Incorrect. India dumped Gandhi in favor of realpolitik right after the Indo-China war when Indian started the military build up and nuclear program.
“It hurt India far more than the U.S., by keeping Indian foreign policy locked in simple anti-Americanism for no good purpose.”
Wrong again. It did not hurt India at all. India turned out to be a strategic winner (Militarily, politically and economically) in the long run. Pakistan was quick to sell out to the US. They lost.
Even Obama’s tough love is not going to hurt India even one tiny iota. India's fate is not dependent on US.
No, India did not take up realpolitik after 1962 -- explain Shastri and Morarji Desai.
Indira wanted to concentrate power and her vision was a socialist one, not a gentle socialist vision like Nehrus but a strong-arm one.
Realpolitik in the late 60s would have meant being friends with the US, closer than what india was at that time
post 1971, however and nixon's gaffe, yes, india played realpolitik
Pakistan made its own mistakes separate from its relationship with the US and pakistan is also islamic
In contrast look at the US allies like Thailand or Singapore -- better positioned.
The time for india to have abandoned socialism was the late 70s, early 80s - prior to that, it made sense for India to manage change slowly to prevent disintegrating
that's because indians are taught that. Pakis and Bangladeshis -- no, they believe they wanted the partition and they were correct.
This was not forced on them, the Moslems wanted their own pure Moslem land
you can state it was only Jinnah, but if it was only Jinnah, there would be no Pakistan.