Wikipedia informs:
The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is a group of states that are not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc. As of 2012, the movement has 120 members.
The purpose of the organization has been enumerated as to ensure "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" [...]
The term "non-alignment" was established in 1953 at the United Nations.
The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is a group of states that are not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc. As of 2012, the movement has 120 members.
The purpose of the organization has been enumerated as to ensure "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" [...]
The term "non-alignment" was established in 1953 at the United Nations.
Nehru used the phrase in a 1954 speech in Colombo, Sri Lanka. In this speech, Nehru described the five pillars to be used as a guide for Sino-Indian relations called Panchsheel (five restraints), these principles would later serve as 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.
- Peaceful co-existence.
I wonder whether the late Jawaharlal Nehru (father of Indira Gandhi) would turn in his grave if he were to learnt that PM Narendra Damodardas Modi has now aligned India with the USA and has recently visited Israel and rubbed cosy shoulders with Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli PM, one of the most reviled ultra-right wing racists in the Free World (with the exception of the USA).
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Netanyahu accompanied Modi constantly when the latter was recently in Israel Modi also ignored Palestine, an unusual act by visiting dignities to Israel Today Israel (no longer Russia) is India's biggest arms supplier |
I wonder to what extent the Islamist extremist violent activities in India has 'persuaded' the greatest advocate of the Non-Aligned Movement to move to the Right, to aligned itself now with virulent anti-Islamist USA and Israel.
With an enemy like the Islamist Extremists, the USA doesn't need any more friends, wakakaka.
India has no vital interests involved in the Arab-Israeli conflict, nor the Arab-Jewish quarrel nor the centuries old Christian-Arab war.
ReplyDeleteSo Modi is correct to focus on mutually beneficial relationships with Israel, which has never done anything to injure India.
It is also not incompatible with the true spirit of non-alignment, which does not take sides in the East-West conflict. In the 1970's and 1980's NAM meetings often deteriorated into anti-Western , anti-American or anti-Israeli tirades, because many of NAM's influential members were actually Soviet satellite states.
Today, with the USSR gone, Russia conserving its resources on vital areas, and China more interested in commercial deals, the NAM is faced with having to be actually non-aligned.
BTW, all past Indian Prime Ministers have visited the USA and got received at the White House. The relationship went cold for some 10 years after the 1971 Indo-Pakistan War.
With India now open for business and firmly in the Technology world, it makes sense for India to strengthen its long-standing links to the USA, especially commercial links. But that doesn't mean India has become "aligned" to the USA.
visiting the USA is a different kettle of fish to visiting a belligerent nation like Israel. The USA is a world power and necessity required those visits by world leaders, big and small. But Modi has become the first Indian PM to do that. We have to now consider India as no longer a COMMITTED member of NAM - 'tis a sad day and a blotch on the memory of Jawaharlal Nehru and his daughter Indira
DeleteQuestions about Non Alignment Movement
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