Why was there unease in Indo-US relations during the 1950s?

Answer & explanation

Correct answer: option 3

The correct answer is Option (3) → The US was not happy about India’s independent initiatives.

Option (1) The US wanted India to join the Warsaw Pact during the Cold War. — Incorrect. The Warsaw Pact was the Soviet-led military alliance; the US led NATO. The US could not ask India to join its rival’s bloc. It was Pakistan that joined the US-led military alliances.

Option (2) The US wanted India to support China’s occupation of Tibet. — Incorrect. Tibet was an issue between India and China: China took over Tibet in 1950, and India conceded China’s claim over Tibet in the Panchsheel agreement of 1954. It had nothing to do with the unease with the US.

Option (3) The US was not happy about India’s independent initiatives. — Correct. India took an independent stand on international issues and joined neither camp, while Pakistan joined the US-led alliances: the US was not happy about India’s independent initiatives and the policy of non-alignment.

Option (4) The US was against India’s earnest efforts for the early realisation of freedom of Indonesia. — Incorrect. India’s efforts for the freedom of Indonesia from the Dutch colonial regime, through an international conference in 1949, were part of its support for Asian unity and decolonisation; they are not given as a cause of the unease with the US.

NCERT (2025-26): “Distance from two camps … India advocated non-alignment as the ideal foreign policy approach. This was a difficult balancing act and sometimes the balance did not appear perfect. In 1956 when Britain attacked Egypt over the Suez Canal issue, India led the world protest against this neo-colonial invasion. But in the same year when the USSR invaded Hungary, India did not join its public condemnation. Despite such a situation, by and large India did take an independent stand on various international issues and could get aid and assistance from members of both the blocs. While India was trying to convince the other developing countries about the policy of non-alignment, Pakistan joined the US-led military alliances. The US was not happy about India’s independent initiatives and the policy of non-alignment.…”