Indira Gandhi Era

• When Indira Gandhi took over as the Prime Minister, (Moraji desi angry & work independently)
1. Domestically, India faced famine and serious food shortages. The food imports were at an all-time high and this had put a severe burden on the country’s foreign exchange as well.
   (Indira went to US to increase shipment of food. At the same time Vietnam war is held by USA. India support Vietnam.
   USA say India not take stance against USA in Vietnam war, only they give food. Indira oppose it, Russia help & give food aids. India strengthening Non-Alignment movement & Oppose Vietnam & Vote against USA. (Because of it USA withdrawn of war)
   Devaluated currency.
2. At economic front the two wars eroded the Indian Economy and led to fund crunch
3. At the security level, India had fought expensive wars with Pakistan and China and both were looming as new security threats, threatening India’s sovereignty.
• Indira Gandhi embarked on her foreign policy mission by paying a visit to Egypt and Yugoslavia to reassert their strong relationship, using NAM as a tool.
• She then visited USA with a hope of evolving a new dimension in the bilateral relationship based on democratic values, which failed
• USA demanded to soften its stance on Vietnam war in exchange of food aid,
• This led Indira to pursue Green Revolution and self-sufficiency.
  In 1968, Started Green Revolution → Start fertilizer company (need for plants) → Construct Dam for Irrigation → Farmers need more money to but pesticide (but bank does not give loan to farmer) → Nationalisation of Bank (for give loan to Farmer)
  Because of Indira independent decision congress broken Indira & Kanaraj. In 1971 election Indira party won.
• Indira Gandhi boldly criticised the US at various NAM meetings for their aggression in Vietnam while the Indian agriculture saw a revival.

Indira, the Durga – Bangladesh Liberation

(West Pakistan dominance in East Pakistan. They recognised only Urdu & Punjabi and suppress Bengali.

Awami League - leadership of Sheikh Mujibur Rehman. Arrest Mujibur Rehman, & Martial law imposed (March 25).

So Bengali refuge come to India (In 1 week 1 Cr refuge come), So India need to take action, So India create an Army by Bengali refuge & train in Mukathi Bahini to war against east Pakistan on winter (Dec 5).

India by through NAM create to support of Bangladesh (Bad image of Pakistan)

Same time Solve lakshadeep Issue with Sri Lanka & Friendship treaty for 20 years with USSR in 1971.

Pakistan know about Mukathi Bahini. So they plan to attack Punjab & Rajasthan army base on Dec 4. India already know Dec 4 attack of Pakistan. So Clear the Punjab & Rajasthan army base and keep empty.

On Dec 4 Pakistan attack Punjab & Rajasthan army empty base, India create that Pakistan attack India on global level. So India retaliate it & also attack East Pakistan (Now Bangladesh) and capture it (92,000 Soldiers surrender).

Simla Summit of June 1972 (also change ceasfire line to line of control)

• Religion was not enough to weld together the Urdu speaking West Pakistan and Bengali speaking East Pakistan as believed by Jinnah.
• East Pakistan had always received a step-brotherly treatment from West Pakistan.
• West Pakistan even imposed Urdu over their native Bengali Language and looted East Pakistani resources without focussing on any substantial economic development of the region.
• This neglect paved way for the leadership of Sheikh Mujibur Rehman, who, under the umbrella of Awami League, championed the cause of Bengali nationalism and Pro-Democracy movement.
• In December 1970, elections took place in both East and West Pakistan and as per the result, Sheikh Mujibur Rehaman of the Awami League won the elections in East Pakistan with a majority in Pakistan National Assembly while Zulfikar Ali Bhuto’s Pakistan People’s Party won in West Pakistan.
• West Pakistan reluctant to give the power to Rehaman, thereafter, imposed martial law in East Pakistan, leading to arrest of Mujibur Rehaman and a massive crackdown in the region.
• Due to the arrest of Rehman, an internal crisis began in East Pakistan and a lot of East Pakistanis began to enter into India for safety. India began to build international pressure on West Pakistan to halt suppression and genocide
• But PM, opposed hasty action, throughout the incident she acted with immense courage and caution, instead focussed on Getting international support for Bangladeshi cause
• The USA remained unmoved even as the international media highlighting the atrocities in the East and China were still on Pakistan’s side
• As USA refused to budge, India took up the opportunity to conclude a Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation with the USSR in August 1971 where the Soviets agreed to an immediate consultation with each other if either side met with any form of aggression.
• The treaty served the purpose of warning Washington not to pursue any military design against India
• In December 1971, Pakistan resorted to a pre-emptive strike on Indian Air Force airplanes.
• The Indian side perceived this as an attack on Indian sovereignty and decided to retaliate.
• War broke out yet again and within three days, Indian forces reached Dacca and recognised Bangladesh as a new state, compelling Pakistani troops to finally surrender.
• The USA even sent a nuclear armed USS Enterprise Aircraft Carrier into the Bay of Bengal but the Indo–Soviet treaty constrained it further.
• Sheikh Mujibur Rehaman was handed over power finally while India held 92,000 prisoners of war.
• This was followed by the Simla Summit of June 1972, where Pakistani PM Bhutto urged for release of not only the prisoners of war but also the territory captured by India belonging to West Pakistan.
• On 1st July 1972, the Simla Agreement was signed urging peaceful resolution of Kashmir issue through dialogue and negotiations.
• The creation of Bangladesh came as a big blow to USA, with US president Nixon, along with Henry Kissinger, having to reconcile to the new ground realities of South Asia.

