India and the Non-Aligned Movement

2022-03-09T10:18:55Z

2409:4043:2E83:654F:0:0:B28A:DB0A:

{{Short description|Indian and non-alignment}}
{{short description|In non aligned movement role of India in multilateral movements of colonies and newly independent countries}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}[[File:NAM Member states and observers map.svg|thumb|Member and observer states of the Non-Aligned Movement (as of April 2022
)]]

For '''India''', the concept of '''[[Non-Aligned Movement|non-alignment]]''' began as a policy of non-participation in the military affairs of a bipolar world and in the context of colonialism aimed towards optimum involvement through multi-polar participation towards peace and security. It meant a country should be able to preserve a certain amount of freedom of action internationally. There was no set definition of non-alignment, which meant the term was interpreted differently by different politicians and governments, and varied in different contexts.{{Sfn|Upadhyaya|1987|p=9|loc=Chapter 1}} The overall aims and principles found consensus among the movement members.{{Sfn|Upadhyaya|1987|p=5|loc=Chapter 1}} Non-aligned countries, however, rarely attained the freedom of judgement they desired and their actual behaviour towards the movement's objectives, such as social justice and human rights, were unfulfilled in many cases. India's actions often resembled those of aligned countries.{{Sfn|Upadhyaya|1987|p=315–320|loc=Chapter 6}}
The response of the non-aligned nations during India's wars in [[Sino-Indian War of 1962|1962]], [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965|1965]] and [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971|1971]] revealed non-aligned positions on issues such as secession.{{Sfn|Upadhyaya|1987|p=301–302|loc=Chapter 6}} The non-aligned nations were unable to fulfil the role of peacekeepers during the Indo-China war of 1962 and the Indo-Pakistan war of 1965 despite meaningful attempts.{{Sfn|Upadhyaya|1987|p=233|loc=Chapter 4}} The non-aligned response to the [[Bangladesh Liberation War]] and the following 1971 Indo-Pakistan War showed most of the non-aligned nations prioritised territorial integrity above human rights, which could be explained by the recently attained statehood for the non-aligned.{{Sfn|Upadhyaya|1987|p=295|loc=Chapter 5}} During this period, India's non-aligned stance was questioned and criticized.{{Sfn|Upadhyaya|1987|p=298|loc=Chapter 5}} [[Jawaharlal Nehru]] had not wanted the formalization of non-alignment and none of the non-aligned nations had commitments to help each other.{{Sfn|Upadhyaya|1987|p=302–303|loc=Chapter 6}} The international rise of countries such as China also decreased incentives for the non-aligned countries to stand in solidarity with India.{{Sfn|Upadhyaya|1987|p=301–304|loc=Chapter 6}}

India played an important role in the multilateral movements of colonies and newly independent countries that wanted to participate in the Non-Aligned Movement. The country's place in national diplomacy, its significant size and its economic growth turned India into one of the leaders of the Non-Aligned Movement.<ref name="Pekkanen&Ravenhill&Foot">{{cite book|url=https://www.oxfordhandbooks.com/view/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199916245.001.0001/oxfordhb-9780199916245|title=Oxford Handbook of the International Relations of Asia|date=2014|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|isbn=978-0-19-991624-5|editor1-last=Pekkanen|editor1-first=Saadia M.|location=Oxford|page=181|editor2-last=Ravenhill|editor2-first=John|editor3-last=Foot|editor3-first=Rosemary}}</ref>

