India and the United States: From Estrangement to Engagement

Estimation of India as a strategic accomplice in the American grand game plan to contain communism was at its lowest ebb during the cold war. An ebulliant India glowing in its glorified hoary past, civlization, history and exemplary freedom struggle based on non-violence and truth, was intent on carving out a place in world politics just in commensurate with its cultural treasure trove and at par with the other great powers, thought such a lofty ambition was seen abysmally in disproportion to its military and economic deficits. An idealistic Nehru tried to chisel a new furrow in the muddy bipolar world politics in terms of non-alignment and independence quite different from what the great powers like U.S. and former Soviet Union pontificated others to follow.