Write about Non-Alignment Movement – (a) Nature of Non-Alignment Movement (b) Criteria of Non-Alignment Movement (c) Belgrade Conference

Answer:

(a) Nature: During the Cold War many newly independent nations of Asia and Africa decided not to join either the US bloc or the Soviet bloc. Non-alignment is not neutrality or isolation; it means an independent foreign policy, judging each issue on its merits, and working for world peace, disarmament, peaceful coexistence and an end to colonialism and racism. Its founders were Pandit Nehru (India), Gamal Abdel Nasser (Egypt), Marshal Tito (Yugoslavia), Sukarno (Indonesia) and Kwame Nkrumah (Ghana).

(b) Criteria: A country could join the movement if:

• it followed an independent policy based on peaceful coexistence and non-alignment;
• it supported national liberation movements;
• it was not a member of a multilateral military alliance formed in the context of great-power conflicts (such as NATO or the Warsaw Pact);
• it had no bilateral military alliance with a great power;
• it had not allowed a foreign power to set up a military base on its territory in that context.

(c) Belgrade Conference: The first summit of the Non-Aligned Movement was held at Belgrade in Yugoslavia in September 1961, hosted by Marshal Tito, with 25 member countries. It called for an end to colonialism and racial discrimination, for disarmament and peaceful settlement of disputes, and for reducing Cold War tensions. It gave the movement a formal shape; later the membership grew to over 100 countries.