==Origin of non-alignment in India==
{| class="toccolours" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="float:right; margin-right:1em; font-size:85%; background:#ffc; color:black; width:21.5em;"
! style="background:#ccc;" |Timeline
|-
| style="text-align: left;" |
* 1946: Nehru makes first enunciation of non-alignment{{Sfn|Upadhyaya|1987|p=2}}
*1947: [[Asian Relations Conference]]
*1953: "Non-Alignment" used in a UN speech by [[V. K. Krishna Menon|V K Menon]]
*1955: [[Bandung Conference]]
*1956: [[Brijuni|Brioni]] Declaration{{Sfn|Upadhyaya|1987|p=2}}
*1961: First Non Aligned summit{{Sfn|Upadhyaya|1987|p=2}}
*1971: [[Indo-Soviet Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation]]
*1979: Havana Declaration{{Efn|In 1979 the Havana Declaration was adopted to clarify the purpose of NAM: "the national independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and security of non-aligned countries" in their "struggle against imperialism, colonialism, neo-colonialism, racism, and all forms of foreign aggression, occupation, domination, interference or hegemony as well as against great power and bloc politics."<ref>{{Cite book|last=White|first=Nigel D.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UQQcBQAAQBAJ|title=The Cuban Embargo under International Law: El Bloqueo|date=2014-10-24|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-134-45117-3|location=|pages=71|language=en}}</ref>|name=|group=}}
*2019: Vice President and EAM represent India in the 18th NAM summit<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=26 October 2019|title=Naidu, Jaishankar meet Afghan President on NAM Summit sidelines|url=https://www.aninews.in/news/world/asia/naidu-jaishankar-meet-afghan-president-on-nam-summit-sidelines20191026024955/ |access-date=2021-01-16|website=ANI News|language=en}}</ref>
*2020: In May, Indian PM Modi participates in NAM virtual summit.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|last=Nagda|first=Ashutosh|date=11 May 2020|title=India's Renewed Embrace of the Non-Aligned Movement|url=https://thediplomat.com/2020/05/indias-renewed-embrace-of-the-non-aligned-movement/ |access-date=2021-01-16|website=The Diplomat|language=en-US}}</ref>
|}

Prior to Independence and India becoming a republic, [[Jawaharlal Nehru]] contemplated the path the country would take in world affairs.{{Sfn|Grover|1992|p=142, 151}} In 1946, Nehru, as a part of the cabinet of the [[Interim Government of India]], said during a radio broadcast; "we propose, as far as possible, to keep away from the power politics of groups, aligned against one another, which have led in the past to world wars and which may again lead to disasters on an even vaster scale".{{Sfn|Upadhyaya|1987|p=2|loc=Chapter 1}} In 1948, he made a speech to the Constituent Assembly (Legislative) titled "We Lead Ourselves" in which he said the world was going through a phase in which the foreign policies of major powers had "miserably failed".{{Sfn|Grover|1992|p=142, 147|loc=Chapter 1}} In the speech, he talked about what alignment entailed, saying:
<blockquote>What does joining a bloc mean? After all it can only mean one thing: give up your view about a particular question, adopt the other party's view on that question in order to please it […] Our instructions to our delegates have always been first to consider each question in terms of India's interest, secondly, on its merit - I mean to say if it did not affect India, naturally on its merits and not merely to do something or to give a vote just to please this power or that power ...{{Sfn|Grover|1992|p=147, 150|loc=Chapter 1}}</blockquote>

In 1949, he told the Assembly: <blockquote>We have stated repeatedly that our foreign policy is one of keeping aloof from the big blocs [….] being friendly to all countries... not becoming entangled in any alliances… that may drag us into any possible conflict. That does not, on the other hand, involve any lack of close relationships with other countries.{{Sfn|Grover|1992|p=151|loc=Chapter 1}}</blockquote>

Some saw confusion in these speeches and the West questioned Nehru's "neutrality";{{Sfn|Chary|1995|p=59–60}} in the United States in 1949, Nehru said; "we are not blind to reality nor do we acquiesce in any challenge to man's freedom from whatever quarters it may come. Where freedom is menaced or justice threatened or where aggression take place, we cannot and shall not be neutral".{{Sfn|Chary|1995|p=59–60}} The term 'Non-Alignment' was used for the first time in 1950 at the [[United Nations]] when both India and [[Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia]] rejected alignment with any side in the [[Korean War]].<ref name="Goldstein">{{cite book |author1= [[Ivo Goldstein]] |author2=[[Slavko Goldstein]] |date=2020 |title=Tito |trans-title=Tito |pages=636–647 |url= |language=hr |location=Zagreb |publisher=Profil |isbn=978-953-313-750-6}}</ref> Over the years, Nehru made a number of comments on non-alignment; in 1957 he said, "Non-alignment seems to me as the natural consequence of an independent nation functioning according to its own rights. After all alignment means being regimented to do something you do not like and thereby giving up certain measures of independent judgement and thinking."{{Sfn|Upadhyaya|1987|p=13}}

