New Books in Intellectual History Swapna Kona Nayudu, "The Nehru Years: An International History of Indian Non-Alignment" (Cambridge UP, 2025)
Jan 29, 2026
Swapna Kona Nayudu, historian at Nanyang Technological University and author of The Nehru Years, explores Nehruvian non‑alignment. She traces its intellectual roots and contrasts it with neutrality. She examines India's diplomatic mediation in Korea, Suez, Hungary, and the Congo. The conversation highlights how non‑alignment shifted from critique to a practiced, securitized state project.
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Non-Alignment Lacked Clear Origins
- Non-alignment was poorly defined historically and generated many origin myths about its authorship.
- Swapna Kona Nayudu argues we must treat it as an intellectual and political project, not just a slogan.
Nehru As Central State Actor
- Nehru served as both prime minister and foreign minister for India's first 17 years, centralizing foreign policy.
- Nayudu centers his actions during office years to study India's international trajectory rather than write a biography.
Tagore's Cosmopolitan Influence
- Nehru drew on Tagore's cosmopolitanism to see India as part of diffuse communities beyond borders.
- This intellectual lineage made India favor internationalism, coalition-building, and cultural solidarity.
