Discuss the significance of Non-alignment and Panchsheel as the founding principles of India’s foreign policy.

 Non-alignment is the most important feature of India’s foreign policy. Its core element is to maintain independence in foreign affairs by not joining any military alliance formed by the USA and the Soviet Union,  which emerged as an important aspect of Cold War politics after the Second World War. Non-alignment was neither neutrality nor non-involvement nor isolationism. It was a positive and dynamic concept. It postulates taking an independent stand on international issues according to the merits of each case but at the same time not committing to coming under the influence of any military bloc. Furthermore, Non-Alignment gained popularity in developing countries.

Thus, keeping away from the military alliances and superpower blocks was important for the independence of Foreign Policy. India played a lead role in popularizing and consolidating the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). India, under the leadership of Jawaharlal Nehru, convened the Asian Relations Conference in New Delhi in 1947 to forge the idea of Asian solidarity. Read more on the Non-Alignment Movement (NAM) on the given link. Another Asian Relations Conference was convened by India in 1949 on the question of the independence of Indonesia as India stood firm-against the colonial rule in other countries.

A larger Conference, known as the Bandung Conference of 29 countries of Asia and Africa was convened in Bandung (Indonesia) in 1955 to forge the Afro-Asian unit. The Bandung Conference was a precursor to the NAM, which held its first Summit in 1961 at Belgrade. Since then, the Non-Aligned Movement has not looked back. The Seventh NAM Summit was hosted by India in New Delhi in 1983. In this Summit, India took up the cause of development, disarmament, and the Palestine issue. The conference laid down ten fundamental principles of international relations.

The leaders pledged to work together for colonial liberation, peace, cultural, economic, and political cooperation among developing countries. It provides all its members, regardless of their size and development, an opportunity to participate in the global decision-making process. As NAM was a product of Cold War politics and the bipolar world, many scholars have questioned the relevance of NAM after the end of the Cold War and the disintegration of the Soviet Union.

Again, globalization led to the change in the priorities of even its chief votaries like India, which tried to adopt neo-liberal market economy principles in order to integrate with the emerging global order.  This new situation generated the impression as if NAM is sidelined and its relevance is declining. However, if we go deep in the basic features of NAM, it appears to be equally significant also in the changing context due to the following factors: After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the NAM can act as a check dominance and hegemony of any country or block.

The developed (North) and developing (South) worlds have divergent views over several global and economic issues. The NAM may provide a forum for third-world countries to engage the developed nations in a productive dialogue. The NAM can prove to be a powerful mechanism to forge cooperation, which is essential for their collective self-reliance in the present market-driven global order. NAM can provide an important forum for developing countries to discuss and deliberate upon various global problems, issues, and reforms including the reform of the UN and other international financial institutions like the World Bank and IMF in order to make them more democratic and effective.

Peaceful Settlement of International Disputes The unflinching faith in the peaceful settlement of international disputes is one of the core elements of India’s foreign policy. This principle has been included in the Constitution of India, under the Directive Principles of State Policy as well as in the Charter of the UN. India has played a leading role in the resolution of the Korean conflict and supported negotiated settlement of Palestine issue, border problems with neighboring countries, and other such disputes and problems. 

India is always against foreign military intervention for resolving international problems. This principle continues to be the cornerstone of India’s policy. At present, India is in favour of the resolution of peaceful settlement of Iranian nuclear issues, the problem of the democratic upsurge in the Middle East, and so on.

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