India and the Quest for One World: The Peacemakers
Palgrave Macmillan Transnational History Series Palgrave Macmillan, (2013)Abstract
India and the Quest for One World is the gripping story of India's quest to create a common destiny for all people across the world based on the concept of 'human rights'. In the years leading up to its independence from Great Britain, and more than a decade after, in a world torn asunder by unchecked colonial expansions and two world wars, Jawaharlal Nehru had a radical vision: bridging the ideological differences of the East and West, healing the growing rift between capitalist and communist, and creating 'One World' that would be free of empire, exploitation and war.
Madame Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit, Nehru's sister, would lead the fight in and through the United Nations to turn all this into a reality. An electric orator and outstanding diplomat, she travelled across continents speaking in the voice of the oppressed and garnering support for her cause. The aim was to lay the foundation for global governance that would check uncontrolled state power, address the question of minorities and migrant peoples, and put an end to endemic poverty. Mahatma Gandhi's legacy would go global. All that stood between the Indians and success was their own fallibility, diplomatic intrigue, and the blinding haze of mistrust and overwhelming fear engendered by the Cold War.
As Manu Bhagavan recounts the story of this quest, iconic figures are seen through new eyes as they challenge all of us to imagine a better future. Based on seven years of research, across three continents, this is the first truly international history of newly independent India.
Description
‘With narrative verve and meticulous scholarship, Manu Bhagavan tells an important though under-appreciated story. He paints a vivid group portrait of the first generation of modern Indian leaders and thinkers, illuminating how they drew from the ideals of their ancient civilization and their victorious struggle for independence the basis for their country’s foreign policy at a pivotal moment in world history.’
— Strobe Talbott, President, Brookings Institution
‘A powerful re-examination of Indian concepts of international affairs during the era of independence. Bhagavan has written an outstanding book, which helps us understand not just India's foreign policy, but also how concepts of non-alignment and human rights – often created by Indians – pointed to a world beyond the Cold War.’
— Odd Arne Westad, Author of The Global Cold War
‘In today’s era where national self-interest reigns supreme, Professor Bhagavan’s revisiting of India’s fight for independence and the formation of the United Nations, reminds us that when collective goals are aligned, much can be accomplished. India and the Quest for One World is an eloquent statement on how global peace can be achieved through a commitment to our interdependence and a clear understanding that everyone's freedom and prosperity are inextricably linked.’
— Pam Omidyar, Founder and Chair of the Board, Humanity United
From the Foreword by Harvard Professor Akira Iriye and Oxford Professor Rana Mitter: "This book takes one of the best-known concepts in contemporary international society, the idea of “human rights,” and completely changes our understanding of how it emerged in the post-war era.... One of the most fascinating aspects of this book is the way that it addresses the transnational aims of the series by linking the domestic and the supranational.... The history of human rights will never be the same again."