10 Biggest Blunders of Jawaharlal Nehru``

1. 1962 War with China

Nehru’s absolute reliance upon the maxim ‘Hindi-Chini-Bhai-Bhai’ made Indian perish a shameful disgrace in the year 1962. His naive foreign policy left India open to attack since he didn’t pay heed to military threats or improve the borders. He continued losing the support of his people when the war destroyed his image and painted a stereotype on his leadership portraying he was not fit for leadership since he did not adhere to raw realism.
 

2. Kashmir’s Temporary Status

Thus Nehru has merely taken Kashmir to the UN and agreed to a ceasefire in 1948 which turned the area into an ongoing hotbed. His reluctance to adopt it to the extent, or agree to a clear referendum meant that Pakistan was able to thrust the problem into existence, making it an unending nemesis that continues to gyrate with India’s resources and security.
 

3. Socialist Economic Policies

Nehru’s Soviet like policy of License Raj was a dampener to the spirit of enterprise. Huge regulating agencies, state monopolies and hostility towards independent enterprises became the primary cause of unemployment and more than three decades of stagnation. His policies brought in stagnation, poverty and corruption blocking India’s economic progress for generations.
 

4. Neglect of Military Modernization

Even when the signs of this fact were apparent, Nehru turned a blind eye to the development of military infrastructure, regarding defense expenditures as frivolous. Consequently, India failed to anticipate the 1962 war and made the long-term security of the nation vulnerable. His rather naive devotion to the policy of non-violence meant a great deal to India, as a powerful military is all but required for any nation to remain independent.

5. Misguided Non-Alignment Policy

Paying lip service to the policy of non-alignment in reality tilted towards the Soviet Union and frustrated the West. Another significant negative aspect was Nehru’s moralistic diplomacy in the lack of a display of power: when it was necessary to have firm friends, he was careful instead. The policy kept India isolated during emergencies and finally revealed that ‘strategic independence’ without friends means vulnerability.

6. Delayed Liberation of Goa

Delaying the operation to free Goa from Portugal after 14 years depicted the hesitancy of Nehru. They accused him of cowardice for not invading and occupying colonies; diplomas caused colonial occupation to continue longer than it should have, which hurt India’s image as an aggressive power.
 

7. Weak Education Reforms

Nehru was unable to replace the British system of education with an indigenous, Indian culture based one. Rather than create the sphere of innovation, he limited the process of knowledge acquisition, hindering mental development. Thus, this forced India to fall behind in the sphere of science and technology in terms of its further development.
 

8. Centralization of Power

Nehru, criticised by many, was a strict authoritarian who weakened democracy by centralising power at the centre. His control over Congress and elimination of opposition led to authoritarian practices in future and weakened the federalism of India.

9. Underestimating Pakistan’s Aggression

Pakistan cannot be trusted after the tumultuous period of 1947 partition. Even after capturing Kashmir in 1947, Nehru resisted from achieving a decisive military victory over Pakistan; instead he sought to involve UN intervention which helped Pakistan to prolong the tension by proxy war.
 

10. Ignoring Strategic Alliances

Jawahar Lal Nehru never bothered to develop strong defence relations hence, India remained a sitting duck. Laying down the strategic partnership with the USA or NATO at an early stage restrained India’s role in the Cold War countercyclical tendencies for several decades.