Pursuit of National Interests Through Neutralism: India's Foreign Policy in the Nehru Era By Sauripada Bhattacharya

Book Description

About the Book
The Pursuit of National Interests Through Neutralism: India's Foreign Policy in the Nehru Era explores the central theme of India's foreign policy during the Nehru era—neutralism. This study distinguishes itself from previous works by focusing on how India's approach to neutralism aligns with the national interests defined by its policymakers.

The book is organized into seven chapters that analyze the evolution of India's neutralism, its emphasis on national interests, and the pragmatic nature of its foreign policy. While acknowledging that India's policy has seen successes, the author also examines instances where it fell short of achieving its objectives. The crucial question arises: did these failures result from India's commitment to non-alignment and neutralism?

Previous scholars, including Cecil Crabb, Jansen, Karunakaran, Kundra, Paul Power, and Brecher, have laid the groundwork on this subject. However, Dr. Sauri P. Bhattacharya argues that neutralism has ultimately served India well. Through a detailed content analysis of speeches by Nehru and other key policymakers, the author strengthens his thesis and addresses a significant gap in existing literature.

About the Author
Dr. Sauri P. Bhattacharya, born on September 1, 1931, in Jhapordah near Calcutta, India, holds a B.A. from Presidency College, Calcutta, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Missouri, Columbia, USA. He began his academic career in 1960 as a Lecturer in Political Science at Khargpur and Midnapore Colleges in West Bengal. He later served as an Instructor in Political Science, teaching American Government and International Relations, as well as Bengali and Journalism, at the University of Missouri. Currently, he is a Professor of Political Science at Southeastern Oklahoma State University in Durant, Oklahoma, USA.

In addition to his teaching, Dr. Bhattacharya has experience in journalism, having been a part-time correspondent for All India Radio in Midnapore. He has published nine articles in the fields of Comparative Government, International Relations, and Journalism in both Indian and international journals. This book represents his first major scholarly work.

Dr. Bhattacharya resides in the United States with his wife, Anima, who also holds a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Missouri.