Consensus in Foreign Policy Matters:The first prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru played a crucial role in setting the national agenda for foreign policy.
Both as the prime Minister and the Foreign Minister, he exercised profound influence in the formulation and implementation of India’s foreign policy from 1946 to 1964.
The three major objectives of Nehru’s foreign policy were to preserve the hard-earned sovereignty, protect territorial integrity, and promote rapid economic development. Nehru wished to achieve these objectives through the strategy of non- alignment.
There are minor differences among political parties about how to conduct external relations. Indian politics is generally marked by a broad agreement among the parties on national integration, protection of international boundaries, and on questions of national interest.
Therefore, we find that in the course of the decade of 1962-1971, when India faced three wars, or even later, when different parties came to power from time to time, foreign policy has played only a limited role in party politics.