Question

Explain the correlation of the following statement.

Foreign relations and non-aligned policy

Answer 1

Non-alignment has been an important feature of India’s foreign policy. Non-alignment literally means not to be a part of any military alliance. It was India’s response to the Cold War politics of the two superpowers. The United States and the Soviet Union attempted to extend their respective ‘sphere of influence’ through promoting military alliances in Europe, Asia and elsewhere in the world.

Unlike many countries in the world that chose to align with an alliance by one of the two superpowers; India chose to remain “non-aligned”. It followed a policy of maintaining ‘equidistance’ from both superpowers. The idea and policy of Non-Alignment is the contribution of India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. After the end of the cold war, questions were raised about the relevance of non-alignment. It must be noted that the essential features of non-alignment viz. independent foreign policy and peaceful approach are still relevant today.