{{Multiple image
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| image1 = Jawaharlal Nehru, Nasser and Tito at the Conference of Non-Aligned Nations held in Belgrade.jpg
| alt1 =
| caption1 = [[Josip Broz Tito|Tito]], [[Gamal Abdel Nasser|Nasser]], and [[Jawaharlal Nehru|Nehru]] at the Conference of Non-Aligned Nations held in Belgrade 1961
| image2 = The Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and the Minister of State for External Affairs, Shri Anand Sharma at the XIVth Non -Aligned Movement's Business Forum on South-South Cooperation at Havana, Cuba on September 15, 2006.jpg
| caption2 = PM Singh and the MOS for External Affairs at the XIVth NAM's Business Forum in Cuba, 2006.
| image3 = 18th Summit of Non-Aligned Movement gets underway in Baku 048.jpg
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| image4 =
| caption3 = President [[Ilham Aliyev|Aliyev]] and Vice President [[Venkaiah Naidu|Naidu]] at the 18th Summit of Non-Aligned Movement in Baкu, 2019
}}

Indian non-alignment was a product of the [[Cold War]], a [[bipolar world]]{{Sfn|Upadhyaya|1987|p=11|loc=Chapter 1}} and India's [[colonial India|colonial]] experience and the non-violent [[Indian independence struggle]].{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}} According to [[Rejaul Karim Laskar]], the Non-Aligned Movement was devised by Nehru and other leaders of newly independent countries of the [[Third World]] to "guard" their independence "in face of complex international situation demanding allegiance to either of the two warring superpowers".<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Laskar|first1=Rejaul Karim|title=Respite from Disgraceful NDA Foreign Policy|journal=Congress Sandesh|volume=6|issue=10|page=8}}</ref>

The term "non-alignment" was coined by [[V. K. Krishna Menon|V K Menon]] in his speech at the [[United Nations]] (UN) in 1953,<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|last=Ramesh|first=Jairam|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Q-bEDwAAQBAJ|title=A Chequered Brilliance: The Many Lives of V.K. Krishna Menon|date=2019-12-19|publisher=Penguin Random House India Private Limited|isbn=978-93-5305-740-4|location=|pages=|language=en|chapter=Part 1 Chapter 2}}</ref> which was later used by Indian Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru during his speech in 1954 in [[Colombo]], Sri Lanka, in which he described the [[Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence|Panchsheel]] (five restraints) to be used as a guide for [[Sino-Indian relations]], which were first put forth by [[Premier of the People's Republic of China|Chinese Premier]] [[Zhou Enlai]]. These principles would later become the basis of the Non-Aligned Movement. The five principles were: mutual respect for each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty; mutual non-aggression; mutual non-interference in domestic affairs; equality and mutual benefit; and peaceful co-existence. Nehru's concept of non-alignment brought India considerable international prestige among newly independent states that shared its concerns about the military confrontation between the [[superpower]]s and the influence of the former colonial powers. By laying the foundation stone of 'Non-Alignment Movement', India was able to establish a significant role for itself as a leader of the newly independent world and in the multilateral organisations like the UN.

According to [[Jairam Ramesh]], neither Menon or Nehru "particularly cared for or were fond of the term 'non alignment' much less of the idea of 'non-aligned movement' or a 'non aligned grouping'".<ref name=":2" />

==Early developments==
{{Unreferenced section|date=February 2021}}
The Non-Aligned Movement had its origins in the 1947 [[Asian Relations Conference|Asian Relations Meeting]] in [[New Delhi]] and the 1955 [[Asian-African Conference]] in [[Bandung]], Indonesia. India also participated in the 1961 Belgrade Conference that officially established the Non-Aligned Movement but Nehru's declining prestige limited his influence. In the 1960s and 1970s, India concentrated on internal problems and bilateral relations but retained membership in the increasingly factionalised and radicalised movement. During the contentious 1979 Havana summit, India worked with moderate nations to reject Cuban President [[Fidel Castro]]'s proposition that "socialism" was the "natural ally" of non-alignment.

== Non-aligned response to Sino-Indian conflict ==
The [[Sino-Indian War|Sino-India war of 1962]] was one of the first situations in which the non-aligned countries faced a situation that was not directly related to the two blocs or issues such as colonialism.{{Sfn|Upadhyaya|1987|p=47-48|loc=Chapter 2}} The Belgrade Summit had been held in 1961 with representation from 24 countries, the reaction of which ranged from ignoring the situation, making low-profile appeals and statements to making attempts to mediate.{{Sfn|Upadhyaya|1987|p=66-76|loc=Chapter 2}}

