1964-65 Content Jan 01, 1964 CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. India's Policy of Non-alignment 1-6 II. United Nations and International Conferences 7-19 III. Disarmament 20-23 IV. India's Neighbours 24-42 V. States in Special Treaty Relations with India 43-46 VI. South East Asia 47-51 VII. East Asia 52-55 VIII. West Asia and North Africa 66-57 IX. Africa south of the Sahara 58-60 X. Eastern and Western Europe 61-73 XI. The Americas 74-78 XII. External Publicity 79-83 XIII. Technical and Economic Co-operation 84-87 XIV. Consular and Passport Services 88-95 XV. Organisation and Administration 96-104 (i) (ii) PAGE Appendix I. Declaration of Conference of Non-aligned Countries 105-122 Appendix II. International Organisations of which India is a member 123-126 Appendix III. Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Final Com- munique, July 1994 127-134 Appendix IV. Indo-Ceylon Agreement 135-136 Appendix V. Distinguished visitors from abroad 137-141 Appendix VI. Visits of Indian Dignitaries to foreign countries 142-143 Appendix VII. Soviet-Indian Joint Communique 144-147 Appendix VIII. Technical Co-operation 148-150 Appendix IX. Economic Collaboration 151-152 Appendix X. Foreign Diplomatic Missions in India 153-154 Appendix XI. Foreign Consular Offices in India 155-157 Appendix XII. Indian Missions Abroad 158-164 INDIA Jan 01, 1964 INDIA'S POLICY OF NON-ALIGNMENT CHAPTER I INDIA'S POLICY OF NON-ALIGNMENT India, ever since her independence, has consistently followed in her foreign relations a policy of non-alignment with the opposing power blocs. Such a policy flows naturally from India's past tradi- tions and is fully in keeping with the interests of the people of India. It is an assertion of the country's national sovereignty and indepen- dence. It is not an end in itself but a means to an end-the lessening of tensions in the world and the preservation of world peace, so that India and other under-developed countries which have regained their freedom might be able to devote their energy and resources towards their economic and social betterment. The essence of non-alignment lies in the freedom and independence of each country to judge every question on its merits and not on the basis of a predetermined atti- tude arising out of alignment with other countries. Non-alignment implies an attitude of impartiality based on larger world interests rather than on the narrow and limited interests of one power or group of powers. Despite its detractors, the policy and practice of non-alignment has steadily developed into a major factor in inter- national affairs, with the emergence of a large number of countries of Asia and Africa into independence. The gradual crystallisation and evolution of nonalignment, as it later came to be called, was perhaps the late Jawaharlal Nehru's greatest and most significant contribution in the field of international affairs. The first Conference of Non-Aligned Nations was held in Belgrade in September 1961. It was attended by 28 countries, including 5 from Europe and Latin America. This Conference contributed sub- stantially to the clarification of the principles of non-alignment and the coordination of the policies of the nonaligned countries. This meeting of countries outside the framework of the 'cold war', devoted to the pursuit of peace by methods of conciliation, helped in the relaxation of tensions at a time of great international peril. Since that Conference, certain positive trends have developed in the field of international relations, resulting in the softening of the rigidity of attitudes between the main power blocs and within the blocs themselves, a greater willingness to take disputes to the confer- ence table, and, as a step towards disarmament, the conclusion of the Partial Test Ban Treaty at Moscow in 1963. With this greater incli- nation to seek reconciliation between different political and social systems on the basis of peaceful co-existence, and <pg1> <pg2> with an increasing number of countries accepting either openly or tacitly the policy of nonalignment, it was felt that a second confer- ence of non-aligned nations should be held in order to further these positive processes. The Second Conference of Non-Aligned Nations was accordingly held at Cairo in October 1964 and was attended by 57 countries from Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America. Second Conference of Non-Aligned Nations at Cairo, October 5 to 10, 1964 At the end of 1963, when certain friendly countries suggested the convening of a second conference of nonaligned countries, India welcomed the initiative and expressed her willingness to participate in it. The nonaligned countries could assist in furthering the pro- cesses of conciliation and negotiation on which President Kennedy and Mr. Khruschev had embarked. The conference would also