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Modi’s Multi-alignment and Nehru’s Non-alignment
There is very little to distinguish between the foreign policy of Jawaharlal Nehru and Narendra Modi. Both are equally aligned with America to serve its hegemonic interests. Nehru’snon-alignment and Modi’s multi-alignment is not averse to playing ball with the American hard as well as soft power. Both policies see America as a natural partner of India.
The more I hear the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, the more I am convinced that India’s foreign policy continues to be moored to Nehruvian approaches to negotiating with the global powers. Jaishankar characterises the Nehruvian foreign policy (1946–62) as the “era of optimistic non-alignment,” where the objective was to strengthen India’s sovereignty, integrity and economy. The “parallel goal” was to place India as the vanguard of third world solidarity (MEA 2019b).
Laced with rhetorical flourishes, Jaishankar is sounding more and more like Jawaharlal Nehru. At the recently concluded Raisina Dialogue, he said, “India owes it to be a just power, fair power, standard-bearer for the global voice of south” (Bagchi 2020), clearly signalling that India has not abandoned the Nehruvian love to lead the South.
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