Evening star., 1963-01-21
INDIA
Nehru Still Has Faith
In Russian Friendship

and do not accept nonalign-
ment as a valid (not to say
untouchable) posture for an
important nation to assume.
AS things stand, 1t will be a
long time, in Mr.. Nehru's opin-
ion, before India can put much
faith in anything the Chinese
say. Possibly, the border dis
Ipute could be worked out, or at
least stabilized for the time
being. One gathers, indeed,
that Mr.. Nehru would like
more freedom of action in this
matter than the present
aroused state Of indian public
opinion allows him.
Settlement of the territorial
dispute. however, would not
end the problem. The Prime
Minister seems sincerely con-
vinced that the real motives of
the Chinese are political and
extend to the whole Of South
east Asia. The real objective
is to destroy India as a coun-
terweight to China in the area.
No End Seen
Mr.. Nehru is preparing for a
period Of hostility and inter-
militant military pressure ex-
tending at least for the next
five years. And whatever hap
pens, he is determined that
India must build its strength
for the coming test.
Concern with Russia = and
the hope Of exploiting Russian
Chinese differences to midas
advantage - form the other
pivot Of Mr.. Nehru's policy.
From the beginning, he has
emphasized that India's fight
is not against communism, out
against China.
And while this subtlety has
not been Of much comfort to
the Indian Communists--sev-
Ieral hundred Of whom are now
in jail, despite Russian protests
it is determining in his attl-
tude toward any formal align
ment with the West.
Many westeruers - and for
that matter. many Indians as
well - see In this a typical
Nehru-like contradiction which
threatens to neutralize all of
the positive results of the revo-
luton.
On Nehru's Side
India in isolation, these peo-
pie argue, can never withstand
the pressures that Communist
China can bring to bear.
Sooner or later, the only an
swer is for India to associate
itself openly and directly with
the other democratic nations Of
the world to find the moral and
material force thai is essential.
1t must be emphasized, how
ever. that for the time being
at least the Western powers,
including Britain and the Unit
ed States. are officially on Mr..
Nehru's side of the argument.
No formal alliances are being
sought.
Mr.. Nehru Is right in saying
that no one-apart from his
own opposition-is urging him
to abandon his policy Of nom
alignment.
Western diplomats may not
share the Prime Minister'S OPP
timism when it comes to his
continued ability to play ball
with the Russians. They ad-I
NIT, on the other hand. that he
has measured the Importance
of the Russian Chinese split
more accurately than Western
experts in the past. And they
agree that it would be foolish
to force the Russians into a
position where they must openly
side with the Chinese.
For their part, the Russians
have heartily encouraged re-
straint on India's part.
When the Chinese launched
their massive attack in No
vember, the Russians privately
informed the government in
New Delhi that they realized
India must seek help wherever
help could be found. At the
same time they expressed the
hope that no formal defense
agreements would be signed.
Positive Aspects
Since then, the two aspects
of Indian policy have been re-
flected at various points of the
diplomatic scene.
On the positive side, India
voted for the first time this
year in favor of resolutions on
South Korea and Hungary in
the United Nations General As
sembly.
At Geneva. the Indian dele
cation has suddenly dropped its
anti Western bias at the dis
armament talks.
In the Congo. Mr.. Nehrll