Q.India's foreign policy was built around the principles of peace and cooperation. But India fought three wars in a space of ten years between 1962 and 1971. Would you say that this was a failure of the foreign policy? Or would you say that this was a result of international situation? Give reasons to support your answer.
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Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →India’s three wars between 1962 and 1971 do not prove its foreign policy of peace and cooperation failed; rather, they show how aggressive neighbours and a tense Cold War world forced India to defend itself while still holding to its core principles.
To judge whether India’s foreign policy failed, you first need to understand what that policy was trying to do. From independence, Jawaharlal Nehru and the early leaders built foreign policy around Panchsheel — five principles of peaceful coexistence — and non-alignment. The goal was to stay out of the Cold War blocs, reduce global tensions, and build friendly relations with all countries, especially neighbours. This was not a naive dream; it was a practical strategy for a newly independent, poor nation that needed peace to develop.
Now look at the three wars. The 1962 war with China was a shock. India had signed the Panchsheel agreement with China in 1954 and believed in friendly ties. But China’s border claims and its decision to attack were not caused by India’s foreign policy — they came from China’s own strategic ambitions and its perception of India as a rival. India’s policy of peace did not provoke the war; it was China that chose aggression. The failure here was not of the principle of peace, but of intelligence and military preparedness — a different matter.
The 1965 war with Pakistan was a direct result of Pakistan’s decision to infiltrate Kashmir and launch Operation Gibraltar. India responded in self-defence. Again, India did not start the war. Its foreign policy had consistently sought dialogue with Pakistan, but Pakistan’s military rulers preferred force. The international situation also played a role: the United States and the United Kingdom were arming Pakistan as part of Cold War alliances (SEATO and CENTO), which emboldened Pakistan. India’s non-alignment could not stop others from supplying weapons to its neighbour.
The 1971 war was the most complex. India’s policy of peace and cooperation was tested by a humanitarian catastrophe in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). Millions of refugees poured into India, destabilising the region. India tried diplomacy and appealed to the world, but the major powers — the US, China, and the Soviet Union — were locked in Cold War rivalries. The US tilted towards Pakistan, China supported Pakistan, and the Soviet Union backed India. India’s non-alignment here was not abandoned; it was adapted. India signed a treaty of peace and friendship with the USSR in 1971 to counterbalance the US-China-Pakistan axis. That was a pragmatic move, not a betrayal of principle. The war itself was forced on India by Pakistan’s refusal to allow a political solution in East Bengal and by the refugee crisis.
A key point: India did not declare war first in any of these three conflicts. In 1962, China attacked. In 1965, Pakistan attacked. In 1971, Pakistan attacked India’s air bases on December 3, and only then did India formally enter the war. This shows India’s policy remained defensive. …
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