In India's foreign policy after independence, Afro Asian solidarity and the idea of close cooperation among Asian and African nations were forcefully promoted under the leadership of which Prime Minister of India?

Introduction / Context:
After gaining independence, India adopted an active foreign policy that emphasised anti colonial solidarity, peaceful coexistence and cooperation among newly independent nations. A central pillar of this approach was Afro Asian solidarity, which brought together countries from Asia and Africa that had suffered colonial rule. Understanding which Indian leader championed this idea helps you connect foreign policy themes with key personalities in Indian politics.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- The question is about Afro Asian solidarity as a central element of India's foreign policy.- It refers to the early decades after India's independence.- We need to identify the Prime Minister who initiated and promoted this line most actively.

Concept / Approach:
Afro Asian solidarity was prominently expressed through events like the Bandung Conference of 1955, where Asian and African countries met to discuss issues of common concern, including colonialism, racism and development. India played a leading role in these initiatives as part of its non aligned and anti colonial foreign policy. The Prime Minister who defined India's foreign policy in the early decades and actively pursued Afro Asian solidarity was Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of independent India.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Eliminate options that relate to much later periods. Narendra Modi and Manmohan Singh are leaders of recent decades, long after Afro Asian solidarity had already become an established theme.Step 2: Consider Inder Kumar Gujral. Although he is known for the Gujral Doctrine focusing on friendly relations with neighbours, his tenure came much later in the 1990s and did not involve initiating Afro Asian solidarity as a central idea.Step 3: Recall that Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, was in office from 1947 to 1964 and shaped much of the early foreign policy, including leadership in the Non Aligned Movement and Afro Asian initiatives.Step 4: Historical events like the Bandung Conference and early Afro Asian conferences consistently show Nehru as a leading figure.Step 5: Therefore, Jawaharlal Nehru is the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
When you see references to Bandung, Non Alignment, Panchsheel and Afro Asian solidarity, a quick mental association with Jawaharlal Nehru will often guide you to the right answer. These are hallmark features of India's foreign policy in the 1950s and early 1960s, a period entirely under Nehru's leadership.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A (Narendra Modi) is wrong because his foreign policy focus has been on contemporary globalisation, economic diplomacy and strategic partnerships, not on initiating Afro Asian solidarity.Option B (Inder Kumar Gujral) is wrong because he is primarily associated with the Gujral Doctrine concerning South Asian neighbours in the 1990s.Option D (Manmohan Singh) is wrong because he is known for liberalisation era economic diplomacy and engagement with major powers, not for launching Afro Asian solidarity in the early post independence decades.

Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to confuse different foreign policy doctrines or to assume that any Prime Minister who had a named doctrine must be the answer. Another error is to overlook the chronological context. Questions that refer to post colonial solidarity and early Cold War non alignment almost always point to Jawaharlal Nehru's leadership. Keeping the timeline of Indian Prime Ministers and their signature policies in mind greatly reduces such confusion.

Final Answer:
Correct answer: Jawaharlal Nehru