
followed the path of non-alignment that he had given the prestige. They insisted
that they were not neutral against the evil, but simply not members of Western
or Eastern power blocs. Now Indian politicians privately ask each other and
ask visitors: where are our friends, where is Egypt and Indonesia, Ghana and
Yugoslavia? Mr. Nehru is not expected to drop non-alignment, but his followers
do not expect him ever again to persuade his people to have faith in the word of
the Communist power.36
Nevertheless, Nehru, completely disappointed regarding this reaction, still stuck to the policy
he created by stating that China had to be seen as an exception. In the Hindustan Times of the
6th December of 1962, Nehru claimed that there [were] no non-alignment vis--vis China37
which illustrates that he was not willing to see it as problem of being aligned or non-aligned,
but rather as a simple violation by Beijing of the bilateral agreements of their coexistence
including the Panch Shila principles. The failure of the Colombo Conference will serve as
another evidence for the fact that there was not much left of Indias strict interpretation of
non-alignment, which explains also the internal and external voices calling for abandonment
of the strategy of non-alignment.
Failure of the Colombo conference
36 New York Times, 29. Oct.196237
cited in CRABB, Cecil V. Testing of Non-Alignment. The Western Political Quarterly, Vol.17, No.3
(Sept.1964): p.539
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The Colombo conference from the 9th to the 12th of December 1962 pointed out the initiative
to offer mediation to the two belligerents by the six so-called unaligned powers.38
Nevertheless the initiative lacked of real engagement and the split-up between the non-aligned
countries themselves was thefirst sign of the new confrontation of the concepts of Afro-Asia
and of non-alignment, of Bandung versus Belgrade.39 In Colombo, it seemed that Bandung
had won. Even though only six Afro-Asian non-aligned countries were present at the
conference they behaved much more Afro-Asian than non-aligned, due to the fact that one of
the two belligerents was clearly not non-aligned. The conference often described as non-
aligned saw itself far more as a successor of the Afro-Asian meeting than of Belgrade40,
especially because the participating countries were rather tending to a Chinese leadership than
an Indian hegemony in Afro-Asia. The Economist on December 22, 1962 described the
situation as followed:
For the neutralist mind, however genuinely distressed by the present threat to
fraternal solidarity and to non-alignment policy, has an almost pathological
aversion of being bossed.41
The most radical among them did not even make a distinction between aggressor and victim,
as they were too afraid of the reaction of the belligerents. 42 Once more, it illustrates that Nehru
was deeply disappointed and that he felt China only wanted to dominate the Third world:
China has been very careful to maintain a fiction of reasonableness, of
willingness to negotiate and even of being the victim of aggression. They
continue repeating Panchsheel or the five principles of peaceful co-existence,
even though they have broken them in every way. This however, indicates that
they attach value to the effect they produce on other Asian and African
countries.43
When in February 1963 China showed no intention to accept the proposals, the neutral six
began to close their ranks. The Sino-Indian crisis had, therefore, the additional effect as it
served to harden the lines of division which were already underlying in the Afro-Asian world.
While India felt betrayed by her own camp, the reaction from the superpowers was more in
her favour, at that moment.
38 The six nations present in Colombo: Egypt, Burma, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Ghana and Indonesia39
JANSEN, G.H.,Non-alignment and the Afro-Asian States. New York, Frederick A. Praeger, Inc. Publisher, 1966: p.336
40ibid, p.33841 The Economist The Colombo Line, December 22, 1962: p.121042 STEBBINS, Richard P. United States in World Affairs -1962. Harper and Row, New York 1963: p.18843
Jawaharlal, Nehru. Letters to Chief Ministers 1947-1964. Oxford University Press. London/Delhi Vol.5: p.556
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2.2 Aid from the Cold War Blocs
The reaction of the Superpowers towards India, when the principle of non-alignment stood at
the brink of collapse,44 corresponded to the climate of dtente after the hottest phase of the
Cold War, the Cuban missile crisis. The United States, as well as the Soviet Union, supported
India with military equipment and other needs. According to Edwardes, India was dependent
on the U.S. for a defence against the Chinese attack but as there was no formal obligation for
this temporary alignment it always left a door open for the Soviet Union. He describes
Indias opportunistic attitude as an attitude of alignment towards the one who is the first to
help accompanied with the satisfaction to get everything while they did not have to give up
anything.45 Why were the two blocs suddenly sympathetic to Indias non-alignment? What
influence had the Sino-Indian conflict on the American and Soviet perception of Indias non-
alignment?
