The early Cold War was a time of ‘with us or against us’ on both sides.

From Small Wars, Faraway Places by Michael Burleigh. Page 317.

“More than bad personal chemistry explains why the US would ultimately favour Pakistan. The early Cold War was a time of ‘with us or against us’ on both sides. India’s desire to be master of its own destinies was reflected in its response to the 1949 ascendancy of Mao’s Communists in China. The US withheld recognition of Mao’s regime and sought to generalize this line among all democratic powers. India made it clear that it intended to break ranks, arguing that the nationalistic Chinese Communists would not indefinitely accept Soviet tutelage. Although proved right in the longer term, in the short term Nehru was to be painfully reminded that Chinese nationalism was a greater threat to India than Communism would ever be. But for the moment India needed peace with China so as to build the new nation, while China did not need a problem on its western flank when it had trouble in the east with the Americans over Korea and Taiwan.