An international conference in 1949 was organised by India in support of freedom struggle of which country?

Question

Accepted Answer

The correct option is 1:

**Detailed explanation of why it is correct — include conceptual, or contextual depth.**

The correct option is Indonesia. In January 1949, newly independent India, under the leadership of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, convened the *Conference on Indonesia* in New Delhi. This event marked one of the first major diplomatic initiatives by India to assert its foreign policy principles on the global stage, reflecting its commitment to anti-colonialism and Afro-Asian solidarity. The conference was called in response to the aggressive "Second Police Action" launched by the Netherlands (the former colonial power) in December 1948, which aimed to dismantle the newly proclaimed Republic of Indonesia and captured key Indonesian leaders like Sukarno and Hatta. India viewed this Dutch action as a clear violation of Indonesian sovereignty and a blatant challenge to the principle of self-determination. The conference gathered 19 nations, primarily from Asia and Africa, and passed a resolution that strongly condemned the Dutch military aggression. This international pressure played a vital role in mobilizing global opinion against the Netherlands and pushed the United Nations Security Council to demand the immediate release of Indonesian leaders and the cessation of hostilities, ultimately contributing significantly to Indonesia's final independence later that year. This act underscored India's early role as a champion for decolonization.

The incorrect option is 2:
**Detailed explanation of why it is incorrect — include conceptual, or contextual depth.**

The freedom struggle in Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) followed a very different path compared to the violent struggle in Indonesia. Sri Lanka achieved its independence peacefully from Britain in February 1948, a year *before* the 1949 conference. Since Sri Lanka was already independent, there was no ongoing freedom struggle for India to organize an international conference in support of in 1949. Furthermore, Sri Lanka was a former British colony and maintained relatively amicable relations with the UK, distinguishing its post-war decolonization process from the situation faced by Indonesia against the Dutch. The New Delhi Conference was specifically focused on addressing the colonial military action of a European power against a newly declared Asian republic.

The incorrect option is 3:
**Detailed explanation of why it is incorrect — include conceptual, or contextual depth.**

Egypt's struggle for full independence from British influence was long and complex, but the primary revolutionary phase culminating in the overthrow of the monarchy occurred later, with the Egyptian Revolution of 1952. Although India supported anti-colonial movements everywhere, the immediate crisis prompting the 1949 conference was not Egypt's struggle. Egypt, which was technically independent but under significant British military control in 1949, did participate in the New Delhi Conference on Indonesia, showing solidarity with the Indonesian cause. Therefore, while Egypt was struggling for complete freedom, it was a *participant* in the conference, not the country in whose direct support the conference was organized.

The incorrect option is 4:
**Detailed explanation of why it is incorrect — include conceptual, or contextual depth.**

Malaysia's path to independence, which culminated in 1957, was generally more protracted and dominated by the British response to the Malayan Emergency (1948–1960), a struggle primarily against Communist insurgents, rather than a broad national freedom movement of the type seen in Indonesia. While India sympathized with all anti-colonial movements, there was no specific international conference convened by India in 1949 to address the freedom struggle of Malaysia (then Malaya). The key focus of Nehru's diplomatic effort in January 1949 was strictly directed at pressuring the Netherlands to withdraw from Indonesia, a situation that demanded urgent international intervention due to the recent Dutch military action.