New Delhi: Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Saturday said the BRICS declaration’s reference to the 1955 Bandung Conference brought Jawaharlal Nehru’s diplomatic legacy back into focus. He also shared Nehru’s handwritten notes from the conference and quoted a popular Hindi film song.
BRICS leaders adopted the New Delhi Declaration during the grouping’s 18th summit in the national capital. Paragraph 16 of the declaration recalls the Asian-African Conference held in Bandung, Indonesia, in 1955.
The paragraph refers to the principles of “equality, independence, non-intervention, and mutual benefit”. It says these principles remain important in the effort to create “a fairer, more inclusive, and representative multilateral system”.
Reference To Bandung
Ramesh shared the relevant section of the declaration in a post on X before turning to Nehru’s personal notes from the historic meeting.
“Here are some jottings by Jawaharlal Nehru on the afternoon of April 22, 1955 at that historic meeting,” Ramesh wrote.
He also mentioned an article by academic Vineet Thakur on Nehru’s “jottings, doodles and notes” from the Bandung Conference. Ramesh shared a reference to the article, which is hosted by the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for the Advanced Study of India.
‘Mera Saaya’ Reference
Ramesh ended his post with a line from the popular Hindi film song ‘Tu jahan jahan chalega, mera saaya saath hoga’.
The reference appeared to suggest that Nehru’s Bandung legacy continues to influence India’s foreign-policy engagement with the Global South, as reported by UNI.
It also carried a political message as the Congress leader sought to draw a contrast between the former prime minister’s diplomatic vision and the present government’s handling of international affairs.
Bandung’s Significance
The Bandung Conference was held from April 18 to 24, 1955, at a crucial stage in the post-colonial period. It brought together Asian and African countries and sought to promote peaceful coexistence, national sovereignty and non-interference in the internal affairs of states.
Nehru was among the prominent leaders who attended the conference. The meeting also gave newly independent nations a platform to raise their concerns and demand a greater role in global affairs.
The principles associated with Bandung later became closely linked to the Non-Aligned Movement and India’s support for strategic autonomy and a more balanced international order.
The reference to the “Bandung Spirit” in the 2026 BRICS declaration places the grouping’s call for greater representation and reform of global institutions within a diplomatic tradition that began decades before BRICS was formed.
India is hosting the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighting the interests of the Global South, changes in global institutions and the need for a more representative international order. Ramesh’s post linked those themes to Nehru’s role at Bandung and argued that the former prime minister’s legacy continues to shape India’s engagement with the developing world.
