India and the Cold War

New Cold War History

by Manu Bhagavan (Editor )

This collection of essays inverts the way we see the Cold War by looking at the conflict from the perspective of the so-called developing world, rather than of the superpowers, through the birth and first decades of India's life as a postcolonial nation. Contributors draw on a wide array of new material, from recently opened archival sources to literature and film, and meld approaches from diplomatic history to development studies to explain the choices India made and to frame decisions by its policy makers. Together, the essays demonstrate how India became a powerful symbol of decolonization and an advocate of non-alignment, disarmament, and global governance as it stood between the United States and the Soviet Union, actively fostering dialogue and attempting to forge friendships without entering into formal alliances. Sweeping in its scope yet nuanced in its analysis, this is the authoritative account of India and the Cold War.

Contributors: Priya Chacko, Anton Harder, Syed Akbar Hyder, Raminder Kaur, Rohan Mukherjee, Swapna Kona Nayudu, Pallavi Raghavan, Srinath Raghavan, Rahul Sagar, and Waheguru Pal Singh Sidhu.

Genres: History, India

264 pages, Hardcover

First published September 16, 2019

About the author

Manu Bhagavan is Professor of History, Human Rights, and Public Policy at Hunter College and the Graduate Center-CUNY, and Senior Fellow at the Ralph Bunche Institute for International Studies.  He is the author of the bestselling biography of Madame Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit, a pioneering 20thc Indian freedom fighter and world-renowned diplomat. Manu is also author or editor of seven other books, including the critically-acclaimed The Peacemakers and the celebrated volume on India and the Cold War. Manu appears regularly in the media to comment on global affairs.

Reviews

[Aman Tiwari · Rating 1 out of 5]

No mention of Lal Bahadur Shastri ji or 1965 wars? Only Nehru Gandhi praise book. Absolutely worthless.

[Ankush Rai · Rating 5 out of 5]

India and Cold War

Edited by Manu bhagavan

Published by – Penguin Books

As the title suggest, this book is a gist of chapters on India and post-colonial world by eminent experts. It evolves around the Cold war era focusing on the nascent years of the newly independent India. The early chapters portray a rosy picture of India in its diplomatic front with Vijaylakshmi Pandit appointed as the first female president of UNGA, then ambassador to US followed by USSR, shows the parity India maintained with US and USSR. Her brother, Barrister Nehru India’s PM an apostle of peace and flag bearer of non-align movement adhering to Gandhian principles of Non-violence. Nehru is projected as a visionary statesman who steered India, torn with partition from both sides to the path of development and reforms. He was a key figure in the Bandung conference with Indonesian Prez Sukarno. A relentless detail is put in Nehru’s secular socialist figure as a pacifist, India signing Panchsheel agreement with China. Then a chapter on Indo-China relation, China’s annexation of Tibet, its appetizing words in the diplomacy and belligerent attitude towards land frontiers is emphasized. The tapestry of menace at the borders in Ladakh and NEFA, Dalai Lama granted asylum in India. It paved way for China’s connivance involvement at the borders in Aksai Chin, with Cuban missile crisis in the background. India’s loss in 62’ stained Nehru’s image internationally and acted as a slow poison for his death, made India realise a need for nuclear programme. On the contrary, a chapter deals with 1967 movie ‘Aman’ starring Rajendra Kumar and a cameo of Bertand Russell, focusing in the aftermath of nuclear attack in Japan, recreation of Nehru’s valedictory farewell at the Rajpath. A must read book to understand India’s foreign during Nehruvian era.

[Craig Werner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Serviceable, if uneven, collection of essays. The best ones triangulate Indian domestic politics with its Cold War stance on disarmament and domestic economic policy. Not an overview, but a supplement if you know the story in outline.

[Anish · Rating 5 out of 5]

By far one of the best collection of essays on cold war politics in India. But go for it only you have read good stuff about cold war before .

This book is not recommended for the noobes who wants to read about cold war. Your vocabulary should also be adequate to understand the essays.

[Hrithik Kashyap · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good view of the cold war through the lesser known incidents of history and behind the door diplomacy. Confirms the view that Cold war wasn't just about alliances and balance of power, but much more, about development, culture and ideologies.