Despite the de facto alignment to the West, Nehru was eager to defend his non-alignment
policy by creating a new dimension to it. What he got was military reliance without military
alliance.46 According to Sandhu, New Delhi, having based non-alignment on moral and ideal
principles after the war with China, began using the policy as an expression of national
interest and as a reliable device to secure maximum military aid, in terms of material and
economic support, from both the West and the Soviet Bloc.47 As it will be analyzed below, it
was not only due to arms supply, but also economic assistance which India needed and
enjoyed.48 Steeles argument sums up the opinion of many authors, that Indias non-alignment
was the justification of its right to buy arms from both blocs, a strategy which also allowed
maintaining non-alignment.49 It seems that with their behaviour of continued support, both
blocs showed clear incentives to support Indias non-alignment, as they came to realize that
the Chinese factor was a threat to Indias non-alignment in the first place.
At the beginning of the border conflict, the missile crisis was the major concern of the two
Superpowers, which hinders them to take a firm stand to one of the belligerent. Neither side
was willing to include India in their hemisphere at this particular moment, which meant that,
44 BRECHER, Michael.Non-alignment under Stress: The West and the India-China Border War,
Pacific Affairs, Vol.52, No. 4 (Winter 1979/80): p.61345 EDWARDES, Michael, Illusion and Reality in Indias foreign Policy, International Affairs, Vol.41,No.1 (Jan 1965): p.5546 C.C. OBrien, Non-Alignment, New Statesman, 8. April 1966 cited in S ANDHU Bim,
Unresolved Conflict: China and India. New Delhi. Radiant Publishers: p.12947 SANDHU, Bim. op.cit.: p.158
48 AMIT, Das Gupta, South Asia and Superpower Competition (1954-1972), Asian Affairs, Vol.26. No.4
(Oct.-Dec. 2004): p.22 (www.cdrb.org/journal/current/amit.pdf)49 STEELE, Tracy Lee. ThePolitics of Anglo-American Aid to Nonaligned India, 1962,
Electronic Journal of International History: p.8
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for the first time, both sides saw the advantages of Indias foreign policy. Consequently non-
alignment got exploited by the Cold War protagonists, while India saw itself, for the first
time, forced to sacrifice the principles of non-alignment, or at least parts of it. According to
this argument it is the China factor even on Cold War level that made India consider to
abandon its non-alignment. Is such a step also in the interest of the cold war blocs?
Ties with the East
The mutual sympathy between India and the Soviet Union was widely known and is most
perceptible when looking at Indias economic socialism. Nehrus industrial ambitions were
aimed to be realized by five-year plans, according to the soviet model.
As relations between Moscow and Beijing deteriorated throughout the 1950s, ties between
India and the Soviet Union became closer and more cordiale.50 On October 25, 1962, when
the Pravda announced the Russian attitude regarding the border conflict, it marked a change in
the previous Soviet position of neutrality and brought disillusionment to Indians. The
Hindustan Times declared that Russia had at last made it plain that if it had to choose between
brotherly China and friendly India, the choice would always go in favour of the brother,
whether the brother being right or wrong.51 Despite the obvious tensions within the Sino-
Soviet alliance, Moscow supported Pekings efforts for the opening of peaceful negotiations
on the border dispute with India. The Soviet support was guided to ensure a minimum of
communist bloc solidarity when the Cuba crisis was in its most dangerous stage. After the
Cuba crisis, the Soviet Union no longer needed Chinese support for a possible confrontation
with the United States. Moscow turned towards India and against their common hostile
neighbour. Such an interpretation explains to a certain degree the increasing support of the
Soviet Union towards India with the intensification of the Sino-Indian border conflict. The rift
between the Soviet Union and China was another factor why Nehru had no doubt about
keeping non-alignment as a strategy. Consequently, the opportunism of non-alignment
became more important than the dogma itself : ctait la conviction que le divorce entre
Pkin et Moscou tait devenu irrversible qui devait amener Nehru dfendre le non-
alignement contre vents et mares en dpit de la dpendance du pays envers laide militaire
des Etats-Unis.52
50HEMEN, Ray. The Policy of Russia towards the Sino-Indian Conflict. The Political Quarterly, Vol.36,
No. 1, Jan 1965: p.9451
(Text of Pravda statement of Oct.25, 1962 in Current Digest of Soviet Press, Vol. XIV, No.43 (Nov.21, 1962): pp.18-19/
The Hindustan Times, Oct. 27, 1962 p.9) cited in Sandhu, Bim. Unresolved Conflict: China and India.New Delhi,Radiant Publishers, 1988: p.176
52BOQUERAT, Gilles.Les Avatars du Non-alignement: Linde et les politiques daide amricaine et sovitique
de lindpendance la Confrence de Tachkent (1947-1966) Paris, Publications de la Sorbonne, 1997: p.229
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The policy of support of the Soviet Union was to prevent India from leaning on the West, as
they feared that due to internal pressure the Indian government would modify its policy of
non-alignment, whose maintenance had become the major preoccupation of the Soviet
policy.53 According to Hemen, Moscow saw in its support to New Delhi, after having lost
China, the possibility to spread its influence in Asia and Africa by intense relations to the non-
aligned country. Therefore, the importance of Indias non-alignment needed to be maintained;
as such a plan would fail if India became too aligned. Similar considerations seemed to be
made by the United States, when they assured India of support to face the Chinese aggression.
