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One of the basic tenets of our Foreign Policy has been non-alignment. As an element of foreign policy non-alignment m e a n s i n d e p e n d e n t o f b l o c s , peaceful coexistence, global peace, disarmament, struggle against all manifestations of injustices like imperialism, colonialism, apartheid etc.
After India’s adoption of non-alignment as the core element of its foreign policy, it also became a model for other newly independent countries. Most of them adopted it as an instrument for independence in international relations. Soon non-alignment, in addition to a significant perspective of foreign policy, became a movement of solidarity and cooperation among the newly liberated countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America. Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) was thus founded as a solidarity movement for giving voice to Third World Countries.
Its essential purpose was to maintain equidistance in cold War rivalries and advocate principles for the promotion of world peace and cooperation. In due course of time, NAM became the largest membership movement as also the largest peace movement in the history of humanity. In both, in its founding and later consolidation and development, India played a significant role. In fact, in many ways India has been considered as a non-formal leader of the NAM.
ORIGIN OF NAM AND INDIA’S ROLE
Though as a formal organised movement NAM started with the holding of the Belgrade Summit of Non- Aligned countries in 1961, its seeds were sown by India, particularly by Jawaharlal Nehru even before attainment of India’s independence. It is quite clear that Nehru was articulating the ideas of decolonisation, national independence, non-bloc politics, peaceful coexistence, eradication of racialism and the need for the developing countries to play an active role in international affairs. It was at the initiative of Jawaharlal Nehru that India became the venue of the first forum of the liberated nations, when representatives of 28 countries met in New Delhi in March 1947 (before formal declaration of independence of India) at the Conference on Regional Cooperation among the Asian Countries known as Asian Relations Conference.
The Asian Relation Conference thus can truly be called the foundation stone for NAM.
BANDUNG CONFERENCE
Along with Nehru some other leaders in the world were also projecting these perceptions of newly independent countries. President Josip Broz Tito of Yugoslavia, President Gamel Abdul Nasser of Egypt (then called United Arab Republic), President Kwarne Nkrumah of Ghana and President Ahmed Soekarno of Indonesia were prominent among these. Together with Nehru they evolved a coherent outlook and position on Non-Alignment.
These leaders were largely instrumental in channelling the emerging changes towards the liberation of the people of the world and towards evolving a new vision of the world order. They rejected outright the notion that East- West relations alone constituted international affairs and asserted their own role in shaping these affairs. On the initiative of these leaders the conference of Afro-Asian Nations was held in Bandung (Indonesia) in April 1955.
The participants from 23 Asian and 6 African States represented mainly the people of young States which had been setup as a result of the new balance of forces of Democracy and freedom on the one hand and of colonialism and oppression on the others. The states participating in the conference did not belong to any military or political blocs, arid they had taken clear and definite positions the problems facing mankind. Despite their different perspectives, the countries represented at the Bandung Conference arrived at a common position in the larger interest of world peace. One of the most important achievements of the Bandung Conference was the Declaration on World Peace and Cooperation. This declaration embodied the principles of Panchsheel which were first stated in The Preamble to the agreement between India and China in April 1954.
INDIA’S PIVOTAL ROLE AT NAM
It is quite clear that in the founding of NAM India not only played an active role as one of the founders but in many ways it was the initiator of the Movement. As we have already seen non-alignment as a concept of global politics, as a foreign policy premise and as a perspective of maximising national interest of the newly liberated countries was a vision Indian national Leadership had developed during its freedom struggle itself.
The vision became the core element of India’s foreign policy after independence rand of other countries which attained independence from that period onwards.
The non-aligned movement, thus, emerged from India’s initiative for formulating an independent foreign policy. This independent foreign policy was based on a solid moral and Sound political foundation. It was a non-partisan foreign policy. India’s moral approach to international politics was further projected through the Panchsheel in 1954.
Within three years, eighteen countries had endorsed the Panchsheel principles in joint communiqués with Indian leaders. These principles were practically incorporated in the Ten Principles declared at Bandung. In addition during its initial years of independence itself, India played a very active role in peaceful resolution of some complex international issues and persistently lobbied in United Nations for disarmament.
