Indias Independence In 1947

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

1. India’s independence in 1947 came at the cost of division of the country along religious lines. Pakistan as a country chose to be an Islamic state while India remained secular state. Jammu & Kashmir(J&K) opted to remain independent. Soon violence erupted in J&K when approx 60,000 demobilized British soldiers mutinied, local troops disobeyed orders and Kabaylis from Pakistan invaded the country. As these events unfolded, the pressure on the Maharajah increased. His decision of accession to India was not accepted by Pakistan and a full-scale war erupted. UN exerted considerable pressure on both countries. The war was concluded with treaty of armistice. The cease fire line divided J&K into two. The issue of J& K has remained the core issue of dispute between India & Pakistan ever since. [1] 

2. India was amongst the first countries to commence diplomatic relations with Peoples Republic of China after her independence. The emigration of Dalai Lama into India and border dispute led to war in 1962. The relations though improving now, have remained strained since then.

3. India has had to deal with many insurgent movements in different parts of the country since independence. The reasons for insurgency movements have varied from ethnic, economic to social factors.

4. The military brass has recently said that India faces a possibility of having to fight a war with its neighbours and at the same time deal with the insurgent movement. This possibility has been termed as two and a half front war by former Chief of Army Staff, General (Retired) VK Singh.

5. The topic under study deals with the relevance of Chanakya’s Arthashastra in fighting a war on two and a half fronts in the Indian context.

Arthashastra

6. ‘Artha’ as used in Arthashastra signifies more than just wealth. Chanakya acknowledged wealth as the source of livelihood of men. In case of a nation the wealth included both territory and its inhabitants. The state played a crucial role in maintaining the well-being of the state subjects. Chanakya stated that administration, economy and justice are important components of state functions. [2] He said that a ruler had three-fold duties towards the administration of his country: security against external aggression, maintenance of law and order and ensuring welfare. [3] 

7. The guidelines laid down by Chanakya in matters of statecraft had been very comprehensive and described every possible situation that a king may have to deal with in exercise of his duties. He advised that every situation should be analysed thoroughly before taking a decision. He highlighted the importance of good judgement and good counsel. [4] 

8. Chanakya’s Arthashashtra contains fifteen books that deal with internal administration, foreign policy, inter-state relations and miscellaneous topics. In the widest sense, Arthashashtra is the art of governance. Chanakya described the identity of a state and its constituents, the king as an individual and an institution, administrative setup, economy, law & justice, foreign policy, warfare and alliances. This study will concentrate on the aspects of foreign policy, alliances and warfare to draw recommendations towards formulating a strategy in dealing with the threat of a war on two and a half fronts.

Understanding Chanakya

9. Chanakya overthrew the Nanda dynasty and installed Chandra Gupta Maurya to the throne after he had been dishonoured by Dhana Nanda at the royal palace. When Chanakya came across Chandra Gupta, he took him under his wings and trained him in art of warfare and administration. The first attack on the Nanda kingdom failed and Chandragupta and Chanakya fled the scene. During this escapade Chandragupta and Chanakya were hiding in an old woman’s dwelling. Chanakya overheard her rebuking her child because he had got his fingers burnt by starting to eat from centre of hot dish instead of corners when the food was very hot. The duo learnt their lessons and changed their tactics and began conquest from frontiers and finally Chandragupta was installed as the King of Magadh. [5] 

10. Chanakya found the earlier works on statecraft unsatisfactory in many respects. He composed his own work presenting his ideas about statecraft. He covered every conceivable aspect on the art of politics and warfare which could be imagined at the time he lived. For Chanakya, military strategy was an integral part of the science of polity and he made no distinction between military techniques and statecraft.

Relevance of Arthashastra in Present Geo-Political Situation in India

11. Chanakya wrote his treatise based on the society that existed before the times of Buddha. Owing to the teachings of Buddha and the reforms in Hindu society, a large number of customs and practices that existed in Chanakya’s time had changed. Therefore, the teachings of Chanakya need to be understood in context of the society that existed at the time.

12. Chanakya said that the progress and welfare of the state was the primary duty of the king. The modern concept of a state remains the same. Every government seeks development of the state and improve the development indices. The economic growth can be sustained in an environment of international cooperation and strong defence capabilities of the nation. As India embarks on the path of growth, the threats emanating from the neighbours and the insurgency movements within have the potential to destabilise the nation and derail the growth trajectory. The wisdom contained in Arthashastra if applied in the modern context will enable India to pursue her national interests while thwarting the hostile designs of the adversaries and various insurgent groups.

CHAPTER II: METHODOLOGY

Statement of Problem

13. Disputes with China and Pakistan over the boundary issue remain unresolved. The insurgencies and Left wing Extremism pose a threat to internal cohesion of India. In recent past, China has supplied nuclear and missile technology to Pakistan despite the international treaties. She has backed Pakistan despite the clear evidence of her complicity in sponsoring terrorism. In case of a war in future with either of her neighbours, India will have to be prepared to fight on two fronts while tackling insurgency movements within.

14. To be able to fight a war on two and a half fronts, India needs to form alliances and restructure her armed forces as enunciated by Chanakya in Arthashashtra.

Hypothesis

15. The threat of war on two and a half fronts can be neutralised by combination of diplomatic actions and restructuring of the armed forces in accordance with the wisdom of Arthashastra.

Justification of the Study

16. Chanakya had covered various subjects that formed the basis of Chandragupta Maurya’s rule and victories in the battlefield. Arthashashtra deals not only with matters of foreign policy and economy; it covers the aspects of warfare and importance of alliances in dealing with an adversary. Chanakya articulated the conditions under which war may be sought or avoided. He laid down conditions that had to be satisfied before a king took a decision on setting out on campaign. He described the nature of alliances, types of allies and the nature of treaties that a king could enter into when dealing with an adversary. The Raja Mandala treatise of Chanakya elucidates various instruments of foreign policy including the option for war towards dealing with the hostile neighbours and enhancing the power of the state. Chanakya had put forth his treatise based on an ideal state, therefore, its relevance must be analysed in present international environment.

Scope

17. This study concentrates on the relevance of Chanakya’s teachings with regards to necessity of forming alliances and reorganising the armed forces to enable India deal with the threat of war on two and a half fronts. The study aims to focus on requirement of diplomatic initiatives and restructuring of armed forces to attain significant deterrence capabilities in face of threat of war on two and a half fronts.

Methods of Data Collection.

18. The information has been gathered from books, journals and the internet. Some issues that have been covered extensively in electronic and print media for many years and have become topics of common knowledge too have been incorporated in the dissertation. The bibliography of sources is appended at the end of the text.

Chapterisation

19. The subject under study shall be covered under following chapters: -

Chapter No

Chapter Heading

I

Introduction

II

Methodology

III

Threats to India’s Security

IV

Dealing with Internal Security Challenges

V

Raja Mandala Theory and it’s Relevance in Dealing with Threats Posed by China and Pakistan

VI

Military Aspects Of Dealing With Two and a Half Front

War

VII

Conclusion