India is a land rooted in a tradition of peace ~ one that fosters harmony and offers profound philosophical wisdom to the world. Yet, it is also a nation made up by “a million mutinies” that firmly set the legacy of resistance against injustice, demand accountability, and do not hesitate to confront adversaries. Following the Pahalgam attack, India delivered a strong message to Pakistan, underlining its unflinching resolve to protect its sovereignty. As a result, the recent IndiaPakistan conflict has brought bilateral relations to a historic low, with communication largely restricted and scurrilous, if not outlandish.

In this tense atmosphere, the intervention, and ambiguous statements of the global superpower ~ the United States ~ have added to India’s discomfiture, raising questions about the credibility and intent of the US. Just as wars between two countries often have global repercussions, the IndoPak conflict has impacted not only the South Asian theatre but also touched farflung regions like America and Europe. However, if we delve deeper into the broader implications of this conflict, it becomes crystal clear that there is a need to reassess India’s foreign policy.

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A review of India’s foreign policy since independence reveals a grand vision synonymous with Nehruvian consensus in which advocacy of non-alignment not only connoted a position of keeping aloof from any major power bloc but also taking an active role in progressively replacing the cold war structure. This legacy continued for decades. Meanwhile India’s stance has significantly evolved in response to the pattern of American hegemony and the rise of revisionist powers through the 1990s.

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Thus, while over the past two decades we have seen a noticeable tilt in India’s foreign policy towards multi-alignment, there is no gainsaying the fact that two trends clearly stand out, one is an a la carte approach, that is no fixed menu or region was considered most favourable, while on the other hand, political leaderships in both New Delhi and Washington walked extra miles to consolidate their........

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