All these made the idea of non-alignment, the initial basic tenet in India’s foreign policy, a mechanism providing link between the coordinated actions of the anti- imperialist and anti-colonial forces, as an assertion of independence in foreign affairs, as a process of weakening of power blocs, as a symbol of defiance against big power domination and as a diplomatic innovation in the phase of politics of confrontation and cold war.
Over decades of its existence the NAM has been developing a comprehensive political philosophy, a programme of action, and a new and positive system of international economic and political relations. From its founding India has remained one of the most active members of NAM and has played a pivotal role in its various activities and developments.,
The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) was a coalition of developing nations that sought to remain independent of the two Cold War superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union. The NAM was founded in 1955 at the Bandung Conference in Indonesia. The movement’s founding principles included the promotion of peace, national Sovereignty, and Economic Development. The NAM reached its peak in the 1970s, when it had over 100 member states. However, the movement has since declined in influence, as many of its member states have become more aligned with one or the other of the superpowers.
The Bandung Conference was a meeting of 29 Asian and African countries held in Bandung, Indonesia, from 18 to 24 April 1955. The conference was convened by Indonesia’s President Sukarno and India’s Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. The main purpose of the conference was to promote Afro-Asian solidarity and cooperation. The conference also issued the Declaration on the Promotion of World Peace and Cooperation, which called for the peaceful settlement of disputes, respect for national sovereignty, and economic development.
The Charter of the Non-Aligned Movement was adopted at the first Non-Aligned Summit in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, in 1961. The charter sets out the principles and objectives of the NAM. The principles include the promotion of peace, national sovereignty, and economic development. The objectives include the establishment of a new international economic order, the promotion of disarmament, and the strengthening of international cooperation.
The Declaration on the Establishment of the New International Economic Order was adopted at the sixth Non-Aligned Summit in Havana, Cuba, in 1979. The declaration called for a fundamental restructuring of the international economic system in order to benefit developing countries. The declaration also called for the establishment of a new international economic order based on the principles of Equity, Justice, and cooperation.
The Group of 77 is a coalition of developing countries that was formed at the first United Nations Conference on Trade and Development in 1964. The group currently has 134 member states. The Group of 77 advocates for the interests of developing countries in international economic forums.
The Non-Aligned Movement Ministerial Conference is a meeting of the foreign ministers of the member states of the NAM. The conference is held every two years. The main purpose of the conference is to discuss the current issues facing the NAM and to adopt resolutions on these issues.
The Non-Aligned Movement Summit is a meeting of the heads of state or government of the member states of the NAM. The summit is held every three years. The main purpose of the summit is to discuss the current issues facing the NAM and to adopt resolutions on these issues.
South-South Cooperation is a term used to describe cooperation between developing countries. South-South Cooperation is based on the principle of solidarity and cooperation among developing countries. South-South Cooperation can take many forms, such as trade, Investment, technology transfer, and Education.
The Non-Aligned Movement has played an important role in the international system. The movement has helped to promote peace, national sovereignty, and economic development. The NAM has also been a voice for developing countries in international forums. However, the movement has faced challenges in recent years, such as the decline in membership and the rise of new powers such as China and India.
What is the Cold War?
The Cold War was a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc, which began following World War II. Historians do not fully agree on its starting and ending points, but the period is generally considered to span the 1947 Truman Doctrine to the 1991 Dissolution of the Soviet Union. The term “cold” is used because there was no large-scale fighting directly between the two superpowers, but they each supported major regional conflicts known as proxy wars. The conflict split the temporary wartime alliance against Nazi Germany and its allies, leaving the USSR and the US as two superpowers with profound economic and political differences.
What is the Vietnam War?
The Vietnam War was a long, costly and divisive conflict that pitted the communist government of North Vietnam against South Vietnam and its principal ally, the United States. The war began in 1954, after the rise to power of Ho Chi Minh and his Viet Minh nationalist movement, and ended in 1975 with the fall of Saigon to North Vietnamese forces. The United States became involved in the war in the early 1960s, in an attempt to prevent the spread of Communism in Southeast Asia. However, the war proved to be a quagmire for the US, and it eventually withdrew its troops in 1973. The war had a profound impact on both the United States and Vietnam, and it continues to be a source of controversy today.
