Foreign Policy During the 1990s

Foreign Policy during the 1990s

In the 1990s, India’s foreign policy witnessed substantial changes and challenges, marked by the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the shift from a bipolar to a unipolar international political scenario.

The P V Narasimha Rao government faced pressure from the United States to dismantle India’s nuclear and missile programs after the Soviet Union’s collapse. India, grappling with a severe domestic economic crisis, initiated economic liberalization, moving away from its state-centric strategy of development.

Under Rao’s leadership, India adopted the Look East Policy in foreign economic affairs, recognizing the need to integrate with dynamic economies in Southeast Asia and East Asia during the era of economic globalization. Diplomatic relations with Israel were established, and India began formulating policies to combat cross-border terrorism, raising it as a security threat in international forums.

Facing external pressures, India aligned itself with the U.S. and co-sponsored the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) and Fissile Material Control Treaty (FMCT). For the first time, defence cooperation between India and the U.S. began to take shape.

The latter half of the 1990s was marked by coalition governments in India, resulting in political instability. Prime Ministers Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Deve Gowda, and I. K. Gujral led short-lived governments, characterized by a lack of majority to bring about radical changes in foreign policy. Despite the political challenges, Inder Kumar Gujral introduced the ‘Gujral Doctrine.’ This doctrine aimed at extending benefits to India’s neighbours (excluding Pakistan) on a non-reciprocal basis, emphasizing principles like noninterference, territorial integrity, and peaceful dispute resolution through bilateral negotiations