60th Anniversary of Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence (Panchsheel)

Panchsheel was born in 1954, in response to a world asking for a new set of principles for the conduct of international relations that would reflect the aspirations of all nations to co-exist and prosper together in peace and harmony. Sixty years later, the chord that was struck in 1954 still rings pure and true in a world. Panchsheel, or the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence, were first formally enunciated in the Agreement on Trade and Intercourse between the Tibet region of China and India signed on April 29, 1954, which stated, in its preamble, that the two Governments “have resolved to enter into the present Agreement based on the following principles: -

1. Mutual respect for each other’s territorial integrity and sovereignty,
2. Mutual non-aggression,
3. Mutual non-interference,
4. Equality and mutual benefit, and
5. Peaceful co-existence.”

Panchsheel, as envisioned by its creators, gave substance to the voice of newly established countries who were seeking the space to consolidate their hard won independence, as it provided an alternative ideology dedicated to peace and development of all as the basis for international interaction, whether bilateral or multilateral. This vision caught the imagination of the peoples of Asia and the world. Panchsheel was incorporated into the Ten Principles of International Peace and Cooperation enunciated in the Declaration issued by the April 1955 Bandung Conference of 29 Afro-Asian countries. The universal relevance of Panchsheel was emphasised when its tenets were incorporated in a resolution on peaceful co-existence presented by India, Yugoslavia and Sweden, and unanimously adopted on 1957, by the United Nations.

Panchsheel were the guiding principles for negotiations on the Tibet issue in early 1950s. The agreement was signed mainly to revoke special privileges and extraterritorial rights inherited by India in Tibet by British. In addition to this, signing of the agreement demonstrated that India recognises Tibet as a legitimate part of China. India and China decided to mark the 60th anniversary of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence in 2014 by designating it as the “Year of Friendly Exchanges”.

Pursuit of world peace is a fundamental tenet of India’s foreign policy. India believes that globalisation should transform the world into, as Mahatma Gandhi had envisaged, “a federation of friendly, interdependent nations”, without domination or exploitation. Panchsheel is the basis of such a world order. It draws inspiration from our ancient civilizational value of considering the world as one family. This shapes and guides our actions in international relations. Even before India became an independent nation, the leaders of our freedom struggle had outlined the fundamental precepts and values that embody the Five Principles of Peaceful Existence or Panchsheel. The Constitution of India enjoins the State to endeavour to promote international peace and security and to maintain just and honourable relations between nations.

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