India's Foreign Policy
(Longman Pearson)
Review Exercise
I. Fill in the blanks.
1. India's foreign policy does not support colonialism, racism and imperialism.
2. SAARC was set up on the lines of the European Union (EU).
3. Ziya-ur-Rehman in the late 1970s made a detailed proposal concerning the idea of SAARC.
4. The policy of non-alignment was a brainchild of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.
5. The Bandung Conference was held in 1955.
6. The governing body of the South Asian Sports Council (SASC) was formed in 1983.
7. Jawaharlal Nehru declared the five principles of peace, which is popularly known as the Panchsheel.
8. The Cold War came to an end in 1991.
9. The first meeting of the SAARC took place in December 1985 in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh.
10. The Association of the South-east Asian Nations was established in Bangkok, Thailand.
II. Answer these questions.
1. What is meant by foreign policy?
= The foreign policy of a nation pertains to the diplomatic relations the country maintains with the other nations of the world.
2. What factors influence India's foreign policy?
= Several factors have influenced India's foreign policy.
❐ Our culture teaches us ahimsa (non-violence) and peaceful coexistence.
❐ The economic condition of our country compels us to maintain friendly relations with other countries.
❐ Our geographical position is responsible for the maintenance of good relations with the bordering countries.
3. Mention the basic principles of India's foreign policy.
= India's foreign policy is primarily based on the following principles.
❐ Principle of peaceful coexistence.
❐ Abolition of colonialism, racism and imperialism.
❐ Promotion of world peace.
4. Name the 'architect' of India's foreign policy. Why is he called so?
= The 'architect' of India's foreign policy is Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.
He is called so because he declared the five principle of peace, which is popularly known as the Panchsheel, to ensure world peace.
5. What are the principles of the Panchsheel?
= The principles of the Panchsheel are :
❐ mutual respect for each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty;
❐ non-aggression against anyone;
❐ non-interference in each other's internal affairs;
❐ equality and mutual benefit;
❐ peaceful coexistence.
6. Which two power-blocks rose to prominence after the Second World War?
= After the Second World War, US and Soviet Russia rose to prominence as the two power blocks.
7. Name the member countries of ASEAN.
= The founding fathers of ASEAN were Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Some of its present members, besides the founding nations, include Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Mayanmar and Vietnam.
8. When and where was the first South Asian Games held?
= The first South Asian Games was held in Kathmandu in 1984.
9. What is ASEAN?
= ASEAN was established on 8 August 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand, with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok Declaration).
10. What are the main aims and objectives of SAARC? Name the members of SAARC.
= ❐ Main principles and objectives :
The SAARC has certain guiding principles enshrined in its constitution.
i) Respect territorial integrity, cultural cooperation, sovereignty and the right to be independent of all the member states.
ii) Promote socio-economic and cultural cooperation among each other.
iii) Maintain a policy of non-interference in each other's internal affairs.
iv) Keep all the bilateral issues out of the SAARC. Only the issues concerning at least three countries can be discussed on the forum.
v) For any resolution to be passed at the SAARC, the unanimity of all the members is needed.
11. Write a short note on the two wings of SAARC.
= The success of the SAARC lies in the fields of culture and sports.
❐ The Save or SAARC Audio Visual Exchange is a forum for cultural exchange among the members of the SAARC. It has been able to organise cultural programmes and provide scholarships to students for the study and understanding of different cultures of South Asia.
❐ South Asian Games (SAG), formerly known as South Asian Federation Games, are held among the member countries. The governing body of these games is South Asian Sports Council (SASC), formed in 1983. The first South Asian Games were hosted by Kathmandu in 1984.
12. Do you agree that India's foreign policy was based on the principles of anti-imperialism, anti-colonialism and anti-racism? Justify your answer.
= Yes, I agree that India's foreign policy was based on the principles of anti-imperialism, anti-colonialism and anti-racism. It emphasised on peaceful coexistence. It is made on the principle of abolishing colonialism, racism and imperialism. It always promote world peace. It is based on mutual respect for each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty. It emphasised on non-aggression and non-interference in each other's internal affairs.
