Critically examine the role played by India in bringing the Korean War to an end.
Refer – The Hindu
IAS Parliament 6 years
KEY POINTS
Background
· The beginning of the cold war saw the Soviet dispensation backing a communist regime in Korean peninsula’s Northern region.
· But the US faction was backing a liberal government that eventually took control of the southern part of the peninsula.
· The inter-Korean war lasted for three years between 1950 and 1953, which was a proxy war between USSR and the US.
· A truce was reached in 1953 through the “Armistice Agreement” and it divided the Korean peninsula into two along the 38th Parallel (latitude) and also provided for neutral international peace patrol.
India’s role
· India played a vital role in effectuating the “Armistice Agreement, 1953”, that ended the Korean War.
· India under Nehru was actively involved in negotiating peace in the Korean peninsula by engaging all the major stakeholders – US, USSR and China.
· Diplomacy - In late 1952, the Indian resolution on Korea was adopted at the UN with unanimous non-Soviet support.
· But India rightly recognized any deal without the Soviets will fail and immediately flung into action to get them on board, which happened in 1953.
· Ultimately, despite the rough international political climate, India succeeded in building consensus – which precipitated in the “Armistice Agreement”.
· Effectuation - One of the follow-up actions to the Armistice Agreement was the establishment of a Neutral Nations Repatriation Commission (NNRC).
· NNRC was to decide on the fate of over 20,000 prisoners of war from both sides and India was chosen as the Chair of the NNRC.
· NNRC’s tenure ended in early 1954, and the Indian forces were praised internationally for executing the tough stabilizing operations successfully.
· Indian Abode - At the end of its work, the NNRC was left with over 80 prisoners of war who didn’t want to go to either of the Koreas.
· As an interim arrangement, Nehru decided to grant them abode in India until the UN directive on their request is pronounced.
· Although most settled in foreign destination like Latin America, some did stay back in India and lived their entire lives here.