Indira and Smiling Buddha

• Smiling Buddha or Pokhran 1 was India’s first indigenous nuclear test, conducted in 1974.
• Indira Gandhi, however, chose to keep the nuclear testing to level of peaceful use only and did not go a step further to declare India a nuclear weapon state.
• India clearly understood that the root cause of the regional imbalance plaguing South Asia was created by the USA’s supplying of arms to Pakistan, which wanted to attain parity with India.
• The USA on the other hand, after the 1974 nuclear test by India, again announced an arms package designed for Pakistan.
• It asserted that 1974 nuclear test has disturbed the balance and the new power structure favours India, compelling USA to redress and re-maintain the balance.
• The Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) was formed in reaction to the Indian tests to check international nuclear proliferation.
• The NSG decided in 1992 to require full-scope IAEA safeguards for any new nuclear export deals, which effectively ruled out nuclear exports to India,
• In 2008 it waived this restriction on nuclear trade with India as part of the Indo-US civilian nuclear agreement.
• NPT –Signed in 1968 & force in 1970. Treaty establishes a safeguards system under the responsibility of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) (prevent the spread of nuclear weapons technology & IAEA conducted inspections on signatory country).
• Currently, 191 countries sign NPT. South Sudan, India, Pakistan, and Israel have never joined the NPT. North Korea joined the NPT in 1985, but withdrew in 2003)
• Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) formed. They give uranium to country sign NPT.

Rise of Terrorism

(USSR want access to Indian Ocean, so invaded Afghanistan (Bring Communist).

USA support Islamic Rebellion group Mujahideen (Headed by Osama Bin laden) to defeat communist and make Muslim region in Afghanistan).

Mujahideen → Al-Qaeda, ISIS, Taliban.

• In 1979, on the invitation of Kabul, the Soviets had invaded Afghanistan.
• The USA realised the problem and further began to pump aid and arms to Pakistan.
• The USA began to use Pakistan as a frontline state to support and arm elements to weaken Soviet presence in Afghanistan.
• Such elements created by the USA and nurtured by Pakistan emerged in the form of Al-Qaeda and the Taliban.
• This period saw the birth of the Al-Qaeda to target the Communist front in Afghanistan.
• India maintained neutrality. It neither condemned the Soviet invasion nor supported it. The USA asserted that non-condemnation by India is a sign of Indian support to the Soviet policy.
• But India stood upright and based its policy on the merit of the situation.
• Khalistan Movement in Punjab – Separate country for Sikhs. ISI & Pakistan army support it → Operation Blue Star – Khalistan Movement head hide in golden temple. Indira took military action inside temple & kill head at temple). Because of it 2 Sikhs in Indira Guard Shot him. Death of Indira lead to Sikhs mascot. Congress people kill nearly 2000 Sikhs.

Operation Meghdoot

• Intelligence report that April 17 Pakistan try to capture Siachen Glacier, But April 13 Indian Soldier are airdropped and capture Siachen Glacier.
• Now India have runway.

Indira Era: A Look

• Indira Gandhi sustained a prolonged dialogue with the US and maintained the economic dimension of their bilateral diplomacy. She did the same with respect to China and followed the same policy to break the ice with India’s mighty neighbours.
• In both cases, she restored the same hallmark of the IFP, that is, to follow the India’s basic interests without sacrificing India’s strategic autonomy.
• She beautifully enmeshed flexibility with national interests and continued her foreign policy on realistic terms.
• Her most important contribution was to make India into a brand equal to the great powers.

Father, Daughter and The Foreign Policy