PM Modi references JFK’s Forgotten Disaster: What former CIA officer’s e book says about former PM Nehru | – The Instances of India

Throughout his reply to the Movement of Thanks through the Funds Session, PM Modi made a number of attention-grabbing cultural references. The primary concerned a well-known TOI cartoon by R.Okay. Laxman, which confirmed the ever-present “frequent man” dragging a float with an aeroplane carrying a gaggle of politicians, the place the pilot carefully resembles former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
One other reference was the e book JFK’s Forgotten Disaster: Tibet, the CIA, and the Sino-Indian Warfare by Bruce Riedel, a former CIA officer and senior fellow on the Brookings Establishment. The e book examines the 1962 Sino-Indian Warfare and its profound influence on US overseas coverage below President John F. Kennedy.

Historic Context

The early Sixties had been marked by intense geopolitical rivalries formed by the Chilly Warfare. The world was divided between the Western bloc, led by the US, and the Jap bloc, dominated by the Soviet Union, with newly impartial nations like India attempting to carve out a impartial house by means of the Non-Aligned Motion. Nehru was one of many motion’s key architects, advocating for peaceable coexistence and diplomatic engagement slightly than aligning with both superpower.

Nevertheless, China’s rise as a communist energy below Mao Zedong offered new challenges. After the 1949 Communist Revolution, China turned more and more assertive in its overseas coverage, notably regarding territorial disputes. The connection between India and China, as soon as symbolised by the slogan “Hindi-Chini Bhai Bhai” (India and China are brothers), deteriorated resulting from border disagreements, particularly in Aksai Chin and Arunachal Pradesh . The scenario was additional difficult by India’s asylum to the Dalai Lama following the 1 959 Tibetan rebellion, which strained Sino-Indian relations.
Amid these tensions, the world witnessed different essential occasions: the Cuban Missile Disaster unfolded in October 1962, bringing the US and the Soviet Union to the brink of nuclear warfare. It was throughout this unstable interval that the Sino-Indian Warfare erupted, making a parallel disaster that’s typically overshadowed in historic narratives.

Nehru’s Management In the course of the Disaster

Riedel’s e book paints a nuanced portrait of Nehru, depicting each his visionary beliefs and the strategic miscalculations that contributed to India’s unpreparedness for the 1962 warfare. Nehru’s overseas coverage was rooted in ethical diplomacy, non-alignment, and the idea that India may keep peaceable relations with each the Western and Jap blocs. Nevertheless, JFK’s Forgotten Disaster argues that Nehru’s idealism left him blindsided to the realpolitik of China’s territorial ambitions.
Riedel critiques Nehru’s overreliance on diplomacy, which led to complacency in addressing the rising army menace from China. Regardless of intelligence studies and clear indicators of Chinese language aggression alongside the Himalayan border, Nehru underestimated the chance of an armed battle. When the Individuals’s Liberation Military launched a shock, well-coordinated offensive in October 1962, Indian forces had been ill-prepared, poorly geared up, and unfamiliar with high-altitude warfare.
The warfare was a private and political blow to Nehru. It uncovered the weaknesses of India’s defence coverage and shattered his perception within the energy of diplomacy to resolve conflicts with authoritarian regimes. Riedel describes how the defeat deeply affected Nehru’s morale and public picture, as he confronted criticism each domestically and internationally for India’s lack of preparedness.

Nehru’s Pragmatic Flip: In search of US Help

One of many pivotal moments Riedel highlights is Nehru’s determination to hunt army help from the US. This was a big shift, as Nehru had beforehand maintained a distance from the US, cautious of its Chilly Warfare alliances and interventionist insurance policies. The disaster pressured Nehru to prioritise nationwide safety over ideological consistency, demonstrating his capability to adapt below strain.
Nehru’s attraction to President John F. Kennedy marked an unprecedented second in Indo-US relations. Regardless of being preoccupied with the Cuban Missile Disaster, Kennedy responded swiftly, recognising India’s strategic significance as a democratic counterbalance to communist China in Asia. The US supplied army help, together with weapons, ammunition, and logistical help, which helped stabilise India’s defence capabilities within the rapid aftermath of the battle.
Riedel notes that though Nehru’s request for assist was born out of desperation, it laid the groundwork for a quick interval of nearer Indo-US ties. The non-public rapport between Nehru and Kennedy grew throughout this time, with Kennedy’s fast response serving to to bridge the ideological divide between the 2 leaders. Nevertheless, the momentum was short-lived following Kennedy’s assassination in 1963.

Nehru’s Legacy Submit-1962

Whereas JFK’s Forgotten Disaster critiques Nehru’s missteps, it additionally acknowledges his function in steering India by means of the aftermath of the warfare. The defeat catalysed main reforms in India’s defence coverage, together with a big army build-up and a strategic reassessment of overseas relations. Nehru oversaw these adjustments, recognising the necessity for a stronger army to enhance India’s diplomatic efforts.
Riedel argues that the 1962 disaster was a turning level not only for India, however for world geopolitics. For Nehru, it was a harsh lesson within the limits of idealism in worldwide relations. The warfare pressured him to confront the complexities of energy politics, balancing India’s ethical ideas with the pragmatic calls for of nationwide safety.