Ally in the West?
It seems that while in Pakistan, the United States had found one of its most-allied allies in
Asia, the relations with India remained less sincere. According to Ali, the United States,
northwithstanding, wished India to become an ally with the aim to build a regional security
bloc in South Asia to contain the spread of Communism.54 Thus the American government
regarded with certain scepticism Indias non-alignment, but was still eager to keep connected
to the South Asian giant democracy based on long-term considerations. The growing Indo-
American friendship and cooperation in the late 1950s is an essential factor why China felt
more and more encircled and denounced India as a Trojan horse inside the Africa-Asian
movement. The period prior to the border crisis, Beijing had carried on an intense propaganda
campaign against Nehrus government and Indias non-alignment as posed to disguise
growing ties and dependence upon western imperialists.55 The arrival of Kennedy in 1961
intensified the more Indian friendly policy, but this attitude did not change the original
American scepticism towards Indias non-alignment. The border conflict can therefore be
seen as an opportunity to enlarge the U.S.s interest in South Asia and to shift closer to India;
while the intention was to keep Pakistan as the major ally for American interest in the Middle
East.56 The U.S. policy, despite the above mentioned scepticism with regard to non-alignment,
was not to discriminate between India and Pakistan, which would not be possible in the long
run as we will see in the wars to come between the two neighbours.
In the heights of the Sino-Indian border war, a renewal of the 1958 Military Assistance
Agreement between Washington and New Delhi, as a basis for a strategic alliance, would
imply to abandon the non-alignment policy, which would consequently change the Cold War
53 HEMEN, Ray, op cit: p.103/10454 ALI, Mahmud S., Cold War in the Himalayas, Curzon, Richemond 1999
55 CRABB, Cecil V. Testing of Non-Alignment. The Western Political Quarterly, Vol.17, No.3
(Sept.1964): p.52456Statement by the President of the United States on November 20, 1962 ,
Documents on American Foreign Relations, Harper & Row, New York, 1963: p.271/272
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picture considered to be at its most relaxing point at that moment. Such a scenario was also
feared by the United States, as the American ambassador in India, John Galbraith, wrote to
Kennedy:
If the Chinese should really come down the mountain in force, there will be
more political changes here. Much so-called non-alignment went out the
window with Menon. In his pro-Soviet manoeuvres and his articulate anti-
Americanism he was the counterbalance for five ordinary pro-Western
ministers. Popular opinion and our military assistance have worked further
[]. The problem in face of a really serious attack would be how we react to
the prospect of a new, large and extremely expensive ally. I personally hope
that the Chinese do not force this choice. The Indians are busy worrying about
the end of nonalignment. It is we that should be doing the worrying on this.57
The Kennedy administration seemed to realize that there could be a chance to gain influence
among non-aligned countries by cultivating a tolerant attitude and support towards
neutralism58. India offered a good opportunity but only as long as the Nehru administration
was able to maintain his non-alignment. The Kennedy administration was nevertheless seen to
be given a unique chance in the Sino-Indian border conflict and especially to take advantage
of a situation in which India seemed to realize that China was the greater threat to its security
than Pakistan.59 American officials believed that Nehru was disillusioned with his policy of
non-alignment, now that the Chinese destroyed the illusion of the Hindi-Chini-bhai-
bhaism60.
