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‘Panditji Knows Best’: Bureaucratic Culture and the Making of the Ministry of External Affairs

Vineet Thakur

in Postscripts on Independence: Foreign Policy Ideas, Identity, and Institutions in India and South Africa

Unlike most other departments that made the transition from the colonial to the postcolonial regime, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) underwent a fundamental transition of both personnel and ... More

Unlike most other departments that made the transition from the colonial to the postcolonial regime, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) underwent a fundamental transition of both personnel and ideas. Although there existed three different Departments—the Commonwealth Relations Department and the External Affairs Department and the Commerce Department—which handled different aspects of foreign affairs, there were only four Indians who had served as diplomats abroad. Hence, it was not only the question of recruiting new staff, but also training them in a new skill, diplomacy. The chapter argues that there were five main reasons for the ideational weakness of the MEA in the first decade of Indian independence: the tendency towards greater bureaucratization, the lack of communication, the neglect of thinking on economic issues, the blind imitation of British protocols and policy traditions, and the lack of organizational unity. These factors contributed towards the weak foundations of the MEA.Less

India-China War, 1962

Francine R. Frankel

in When Nehru Looked East: Origins of India-US Suspicion and India-China Rivalry

Opposing perspectives among key policymakers account for India’s failure to prepare for the possibility of an attack by China to enforce its claim lines on the northern border. Prime Minister Nehru, ... More

Opposing perspectives among key policymakers account for India’s failure to prepare for the possibility of an attack by China to enforce its claim lines on the northern border. Prime Minister Nehru, influenced by Zhou Enlai’s assurances that China would never cross the McMahon Line, was reinforced by Defense Minister Krishna Menon’s belief that China, as a communist state, would never invade. They turned aside recommendations from the COAS, K. S. Thimayya, that India had to build up its forces to meet a potential Chinese attack. The war exposed Asianism as an illusion and nonalignment as unrealistic for a weak military power.Less

Convenient Narratives: Historical Evolution of Civil–Military Relations

Anit Mukherjee

in The Absent Dialogue: Politicians, Bureaucrats, and the Military in India

This chapter explains the historical evolution of civil–military relations in India. While doing so, it focuses on leadership style and civil–military relations under five wartime prime ... More

This chapter explains the historical evolution of civil–military relations in India. While doing so, it focuses on leadership style and civil–military relations under five wartime prime ministers—Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, and Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Together, they were at the helm of affairs for almost five decades after independence and significantly influenced the narrative on civil–military relations. Relying on archival sources, it sheds new light especially on events preceding the 1962 border war with China. It highlights variance in the pattern of civil–military relations under these leaders that, in turn, shaped military effectiveness. Next, the chapter focuses on an essential element shaping civil–military relations—the interaction between civilian bureaucrats and military officers.Less

Krishna Menon Memorial Meeting

L.M. Singhvi

Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Lokendra Malik (eds)

in India's Vibgyor Man: Selected Writings and Speeches of L.M. Singhvi

In Chapter 25, we have presented Dr Singhvi’s tribute to Shri Krishna Menon. In his tribute Dr Singhvi admired Krishna Menon’s contribution for the country in different capacities including the ... More

In Chapter 25, we have presented Dr Singhvi’s tribute to Shri Krishna Menon. In his tribute Dr Singhvi admired Krishna Menon’s contribution for the country in different capacities including the defence minister. He states that Shri Menon was a great patriot and a freedom fighter to the core.Less

Nehru and Non-Alignment

B. R. Nanda

in Jawaharlal Nehru: Rebel and Statesman

India’s foreign policy could have taken a different course if someone other than Jawaharlal Nehru was at the helm in the early years of Indian independence. In his first broadcast on the All India ... More

India’s foreign policy could have taken a different course if someone other than Jawaharlal Nehru was at the helm in the early years of Indian independence. In his first broadcast on the All India Radio on 7 September 1946, Nehru revealed his approach to foreign affairs, saying he would like to establish ties with Britain, China, the United States, and the Soviet Union. While seeking cooperation with the Great Powers, however, India clarified that it would not be involved in ‘power polities’. Nehru’s involvement in international relations was inspired by his idealism. Nehru admitted that India’s proclaimed neutrality had earned the ire of the protagonists in the Cold War. His policy of non-alignment was severely tested for the first time with the outbreak of the Korean war in June 1950. The appointment of Krishna Menon to represent India at the United Nations compounded the occasional misunderstandings and tensions between India and the Western bloc.Less