Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee : May I remind him that this Government has been elected on the mandate of ‘genuine non-alignment?’
Shri Yashwantrao Chavan : You were elected on so many mandates. Have you forgotten all about them? Why are you telling me about mandate? We know the mandate.
Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee : Would you like us to forget all the mandates? That connot be your intention. You would like us to remember all the mandates.
Shri Yashwantrao Chavan : I am glad you are doing it. But when you are repeating it so much and, so many times, then we are afraid. After all, nonalignment does not mean neutrality. Let us try to understand what ‘non-alignment’ is. Non-alignment does not mean you have Soviet Russia on this side, and America on that side. Be friend here and be friend there and call one ‘Your Majesty’ and call the other ‘Your Highness’ That is not non-alignment. Nonalignment is a positive concept. It has the content of anti-imperialism and anti-colonialism, and you will have to test every move, every step, every event, every position that you take whether it meets that point of anti-imperilism, anti-colonialism. This sort of non-alignment, with the positive aspect of non-aligned movement, must be kept in mind and we will have to work for that.
I would remind one thing, because when we are talking about non-aligned movement in the world and our contribution to it. We can certainly make further contribution because there is something like economic content in foreign policy. One very important decision was reached at the Colombo Summit when the non-aligned countries met for their summit Conference. They have agreed on collective Self-reliance because we have found in the last decade that the dialogue between the developed countries and the developing countries was continuously being frustrated by the attitude of the developed countries. Wherever there was the question of transfer of real resources, whenever there was the question of proper share of trade, whenever there was the question of giving some sort of concessions in the matter of debts, whenever there was the question of reforming the monetary system, to suit and benefit the developing countries, the developed countries have always taken an adverse position, a negative position. Therefore, the Colombo Conference came to the conclusion that the developing countries, the non-aligned countries, must work out a programme of self-reliance. Nationally we speak about self-reliance. When we talk about non-aligned movement, we talk about collective self-reliance. We have to follow up this position. India will have to take a lead in this matter because India is in a position to take a lead in this matter, because we have certainly got a good industrial base, we have certainly a good technological base, unless you forgot the principle of self-reliance and dismantle the scientific progress that we have made, of which I am afraid there are possibilities. I must warn them of that. If they do that, then that will be the end of India’s future. Naturally, we on this side of the House will not allow them to do that. We should have self-reliance in industrial activities.