According to [[V.K. Krishna Menon]] in 1964; "non-aligned nation(s) must be non-aligned with the non-aligned ... that is why, when some people here say, 'why haven't the non-aligned people stood up and shouted against China', I tell them, 'they have their own policy, they have their own independence'".{{Sfn|Upadhyaya|1987|p=47|loc=Chapter 2}} In 1984, [[Sarvepalli Gopal]] said; "India ... found non-alignment deteriorating into isolation. Even the other non-aligned leaders, with the honourable exception of Nasser and Tito were guarded in their response to India's case.{{Sfn|Upadhyaya|1987|p=47|loc=Chapter 2}}

== Non-alignment and Indo-Pakistan conflicts ==
The response of non-aligned nations to the Indo-Pakistan conflicts revealed insights into their views towards self determination, issues of secession, the use of force in boundary disputes, armed intervention, external support in liberation struggles, human rights and genocide.{{Sfn|Upadhyaya|1987|p=168|loc=Chapter 4}}{{Sfn|Upadhyaya|1987|p=235|loc=Chapter 5}} Many of the non-aligned nations were facing similar problems in their own countries.{{Sfn|Upadhyaya|1987|p=235|loc=Chapter 5}} The [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]] saw a continuing decline in the role of non-aligned nations in peacekeeping, a decline that started with a failure to mediate during the 1962 Indo-Sino war.{{Sfn|Upadhyaya|1987|p=233|loc=Chapter 4}}

[[File:Stamp of India - 1983 - Colnect 168541 - Logo.jpeg|thumb|Commemorative stamp of the 7th summit which was held in India, 1983]]

The [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]] started as an "internal issue" of human rights in Pakistan, an issue of human rights but became India's problem with the migration of millions of refugees into India, which was referred to as "civilian aggression".{{Sfn|Upadhyaya|1987|p=251|loc=Chapter 5}} Two major alignments developed; Pakistan aligned with the United States and China, and India aligned with the Soviet Union.{{Sfn|Upadhyaya|1987|p=255|loc=Chapter 5}} Without Soviet support, India would not have been able to defend itself against the US-Pakistan-China alliance.{{Sfn|Upadhyaya|1987|p=255|loc=Chapter 5}} This polarization influenced all forums and international opinion, including that of the Non-Aligned Movement, which at the time consisted of 53 nations.{{Sfn|Upadhyaya|1987|p=255|loc=Chapter 5}} The non-aligned responses varied from calling the situation an internal matter of Pakistan to seeking a political solution to a humanitarian problem but only one of the non-aligned states mentioned the human rights aspect.{{Sfn|Upadhyaya|1987|p=264-270|loc=Chapter 5}} It took time for some of the non-aligned nations to deal with the emergence of Bangladesh and to appreciate the contradictory issues of Pakistan national unity and the Bengali right to self-determination.{{Sfn|Upadhyaya|1987|p=272|loc=Chapter 5}} During the [[United Nations General Assembly Resolution 377|Uniting for Peace resolution]], non-aligned responses became clearer; some of the African non-aligned nations were the most critical of India while others that wanted to stay neutral made contradictory statements. The predicament of small non-aligned states was also seen.{{Sfn|Upadhyaya|1987|p=272–275|loc=Chapter 5}} India was disappointed with the non-aligned response. In August 1971, [[M. C. Chagla]], a former foreign affairs minister of India, said:

{{Blockquote|text=Look at the non-aligned countries, we have prided ourselves of our nonalignment. What have the non-aligned countries done? Nothing. ... many countries have skeletons in their cupboard. They have minorities whom they have not treated well and they feel that if they support Bangladesh, these minorities will also rise in revolt, in rebellion, against the oppressive policies being pursued by the administration.{{Sfn|Upadhyaya|1987|p=290|loc=Chapter 5}}<ref>{{Cite book|last=|first=|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Gs-1AAAAIAAJ|title=Bangla Desh: Crisis & Consequences: Proceedings of the Seminar, 7th and 8th August 1971|date=1971|publisher=Deendayal Research Institute; [distributors: Indian Publishing House, Delhi]|isbn=|editor-last=Ghaṭāṭe|editor-first=Narayana Madhava|location=|pages=83, 84|language=en}}</ref>}}

