India’s External Relations — Political Science STD 12 Humanities — Question

Non-alignment represents an important force in shaping the nature of international relations. It is a policy of keeping out of alliances. In other words, it is disassociation from the two super powers led by the U.S. and the USSR. The vast majority of new nations of Asia, Africa and Latin America decided to keep distance from both the power blocs.
Criticism:

1. There is no infrastructure of NAM such as the office of Commonwealth or United Nations.
2. The member states do not co-operate with each other.
3. The members in each and every Summit used to criticize the U.S. and the U.S.S.R.
4. Critics of NAM feel that in a unipolar world, NAM is gradually becoming irrelevant.

Value points and enduring ideas of Non-Alignment:

• NAM nations continue to oppose colonialism, imperialism, neocolonialism etc.
• Raised the voice and demanded New International Economic Order (NIEO) which was endorsed by the U.N. General Assembly.
• Due to the change in the attitude from political to economic agenda, NAM certainly occupies the centre stage.
• The core values of adopting democratic system, to pursue independent foreign policy, thinking about an alternative world order, future of NAM appears to be bright.