Q.
In your opinion what is Nehru's world view? In what way did you translate it during your tenure in the field of international relations?
A.
Nehru's world view found expression in independent India's foreign policy which he fashioned and conducted in an extraordinarily perceptive and balanced style. But Nehru's world view had emerged not after independence but even before independence in the many policy decisions that were taken during the national struggle on many of the international events like the Spanish Civil War. In many ways, Nehru's world view was an exposition of Gandhiji's humanism in a tangible form Nehru talked about inter-relationship and inter-dependence of nations, and he emphasized that we must look at the world as a whole. He always looked at the world as one world and viewed even India's problems in that light. Today when we have split-second awareness of natural or man-made catastrophes, it is imperative that while we guard our own territorial integrity and life-style, we must also strengthen those forces which are fighting against racial and economic injustice. For India mankind is one family and India's message throughout recorded history has been to devote time and attention to the well-being of not only to the people of India but to the people all over the world.
Q.
You had attended the meetings of the Co-ordination Bureau of Foreign Ministers of non-aligned countries at Havana, Lima and Algiers in March, 1975, August, 1975 and June, 1976. You had also attended the Colombo summit of non-aligned countries in 1976. Could you say something about these meetings in the context of the game of power politics?
A.
Well, some of these conferences were meant for strengthening the cause of non-alignment. For instance, the non-alignment bureau meeting in Havana, the Foreign Minister's conference in Lima, and the Summit conference of non-aligned countries in Colombo, as well as the bureau meeting in Algiers were ultimately meant to take forward the non-alignment movement which had demonstrated the strength of its unity on the floor of the United Nations. The Western world and I would say even the socialist world, have recognised the strength of the non-aligned movement. Therefore, it had become necessary to identify the problems which would require our attention in the days to come and arrive at some sort of consensus to be followed in the international conferences, including the United Nations.
There were certain trends that were encouraged by outside powers, which were calculated to weaken non-alignment. The non-aligned countries had to guard against these trends. I cautioned against these dangers and emphasized the trends that will unite us, not those that divide us. I remember one of the issues that was discussed rather with emotion and passion in these meetings was the desire of some of the countries which were parties to the military blocs to be associated with the non-aligned conference and to seek invitation as observers or guests. This created quite a controversy in the discussions at that time.