The ultimate goal for the Americans was not necessarily to break down Indias non-
alignment, but to change it. Nehru himself also realized that to receive military assistance
from the United States introduced an element of confusion into Indias policy of non-
alignment and, consequently, that it would require a fresh definition.61 According to Crabb it
was the decision of the United States to no longer differentiate between aligned or non-
aligned in South Asias defence. The Kennedy administration, consciously or unconsciously,
contributed to avoid a complete sacrifice of Indias non-alignment.62 The conclusion Crabb
57 Letter from the Ambassador to India to President Kennedy, New Delhi, 13 November 1962, in Ali, Mahmud,
Cold War in the Himalayas, Curzon, 1999: p.148/14958 McMAHON, Robert. The Cold War on the Periphery: The United States, India and Pakistan,
Columbia University Press, New York, 1997: p.27359 STEELE, Tracy Lee. The Politics of Anglo-American Aid to Nonaligned India, 1962,
Electronic Journal of International History: p.460 ibid:p.561 GOPAL, Sarvepalli,Jawaharlal Nehru a Biography, Volume Three 1956-1964, The Trinity Press, London 1984: p.22962
CRABB, Cecil V., Testing of Non-Alignment, The Western Political Quarterly, Vol.17, No.3 (Sept. 1964): p.541
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makes does support the argument that India could enjoy intensified American support without
abandoning non-alignment.
Nevertheless, to both superpowers the criteria for arms transfer was still rather political than
economic, but as explained above, it was not primarily Indias alignment which was their
ultimate aim in 1962. It was therefore very likely that India was, at this moment of the Cold
War, not only too big in terms of rearmament and economic aid to digest, but also a major
threat to actual Cold War relaxations. The hostility between India and China had the potential
to turn into a Cold War issue in the case where either bloc would support one of the
belligerents. Thus, based on the choice not to intervene; there was a continued military and
economic support from both Cold War blocs, as the New York Times reported in August
1963.63 According to Amit Das Gupta, the United States and the Soviet Union at that stage
aimed to contain the Peoples Republic of China with a closed South Asian Front. This was the
most important aspect for non-escalation of the border conflict. There seemed to be an
agreement for no further direct intervention in the subcontinent. Such reasoning reflects the
complex combination of circumstances which allowed India to keep its non-alignment. Also,
because the two blocs realized the disadvantages and implications if India gave up its policy
it has to be stressed that this is one of the rare occasions when the two Superpowers wanted
India to keep its non-alignment. From New Delhis point of view, throughout this whole
period of the cold war, New Delhi was eager to defend actively its nation-building
achievements by its non-alignment policy which was undermined by the hostility of
neighbour states acting alone or together with China.
Non-alignment as an overarching principle in the global context became secondary, but was
used in a national interest in a situation of a threat to the life of the nation. Due to the Chinese
factor, the Indians learned painfully that non-alignment did not require military impotence:
to imagine that it did-or to depend upon slogans like the spirit of Bandung to preserve
territorial integrity - risked nothing less than national suicide.64
In order to preserve territorial integrity, India eventually renounced to certain principles which
implied a considerable shift in its conception of non-alignment after the Sino-Indian war. The
question whether India still adhered to non-alignment during this time is affirmatively
answered by Norman D. Palmer65, but one has to nuance this answer: India, despite the
63New York Times, August 3, 1963- Soviet missiles offered to India64
ibid: p.53965
PALMER, Norman D, Indias Foreign Policy, The Political Quarterly, Vol. 33, No. 4 (Oct/Dec 1962): p.401
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external and especially internal pressure to abandon from its foreign policy principle, was still
committed to a policy of non-alignment66, but it was a policy of a clearly different kind.
In 1963, India under Nehru behaved less as a spokesman of non-aligned Afro-Asia, which
could be seen as the ultimate goal of the Chinese aggression. The isolation of India from what
had become the Third World was already visible in the years after Bandung, but with the
Indo-Chinese border conflict and the resulting support of the two superpowers for non-
alignment, it became irreversible. Despite the argument that India maintained its non-
alignment, according to Edwards analysis, among the Afro-Asians even though their
solidarity still had a propaganda value was no longer of any appeal and had to give way to
self-centred nationalisms.67
Hence the focus of Indias policy shifted away from the aim to promote and represent
peaceful international relations. It turned to a policy of a humiliated major power concerned
with the promotion of its own national interests by means sponsored by the two sides of the
Cold War.
