You are on page 1of 3

Role of India Towards World Peace

India is a peace loving country and has been the member of the United Nations from
the very existence of the United Nation Organisation. India has always played a key role
in bringing peace to various countries on war and thus fulfilling the objective of the
UNO. It has also been an active member of the various agencies of the UNO like the
UNESCO, the WHO and the UNICEF. Once the President of the General Assembly of
the UNO was Mrs. Vijayalakshmi Pandit. India has also been elected as a member of
the Security Council.Soon after the World War II, it was observed that many countries of
the world got divided into two major groups. These two groups of various countries
could not tolerate any development or progress of the member nations of the other
group which was lead by the then Soviet Union. Many countries were tempted to join
these groups based on the military pacts. It was appearing that there could be another
war the way things were moving. Such a war would have stopped the progress and new
development activities taking place in India. Poor countries were poised for a great
danger to their existence. It was our late Prime Minister Panidt Jawahar Lal Nehru who
foresaw the danger and was deeply concerned. He started consultations and
discussions with leaders of various countries like Egypt and Yugoslavia. At the same
time, he began to caution the poor nations about the disastrous impacts and
consequences of the war and danger to the freedom of these nations. Thus leaders of
these countries joined under one umbrella and jointly laid down five principles of
cooperation with each other. Thus the Non Aligned Movement took birth and it
became a big movement.The starting of Non-Aligned Movement at the initiative of India
prevented the small nations from joining military pacts and leading to world peace. With
the passage of time, more and more countries realized its importance and joined in this
movement for security of their country. As on date, more than one hundred member
nations of the UNO are the members of the Non Aligned Movement. All these
countries want to have peace and get assurance that their freedom is not lost. India has
contributed its maximum in echoing the concern of the poor and small nations in the
United Nations.
During the conflict of Iran Irag, India had sent its forces to ensure peace. At the
request of the UNO, India deputed its soldiers in Korea to bring about peace in that part
of the World. Similar work was also carried out in Zaire.
India has always raised its voice against injustice taking place anywhere in the world so
that each one has peace. The oppression of the Blacks by the Whites minority in South
Africa was strongly opposed by India. A world opinion was formed against South African
policy of apartheid (discrimination based on colour) for the Blacks. It argued for equal
rights for them and no discrimination against them. Even the cause of freedom for
Palestinians from the Israel has been widely supported by the Government of India.
Indias contribution to world peace
Ever since the achievement of independence Indiahas been assiduously striving for the promotion
of peace. She has unboundedfaith in peace. She believes that peaceful conditions alone can hold
out anyhope for the deliverance of mankind from the rut of so many ills it is atpresent plagued with.
Assoon as she got independence, she declared her determination to pursue the pathof peace and
take effective measures for the promotion of international peace,security and co-operation.
Thisfaith of Indiais peace is in keeping with her ancient tradition and her won genius. India can
besingled out as a nation which has hardly ever waged wars of aggression simplyfor self-

aggrandizement. Mahavir Swami and Gautama Buddha tirelesslypreached against all kindsof
violence. Their teachings were no heeded, but also acted upon by Indianemperors.
Indiahad learnt from Mahatma Gandhi that stable pace could be found on the improvementof
economic condition of the people. When India got freedom, she was facedwith the gigantic task of
meliorating the economic condition of her masses. Shebeloved that economic prosperity and
freedom were indivisible. Hence world peace wasessential not only for her own economic
development, but also for the economic development of all the backward countries of the world.
Thereare a number of powerful planks on which Indias policy of living in peacewith and for
promoting peace among nations of the world rests. They are (1)Non-alignment, (2) Peaceful coexistence, (3) Economic and culturalco-operation, (4) Disarmament and use of nuclear energy for
peace, (5) Settlement ofinternational disputes by peaceful means, (6) Support for nationalist
movementsin different parts of the world, (7) Ending of apartheid, old andnew types of colonialism,
imperialism etc. (8) Support for the U.N.O.
Inthe world full of powerful nations, armed to the teeth and filled withbellicose tendencies,
Indiadeclared herself as a non-aligned country not joining either of the twopowerful military blocs.
As a non-aligned country, India along with other non-alignedcountries was in a position to act as a
powerful moderating force between the two warring groups.Non-alignment became a bridge
between the eastern bloc committed to communistideology and the western bloc committed to
democratic ideology.
Panchsheela wasconceived as a powerful weapon against war. The five principles
of Panchsheela constitute an important and historicevent in teh history of international relations.
These five principles shouldbe acted upon if the world is to avoid another holocaust (destruction)
ofglobal war in which there will be no victor nor any vanquished. In the
doctrineof Panchsheela India hascontributed a great idea of peace to the war-weary world.
Indiahas consistently pleaded the cause of disarmament. She took a leading part insigning the
Nuclear Test Ban Treaty of 1963. She has advocated the use ofnuclear energy for peaceful or
constructive purposes. Though capable ofdeveloping an atomic device for military purposes, she
has refrained frommanufacturing an atom bomb despite the fast that their communistneighbor has
exploded many atomic devices and constitutes a potential threat toher freedom and territorial
integrity.
Indiastands for the solution of all international problemsby peaceful means like
adjudication, arbitration, mediation, etc. She herself has setexamples of the same in her own case.
Following her conflict with China, Indiaaccepted Colombo Proposals in order to avoid future wars
with China andsettle all her outstanding disputes with the latter by peaceful means. In 1965 India
agreed to abide by the judgment of aninternational court of arbitration on her Kutch dispute with
Pakistan.
Indiahas been of the view that continuance of Colonialism, racial discrimination andimperialism in
any form in a serious menace to peace. The recognition ofsovereign equality of all people living in
various partof the world, and all nations right to political freedom is the fundamentalfactor in
Indias foreign policy. From the very beginning she began tochampion the cause of nationalist
movements in Asiaand other parts of the world. An Asian Relations Conference was organized
byLate. Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru with the sole object of getting the world to focusattention to this
issue.
Indiahas rendered her full support to the united Nations in the task of putting anend to world-war.
Also she contributed her share of U.N. troops to keep peacein the Congo, Gaza Strip
andCyprus.She responded to the U.N. call for declaring cease-fire in her conflict with Pakistan.
Shelooks upon the U.N. as a major instrument for brining about reduction ininternational tension.

Arole of great importance that Indiahas played in international understanding is a happy synthesis
ofnon-conflicting ideology. She has advanced her own brand of democracy andsocialism and
fused them into a happy combination of democratic socialism overideological issues. Further it has
tried to bring home to people havingdifferent ideologies that the world is large enough for the
existence andpeaceful accommodation ofdifferent political systems.Theabove discussion aptly
bring out the most significant contribution India hasmade to world peace and to the promotion of
healthyrelations among the nations ofthe world which is standing on the dry hay-rich, waiting for a
match-stick withfull potentialities of setting it ablaze. Let us hope that India would goon striving
for world peace.

You might also like