13. State the circumstances that led to the formation of the NAM.
= The Non-aligned movement (NAM) became important in the face of the Cold War and power struggle between the US and Soviet Russia. It became necessary to form alliances to maintain neutrality between the two power blocs.
14. Who laid the foundation of the NAM? Name the eminent leaders who supported him.
= The policy of Non-Alignment Movement (NAM), a brain child of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, came into existence at the Bandung Conference in 1955 with full-fledged support from world leaders such as General Nasser of Egypt, President Sukarno of Indonesia and President Tito of Yugoslavia in 1961.
15. What are the principle of the NAM?
= The NAM had the principle of ensuring peace in the face of the Cold War and power struggle.
16. What is the importance of NAM in contemporary world?
= The Cold War came to an end in 1991 with the collapse of the USSR. However, in this changing scenario of world policies, NAM continued to play an important role. It looks to contribute in the following ways.
❐ protection of environment.
❐ development of the economies of the third world countries.
❐ encouragement for disarmament.
❐ protection of human rights.
❐ encouragement to people to fight against over-population, illiteracy and poverty.
❐ promotion of awareness against international terrorism.
❐ promotion of international peace and understanding.
17. When was ASEAN officially established?
= ASEAN was officially established on 8 August 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand, with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok declaration).
III. Write full forms.
1. ASEAN.
= Association of South-east Asian Nations.
2. SAARC.
= South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation.
3. SAVE.
= SAARC Audio Visual Exchange.
4. NAM.
= Non-Aligned Movement.
5. SASC.
= South Asian Sports Council.
6. EU.
= European Union.
IV. Write short notes.
1. ASEAN.
= It was established on 8 August 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand, with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok Declaration). The founding fathers of ASEAN were Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Some of its present members, besides the founding nations, include Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Myanmar and Vietnam. India maintains a friendly relation with the ASEAN countries and has signed several agreements which benefit the economy of both the parties.
2. Principles and objectives of SAARC.
= ❐ Main principles and objectives of SAARC :
The SAARC has certain guiding principles enshrined in its constitution.
i) Respect territorial integrity, cultural cooperation, sovereignty and the right to be independent of all the member states.
ii) Promote socio-economic and cultural cooperation among each other.
iii) Maintain a policy of non-interference in each other's internal affairs.
iv) Keep all the bilateral issues out of the SAARC. Only the issues concerning at least three countries can be discussed on the forum.
v) For any resolution to be passed at the SAARC, the unanimity of all the members is needed.
3. Origin of NAM.
= The Non-aligned Movement (NAM) became important in the face of the Cold War and power struggle between the US and Soviet Russia. It became necessary to form alliances to maintain neutrality between the two power blocs. The policy of non-alignment, a brainchild of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, came into existence at the Bandung Conference in 1955 with full-fledged support form world leaders such as General Nasser of Egypt, President Sukarno of Indonesia and President Tito of Yugoslavia in 1961.
4. Features of India's foreign policy.
= Several factors have influenced India's foreign policy.
❐ Our culture teaches us ahimsa (non-violence) and peaceful coexistence.
❐ The economic condition of our country compels us to maintain friendly relations with other countries.
❐ Our geographical position is responsible for the maintenance of good relations with the bordering countries.
5. Origin of SAARC.
= To foster the bonds of brotherhood, cooperation and peaceful coexistence, SAARC was established. It is an organisation of India and its eight neighbours. The idea of a South Asian organisation on the lines of the European Union (EU) was first mooted by the late president of Bangladesh, Ziya-ur-Rehman, in the late 1970s. He made a detailed proposal concerning that idea, and was able to convince the statement of the other South Asian countries to go ahead with it. Thus, the first meet of SAARC took place in December 1985 in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. The secretaries of SAARC is located in Kathmandu.