Indian-African Relations

Abstract

One of the consistent aspirations of the late Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was the gradual creation of friendly, cooperative, and mutually constructive relationships between India and the various countries of Africa. Over the years during the struggle for Indian independence, Nehru encouraged parallel national developments in Africa. When India became free in 1947, nationalism was given a major push forward in Africa as well. Many African leaders have stated publicly their indebtedness to the Indian example and to its sympathetic concern with African nationalist goals. It was for this reason all the more difficult for Indians to face the fact in 1962 and 1963 that reactions in Africa seemed to be at least as favorable to Communist Chinese arguments as they were to those of India when the Chinese occupied portions of India's northern border. Some African responses in India's time of conflict with the Chinese Communists indicated a lack of confidence in the Indian outlook and a reliance upon the greater power that radiated from China. Needless to say, such African views over the Sino-Indian border dispute puzzled many and disappointed even more in India. Charges were made in the Indian Parliament and in other public forums that India had no viable Africa policy: that the test of such a policy came when circumstances called for support; in the dire stress of 1962-63, many of the African countries had not shown due partiality to India. To the extent that India had an African policy, one had been tried, and it had failed, said the critics. In the decade from the Bandung Conference to 1965, much greater sophistication has accompanied the Government of India's attitudes and policies towards Africa. At the time of Bandung there seemed to be much less appreciation for the great variety of peoples, environments, and political perspectives in Africa than is true today. More and more the variations in Africa have been sorted out and country policies adopted, thus contributing to a more realistic, differentiated policy for the continent as a whole.1 Even so, as of 1965 India supported only twelve diplomatic missions in Africa, and received seven-Tanzania, Nigeria, UAR, Sudan, Ghana, Morocco, and Ethiopia. There is little reason to believe, furthermore, that in journalistic and educational circles, or in most realms of government, there is much specific knowledge about Africa or an aware-