Question

Express your opinion on the following.

India played an important role in the Cold War.

Answer 1

India's Importance in the Non-Aligned Movement:

• India took care to avoid the two alliances.
• It spoke out against newly decolonized countries joining these alliances.
• To soften cold war rivalries, India favoured active intervention in international affairs.
• Indian leaders and diplomats were instrumental in bridging the gap between the two alliances.
• To defuse tensions, India communicated and mediated.
• India enlisted the help of other NAM members for this mission.
• India attempted to mobilize regional and international organizations that were not members of alliances.

During the Cold War, India was a non-aligned country. It means that India was not on the side of either the United States or the Soviet Union. This was for official purposes, as we did not want to give away our land or resources to the Soviets or Americans (which they could use as a military base and eventually also make India their vassal). Nonetheless, India unofficially supported the Soviet Union.

During the 1971 India-Pakistan war, the Soviet Union shielded India from the onslaught of the United States. PM Indira Gandhi spearheaded the Indo-Soviet pact in 1971. Furthermore, India cooperated and collaborated extensively with the Soviet Union in fields such as defence, manufacturing industries, medicine, nuclear energy, and science, among others; however, India was never a direct participant in the cold war standoff between the United States and the Soviet Union.