66 CRABB, Cecil V. Testing of Non-Alignment, The Western Political Quarterly, Vol.17, No.3 (Sept. 1964): p.56367EDWARDES, Michael, Illusion and Reality in Indias foreign Policy, International Affairs, Vol.41. No.1 (Jan 1965): p.54
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Conclusion
At the end of the year 1962, the universalism of the Panch Shila principles, which in Bandung
were praised to be the basis for peace among nations, were destroyed by national interests and
territorial ambitions. The forerunners of those principles, India and China brought to an end
the era of peaceful coexistence by non respect for each others territorial integrity and their
failure to establish durable peaceful coexistence by a settlement of the border question.
As a consequence not only their bilateral relations, but also the Afro-Asian community was
shattered. The failure of the Colombo conference of the non-aligned powers to mediate
between the two belligerents was thus the final blow to the solidarity among Afro-Asian
countries. The situation had radically changed since Bandung: For countries such as India, it
was no longer the two blocs, but China which was seen as a threat to its national
independence and territorial integrity.68
According to Brown, one of Nehrus greatest misjudgements was his failure to perceive that
China, the Asian brother, could use its nationalism to destabilize and attack peaceful
relations.69 Consequently, non-alignment and the intense promotion of peace under Nehru had
not protected India. This could explain the slow but steady erosion of the Nehruvian
framework of non-alignment. The international role of India was replaced by a smaller one,
linked to national and regional interests along with continued dependence on the two
superpowers. The Indian case was no exception because in the late 1960, most of the Asian
and African countries, on the one hand, sought to strengthen their links with the great powers
and, on the other hand, placed renewed emphasis on regional cooperation: Thus in place of
the old Afro-Asian brotherhood there has been increasing emphasis on bilateral and regional
association, based on practical national interest.70 In this sense, Indias change in
perspective of its non-alignment and foreign policy in general was not an exceptional case but
indicated as well the waning interest in international Afro-Asian solidarity, which only China
was interested to keep alive, now that it could claim to be its only leader.71 Nevertheless,
Chinas efforts to outmanoeuvre the non-aligned and to cement its leadership by a second
Afro-Asian conference in Algeria did not meet wide approval.72 The absence of any
enthusiasm for a second Bandung reflected the failure of the Afro-Asian solidarity and the
belief in its principles.
68 PAUKER, op.cit.: p.42769 BROWN, Judith M.,Nehru, Longman, London and New York, 1999: p.184
70 KIMCHE, David, The Afro-Asian Movement Ideology and Foreign policy of the Third World, Jerusalem,Universities Press, 1973: p.267/268
71PAUKER, Guy J., The Rise and Fall of Afro-Asian solidarity, Asian Survey, Vol.5, No.9 (Sept. 1965): p.427
72 MATES, Leo,Non-alignment and the Great Powers. 48 Foreign Affairs (1969-1970): p.530
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Indias non-alignment passed the most difficult test in the end of 1962, when Nehrus
definition and its orientation towards cooperation with China definitely proved to be an
illusion. Obviously the honeymoon period of Panch Shila73 was over and the idea of Afro-
Asian solidarity was finally buried by an Asian-Asian concurrence over leadership and two
diverging interpretations of national strategy regarding each other.
We can therefore conclude that the China factor was for Indias non-alignment very decisive,
mainly in regard of two major issues related to the Cold War situation. Firstly, it led to an
open rift between the Afro-Asian nations and, secondly, the China factor was the element due
to which India nearly lost - and at the same time - could maintain its non-alignment.
Concerning the tensions within the Afro-Asian movement, the Sino-Indian border war was
foremost the source of division with its disastrous effects on the Third World solidarity. The
perception of Chinas foreign policy had surely the most striking impact on India but also on
the smaller states of Asia. The initial fear of an Indian hegemony was now replaced by the
fear of a Chinese domination. The resulting effect in the Third World was an open
manifestation of a split of the Afro-Asian nations between a pro-Chinese and a pro-Indian
fraction74. According to my argumentation, this rift strengthened the ongoing
rapprochement of India to non-alignment and eventually made India completely turn to
non-alignment, supported in its choice by the two blocs, as for them Indias non-aligned
position was seen as a strategic advantage.
With regard to the solidarity the Cold War blocs expressed towards Indias non-alignment,
China was cornered in isolation. Nevertheless, China had succeeded by deeply humiliating its
neighbour and direct rival regarding the leadership of the Third World. In this sense, the
China factor contributes as much to destroy as to keep the major principles of Indias foreign
policy. One can say that China had much influence on Indias non-alignment policy. In a
direct way by ignoring the commitments made to India regarding frontiers and in an indirect
way by pushing a non-aligned nation in the arms of the two superpowers in order to get the
protection needed against China.
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