Panchsheel Agreement: CDS Anil Chauhan told why Nehru trusted China, what was the compulsion at that time?

News India Live, Digital Desk: During a defense dialogue in New Delhi, CDS General Anil Chauhan examined India’s foreign policy through the lens of history. He told that the ‘Panchsheel Agreement’ of 1954 was not only a peace document, but the economic and military conditions of India at that time were also responsible for it.1. Nehru’s thinking: Need for peace for developmentAccording to General Chauhan, India was a nascent nation immediately after independence. Nehru believed that: Economic priority: India needed at least 20-30 years of continuous peace to eradicate its poverty and industrialize. Avoidance of military expenditure: If a border dispute broke out with China, India would have to spend its budget on military rather than development. Therefore, he tried to avoid war through diplomacy.2. End of the buffer zone (Tibet Factor) The CDS underlined that China’s occupation of Tibet in 1950 had increased India’s security concerns. Direct border: Earlier Tibet was between India and China as a ‘buffer state’. After its end, India’s border directly joined China. Strategic Bet: Nehru thought that the border could be kept safe by building a relationship with China based on friendship (Hindi-Chini Bhai-Bhai) and principles (Panchsheel).3. 5 Basic Principles of PanchsheelAt the heart of the agreement were these five things, which Nehru considered the basis of global peace: Respect for each other’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. Mutual non-aggression (not attacking each other). Non-interference in each other’s internal affairs. Equality and mutual benefit. Peaceful co-existence. 4. Lessons in today’s context: General Chauhan said that history teaches us that relying only on agreements and papers is not enough. Strength is the basis of peace: He emphasized that today’s India wants ‘peace’ but with ‘power’. The 1962 war had proved that diplomacy is not successful unless there is strong military power behind it. Changed Strategy: Presently India is adopting a policy of ‘Proactive Defence’, where development of border infrastructure and military modernization is the priority.