India decided not to align itself to any of the military alliances. It declared its foreign policy as a policy of Non-alignment. The principles of NAM were formulated. Non-alignment does not mean that India will remain neutral and not take any position on major world problems. It simply means that India will not join any of the military alliances.
The Indian national movement was a part of the worldwide struggle against colonialism and imperialism. It influenced the liberation movements of many Asian and African countries. Prior to India’s Independence, there were contacts between the nationalist leaders of India and those of other colonies, united as they were in their common struggle against colonialism and imperialism.
The creation of the Indian National Army (INA) by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose during the Second World War was the clearest manifestation of the linkages established between India and overseas Indians during the freedom struggle. The foreign policy of a nation reflects the interplay of domestic and external factors. Therefore, the noble ideals that inspired India’s struggle for freedom influenced the making of its foreign policy. But India’s attainment of Independence coincided with the beginning of the Cold War era.
