The relevance of the policy of nonalignment:

(i) To maintain National Independence: Non-alignment has been regarded as the most important feature of India's foreign policy. Nonalignment aimed to maintain national dependence in foreign affairs by not joining any military alliance formed by the USA and Soviet Union in the aftermath of the Second World War. Non-alignment was neither neutrality norton involvement or isolationism. It was a dynamic concept which meant not committing to any military bloc but taking an independent stand on international issues according to the merits of each case.

(ii) To win many supporters for the process of development: The policy of nonalignment won many supporters in the developing countries as it provided an opportunity to them for protecting their sovereignty as also retaining their freedom of action during the tension ridden cold war period.

(iii) To bring Asian and African countries on a common platform: India played an important role in forging the nonaligned movement (NAM). The concept of NAM emerged through a gradual process. Jawahar Lal Nehru took the initiative to convene the Asian Relations Conference in New Delhi in 1947.

(iv) Later on a Conference of 29 countries of Asia and Africa was held in Bandung (Indonesia) in 1955. This was the first gathering of its kind which pledged to work together for colonial liberation, peace, cultural, economic and political cooperation. Bandung to Belgrade in 1961 where the first NAM conference was held was a logical process to project an alternative to cold war bloc politics and assertion of newly independent countries of their independent and sovereign rights.

(v) To avoid the situation of tension created by the Cold War: A Cold War was intense rivalry between the USA and the Soviet Union without fighting a direct war to attract allies in Africa, Asia and Latin America. It started soon after the Second World War and continued for forty five years. These two big countries became two opposite poles known as East and West. World politics revolved around these two poles. Thus the world became bipolar.

(vi) To strengthen the special relationship with Tito and Nasser: Among the non-aligned, Nehru had developed a special relationship with President Tito of Yugoslavia and Nasser of Egypt. These three are regarded as the founding fathers of the Non-Aligned Movement. The non-aligned movement was a group of the newly independent states who refused to accept the dictates of the former colonial masters and decided to act according to their own judgement on issues of international concern. Non-aligned movement is anti-imperialist and in approach. India as the prime architect of non-alignment and as one of the leading members of the nonaligned movement has taken an active part in its growth.

(vii) To provide equal opportunity to all member countries to participate globally: The Non-Aligned Movement is providing all member states, regardless of size and importance, an opportunity to participate in global decision making and world politics. India hosted the Seventh NAM Summit at New Delhi in 1983. India hoped NAM would take up the cause of development, disarmament and the Palestine question.

(viii) After the end of the Cold War the relevance of NAM: Since NAM was a product of the cold war scenario and the bipolar world, many scholars have questioned the relevance of NAM after the end of cold war and demise of the Soviet Union. However, even in the present scenario NAM has a significant role to play.

(a) First, with the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the world faces a threat from the unipolar world. The NAM can act as a check against US dominance.

(b) Secondly the developed (North) and developing (South) world are divided over several economic issues. The NAM remains a very relevant forum for third world countries to engage the developed nations in a productive dialogue.

(c) Moreover, the NAM can prove to be a powerful instrument for South-South cooperation. Such a thing is essential if the third world countries are to increase their bargaining power vis-a-vis the developed world. India continues to take active part in the non-aligned movement even after the end of cold war.

(d) Finally, the developing countries united under the forum of NAM have to fight for the reform of the UN and change it according to the requirements of the 21st century.