What is the Cuban Missile Crisis?
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a 13-day confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union in October 1962 over the installation of nuclear-armed Soviet missiles on Cuba, just 90 miles from U.S. shores. The crisis, which could have led to a nuclear war, was defused by an American naval blockade of Cuba and the removal of the Soviet missiles from the island.
What is the Berlin Wall?
The Berlin Wall was a barrier that divided Berlin from 1961 to 1989, physically and ideologically, as a result of the Cold War and the Iron Curtain. The wall was built by the German Democratic Republic (GDR, East Germany) starting on 13 August 1961, shortly after midnight. Construction of the Berlin Wall was completed on 13 August 1961. Its demolition officially began on 9 November 1989 when the GDR opened the gates and checkpoints. The fall of the Berlin Wall paved the way for German reunification on 3 October 1990.
What is the 9/11 attacks?
The September 11 attacks, commonly referred to as 9/11, were a series of four coordinated terrorist attacks by the Islamic terrorist group al-Qaeda against the United States on the morning of September 11, 2001. The attacks resulted in 2,977 fatalities, over 25,000 injuries, and substantial long-term Health consequences, in addition to at least $10 billion in Infrastructure-2/”>INFRASTRUCTURE and property damage. It is important to remember the victims of this tragedy and to honor their memory.
What is the Arab Spring?
The Arab Spring was a series of anti-government protests, uprisings, and armed rebellions that spread across the Arab world in the early 2010s. The protests were largely driven by popular dissatisfaction with authoritarian governments, economic stagnation, and Corruption. The Arab Spring had a significant impact on the region, leading to the overthrow of several governments and the outbreak of civil wars in Libya and Syria.
What is the Black Lives Matter movement?
The Black Lives Matter movement is a decentralized movement advocating for non-violent civil disobedience in protest against incidents of police brutality and all racially motivated violence against black people. BLM regularly holds protests speaking out against police killings of black people, and broader issues such as racial profiling, police brutality, and racial inequality in the United States criminal justice system.
What is the #MeToo movement?
The #MeToo movement is a social movement against sexual harassment and assault. The phrase was used in a 2006 blog post by Tarana Burke, an American activist, but it became a worldwide phenomenon in October 2017 after actress Alyssa Milano encouraged Women who had been sexually harassed or assaulted to share their stories using the hashtag #MeToo on Social Media. The movement has led to a number of high-profile men being fired or resigning from their jobs, and it has also sparked a national conversation about sexual harassment and assault.
What is the #NeverAgain movement?
The #NeverAgain movement is a student-led movement advocating for
- The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) was a coalition of developing nations that sought to remain independent of the two superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union.
- The NAM was founded in 1955 at the Bandung Conference in Indonesia.
- The NAM’s main goals were to promote peace, disarmament, and economic development.
- The NAM was a major force in international politics during the Cold War.
- The NAM has declined in importance since the end of the Cold War, but it remains a significant force in international affairs.
Here are some MCQs about the Non-Aligned Movement:
-
Which of the following is not a goal of the Non-Aligned Movement?
(A) To promote peace
(B) To promote disarmament
(C) To promote economic development
(D) To promote the interests of the developing world -
The Non-Aligned Movement was founded in which year?
(A) 1955
(B) 1960
(C) 1965
(D) 1970 -
The Non-Aligned Movement was founded at which conference?
(A) The Bandung Conference
(B) The Havana Conference
(C) The Cairo Conference
(D) The Algiers Conference -
The Non-Aligned Movement was a major force in international politics during which period?
(A) The Cold War
(B) The post-Cold War era
(C) The 20th century
(D) The 21st century -
The Non-Aligned Movement has declined in importance since the end of the Cold War. True or False?
Answers:
1. (D)
2. (A)
3. (A)
4. (A)
5. True