Panchsheel Agreement or Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence

Panchsheel Agreement was signed between Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and China's Premier Zhou Enlai in Beijing, China on 19th October, 1954. 

The Panchsheel Treaty provides for the set of principles according to which international affairs between two nations should be conducted such that two nations can co-exists peacefully, maintaining friendly relations with each other.  

The main objective of 5 Panchsheel principles is that with assurance of territorial integrity and sovereignty of each country, and of non-aggression, there would be peaceful co-existence and friendly relations between the countries concerned.

Topics Covered:

• History of Panchsheel Agreement
• Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence
• Historical basis of Panchsheel Principles
• Importance and significance of Panchsheel

History of Panchsheel Agreement:

1) The idea for Panchsheel Agreement was first proposed in "Agreement on Trade and Intercourse between the Tibet Region of China and India" which was signed on 29th April, 1954. This agreement mentioned the 5 principles of peaceful co-existence or Panchsheel in its Preamble.

2) 2 months later on 28th June, 1954, the two nations issued a joint statement stating that vision of Panchsheel will not only act as the framework for conducting international relations between India and China but also for conducting relations with other nations as well.

Quoting Joint Statement issued by Nehru and Enlai:

Panchsheel "will also help in creating an area of peace which as circumstances permit can be enlarged thus lessening the chances of war and strengthening the cause of peace all over the world."

3) Panchsheel Agreement was signed and adopted by India and China on 19th Oct, 1954.

4) Panchsheel Principles were incorporated into the 10 Principles of International Peace and Conference as part of Declaration issued in Bandung Conference of 29 Afro-Asian Countries in April 1955.

5) India, Yugoslavia and Sweden presented a resolution on peaceful co-existence in United Nations which contained Panchsheel principles and the resolution was unanimously adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 11th Dec, 1957.

6) In 1961, Panchsheel got adopted as the core principle of Non-Aligned Movement in the Conference of Non-Aligned Nations held in Belgrade, Serbia.

5 principles of peaceful co-existence:

The main idea behind Panchsheel is the synergy between idea of peace and development of the nations without interfering in each other's internal affairs.

Panchsheel Treaty is based on five principles of peaceful co-existence :

1) Mutual Respect for each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty

2) Mutual non-aggression

3) Mutual non-interference in each other's internal affairs

4) Equality and mutual benefit

5) Peaceful co-existence

The essence of 5 Panchsheel principles is the: 

• non-use of power, 
• approach of tolerance, 
• learning from others but neither interfering nor being interfered with

Historical basis of Panchsheel Principles

Buddhist culture which originated in India and was spread across China, forms the historical basis for the formulation of 5 Panchsheel Principles by India and China.

Importance and significance of Panchsheel:

Panchsheel principles were developed after seeing the destruction and havoc caused by World War-II and post-Colonial era. The need of the hour was an ideology which is based on the principle of peace and development for all. 

1) Panchsheel agreement has laid the foundation of principles which formed the basis for establishing peace and security in the world. 

2) It provided for a framework based on which a nation can walk ahead on the path of development keeping in mind need to maintain peace and harmony in the neighborhood and in the world through bilateral or multilateral interactions.

3) Panchsheel Treaty focused on reducing circumstances that could lead to war and stand-offs.

4) In today's time, Panchsheel principles can help the world to :

• move away from the traditional concepts of balance of power and competitive security, 
• the consequent searching for an enemy, and 
• the predicating of activities on conflicts rather than cooperation

 Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru said that “those who desire peace for the world must know once for all that there can be no equilibrium or stability for either the East or the West unless all aggression, all imperialist domination, all forced interference in other countries’ affairs end completely.” 

Reference:

Ministry of External Affairs documentation on Panchsheel