Non-Alignment Policy

Summary

This short newspaper clipping, filed from Ahmedabad on January 31 by an unnamed correspondent, reports Jayaprakash Narayan’s public rejection of C. Rajagopalachari’s call for India to abandon non-alignment and enter an alliance with the West in the aftermath of the India-China conflict. Addressing a public meeting, Narayan argued that even a Soviet posture of ‘benevolent neutrality’ in the India-China dispute would count as a commendable achievement for Indian diplomacy, and that abandoning non-alignment for the Western bloc could push Moscow into openly siding with Peking.

At the same time, Narayan cautioned Indians against complacency: he did not believe that Russia would supply substantial military aid to help India face China, and he insisted that the China-India conflict was ‘more deep’ than a border dispute. Despite the military cease-fire, the ideological challenge from China persisted and had to be met. He closed with the aphorism that ahimsa did not mean ‘anybody could befool us’ — a rebuttal to the charge that non-alignment amounted to naivety.

Key points

• Jayaprakash Narayan publicly opposes C. Rajagopalachari’s proposal that India abandon non-alignment and ally with the West.
• Narayan argues that keeping the USSR to a stance of ‘benevolent neutrality’ in the India-China dispute is itself a diplomatic achievement worth preserving.
• He warns that switching to the Western bloc could push the Soviet Union to declare openly for China.
• He tempers Indian expectations, doubting that Russia would give India any substantial military aid against China.
• He frames the India-China conflict as ideological and enduring, not merely a border dispute, so preparation must continue even after the cease-fire.
• He defends ahimsa against the charge of naivety, insisting it does not license anyone to ‘befool’ India.