Nehru 's Indian Diplomacy

In the postwar diplomatic history, India under Nehru was an eye-catching nation in the United Nations, which is the most important multilateral arena of diplomacy. Despite its lack of economic and military strength, India conducted UN diplomacy and acquired influence much larger what in could have by virtue of its economic and military strength in United Nations and international community, initiating the golden age of India’s United Nations diplomacy.Generally speaking, the influence of a nation depends on its economic and military strength, which is especially true in the cold war era when military strength was highlighted. As an economically, militarily weak nation, how could Nehru’s India obtain "disproportionate" influence by UN diplomacy? To explain this puzzle, this dissertation explores specifically Indian diplomacy in the United Nations during the Nehru’era from the perspective of national influence.This dissertation analyses the sources of national influence, and argues that the influence of a nation rests primarily on two aspects:one is the tangible resources (geography, population, economic and military strength) and intangible resources (culture and international institutions) that it possesses; the other is the skill or efficiency with which it uses its resources, namely, the quality of diplomacy which is embodied in its foreign policies. The influence of a nation depends on not only its resources but also its quality of diplomacy. If an economically and militarily weak nation can pursue foreign policies that not only are seen as legitimacy and moral authority, but based on combining its national interest with international interest and many other national interests, then the policies will attract most nations and influence their behaviors. Thus, this nation can use diplomatic means to make up for deficiencies of economic and military strength, obtaining the disproportionate influence. The kind of diplomacy is considered as "influence diplomacy"As the most representative and authoritative international organization in the world, the United Nations is the most important multilateral institution whereby member states can acquire influence. On the one hand, being the centre of global diplomacy and the rendezvous of world media, the United Nation is an important stage through which member states implement their foreign policies and build their good national images. On the other hand, the United Nations has the political function of" collective legitimization" and serves as a significant instrument for member states to obtain international legitimacy of their policies and actions.The study concludes that it was because India had conducted non-alignment diplomacy, anti-colonialism diplomacy, mediation diplomacy and bloc diplomacy in the United Nations that it acquired the disproportionate influence.Within these four sources, the non-alignment and anti-colonialism diplomacy are the most important sources. The reason for important influence of non-alignment policy lies in not just that it were seen as legitimate and having moral authority, which helped partly to alleviate intense international situation and maintain world peace, but that it was compatible with the interests of the Soviet Union, China and especially most newly independent nations, expressing the aspiration of these nations for peace, security and development. Non-alignment policy appealed to them and was followed by, and developed into a kind of "pattern of diplomacy " with international influence.Anti-colonialism policy which followed the development trend of the early postwar period, expressed the aspiration of broad masses in colonies for freedom and independence, and was consistent with the purpose of the charter of the United Nations ("respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples"). India championed the anti-colonialism policy in the United Nations, and acted as the main speaker for Asian-African countries. Therefore, India built up a just image and enhanced its influence in the United Nations and Asian-African world.The success of Indian diplomacy in the United Nation during the Nehru’s period is to have utilized United Nations as the most important multilateral platform and championed the policies, which were seen as legitimacy and moral authority and based on combining its national interest with international interest and many other national interests. India’s United Nations diplomacy in the Nehru’s period was a successful case of influence diplomacy.