The signing of the [[Indo-Soviet Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation]] in 1971 and India's involvement in the internal affairs of its smaller neighbours in the 1970s and 1980s tarnished its image as a non-aligned nation and led some observers to question India's non-alignment.{{Sfn|Upadhyaya|1987|p=298|loc=Chapter 5}} Rather than an issue of non-aligned solidarity, India's declining influence in non-aligned areas compared to the rise of China also affected the international withdrawal of support to India.{{Sfn|Upadhyaya|1987|p=301–304|loc=Chapter 6}} There was no commitment for the non-aligned nations to help each other.{{Sfn|Upadhyaya|1987|p=302–304|loc=Chapter 6}} Non-alignment also affected India's bilateral relations with many countries.{{Sfn|Upadhyaya|1987|p=302–304|loc=Chapter 6}}

== 21st century ==
[[File:18th Summit of Non-Aligned Movement gets underway in Baku 109.jpg|thumb|Vice President Naidu and EAM Jaishankar during the 18th NAM summit in 2019.]]

In 2019, India was represented at the 18th NAM summit by its vice president and external affairs minister.<ref name=":4" /> In May 2020, the Indian Prime Minister [[Narendra Modi]] participated in a NAM virtual summit.<ref name=":3" /> In July 2020, India's External Affairs Minister [[Subrahmanyam Jaishankar]] said during an interview; "non-alignment was a term of a particular era and a particular, shall I say, geopolitical landscape".<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Bhaumik|first=Anirban|date=2020-07-20|title=S Jaishankar says era of non-alignment gone, as US, Indian warships conduct joint drills|url=https://www.deccanherald.com/national/s-jaishankar-says-era-of-non-alignment-gone-as-us-indian-warships-conduct-joint-drills-863666.html |access-date=2021-01-10|newspaper=Deccan Herald|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=30 July 2020|title=EAM's interaction on Mindmine Mondays, CNBC (July 21, 2020)|url=https://www.mea.gov.in/interviews.htm?dtl/32862|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200925000749/https://www.mea.gov.in/interviews.htm?dtl/32862|archive-date=20 July 2020|access-date=2021-01-16|website=Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Pant|first=Harsh V.|title=Gradually burying non-alignment|url=https://www.orfonline.org/research/gradually-burying-non-alignment/|access-date=2021-01-10|website=ORF|language=en-US}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Foreign relations of India]]
* [[Cold War in Asia#India]]
*[[7th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement]]
*[[Non-Aligned Movement]]
*[[Group of 15]]
*[[Yugoslavia and the Non-Aligned Movement]]
*[[Egypt and the Non-Aligned Movement]]

== References ==
'''Notelist'''
{{Notelist}}
'''References'''<references />'''Bibliography'''

* {{Cite thesis|last=Upadhyaya|first=Priyankar|title=Non-aligned States And India's International Conflicts|date=1987|degree=Thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of the Jawaharlal Nehru University|publisher=Centre For International Politics Organization And Disarmament School Of International Studies New Delhi|url=http://hdl.handle.net/10603/16265|doi=|hdl=10603/16265}}
* {{Cite book|last=|first=|title=Uno, Nam, Nieo, Saarc and India's Foreign Policy|publisher=Deep and Deep Publications|year=1992|isbn=9788171003495|editor-last=Grover|editor-first=Verinder|volume=10 of International relations and foreign policy of India|location=New Delhi|pages=}}
* {{Cite book|last=Chary|first=M. Srinivas|title=The Eagle and the Peacock: U.S. Foreign Policy Toward India Since Independence|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|year=1995|isbn=9780313276026|location=|pages=}}

== Further reading ==

* {{Cite book|last=Gupta|first=Devender Kumar|url=https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/144514089.pdf|title=Role of India in Non-Aligned Movement: A Select Annotated Bibliography (submitted in partial fulfilment for the award of the degree of Master of Library Science)|publisher=Department Of Library Science, Aligarh Muslim University|year=1987|isbn=|location=Aligarh|pages=}}
* Chaudhuri, Rudra. ''Forged in Crisis: India and the United States since 1947.'' Oxford University Press, 2014.
* {{cite web
|work=[[Library of Congress Country Studies]] (All works are released in [[Public domain]])
|title=Library of Congress: Federal Research Division Country Profile: India, September 1995
|url=http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd/cstdy:@field(DOCID+in0182)
|access-date=2007-11-06}}

==External links==
*[http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20070027665 India reasserts firm commitment to NAM]
*https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/asia/1992-03-01/india-after-nonalignment
*[http://www.iins.org International Institute for Non-Aligned Movement]

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India and the Non-Aligned Movement