be able to give a correct orientation to the policies of the non-aligned countries in a changing world. India participated in the Preparatory Meeting of Ambassadors at Colombo in March 1964, which determined the time, venue, composi- tion and other details of the conference. This Meeting was attended by nearly all the States which had taken part in the Belgrade Con- ference of Non-Aligned Nations in 1961. The Preparatory Meeting drew up a constructive draft agenda and decided to apply the criteria for participation as liberally as possible, thereby permitting a sub- stantial increase in the number of possible participants in the Second Conference of Non-Aligned Nations. This gave the Second Confer- ence a much broader geographical base and endowed it with a global rather than a continental or regional character. The Conference of Heads of State or Government of the Non- Aligned Countries, which the Prime Minister attended on behalf of India, commenced at Cairo on October 5 and concluded on October 10. This was preceded by a conference of Foreign Ministers which began on October 1 and was attended by Sardar Swaran Singh, Minister of External Affairs. The deliberations and the outcome of the Conference fully justi- fled India's attitude towards the desirability and the urgency of hold- ing it. In 1961, at the first such conference at Belgrade, there were only 25 participating countries and 3 observers, while at Cairo there were no less than 47 participating countries, together with 10 obser- vers, representing four continents. The Cairo Declaration (printed as Appendix I) affirms that the principles of non-alignment, thanks <pg3> to the confidence they inspire in the world, are becoming an increas- ingly dynamic and powerful force for the promotion of peace and welfare of mankind. The Cairo Conference helped to endow non-alignment with a new sense of purpose as an important factor in promoting international peace and understanding. In this connection, a significant develop- ment was the enunciation of the principles of peaceful co-existence which the Conference has recommended to the General Assembly of the United Nations for adoption on the occasion of its 20th anni- versary. While recognising the right of all. nations to determine their political status and freely to pursue their economic, social and cultural development without intimidation or hindrance, it was agreed that peaceful coexistence between States with different social and political systems is both possible and necessary for the establishment of lasting peace in the world. For regulating peaceful relations between States, it was declared by the Cairo Conference that States must abstain from all use of threat of force directed against the terri- torial integrity and political independence of other States. Any situation brought about by the threat or use of force shall not be recognised, and, in particular, the established borders of States shall be inviolable. The participants at the Conference also pledged them- selves to respect frontiers as they existed when the States gained independence. Further, it was declared that every State must abstain from interfering in the affairs of other States, whether openly or insidiously or by means of subversion or various forms of political, economic and military pressure, and that frontier disputes should be settled by peaceful means. The Declaration went on to state that disputes between neighbouring States must be settled peacefully in a spirit of mutual understanding, without foreign intervention or interference. The Conference gave due importance to disarmament as one of the basic problems of the contemporary world and stressed the neces- sity of reaching immediate and practical solutions to free mankind from the danger of war and the fear of nuclear annihilation. Along with many other countries, India expressed serious concern at the fact that not all Powers had agreed to subscribe to the partial Test Ban Treaty. It was, therefore, gratifying that the Conference called upon those Powers who have not yet signed the Moscow Treaty to do so. The Prime Minister recalled to the Conference how strongly the First Conference of Non-Aligned Countries at Belgrade had felt on the subject of nuclear tests and, while referring to the disturbing <pg4> reports that China intended to explode a nuclear device, suggested consideration of the despatch of a special mission to persuade China to desist from such a course. The Conference recognised the validity, of this suggestion to the extent that the Heads of State or Govern- ment present at Cairo declared their own readiness not to produce, acquire or test any nuclear weapons, and called upon all countries, including those which had not subscribed to the Moscow Treaty, to enter into a similar undertaking. But within a few days of the sign- ing of the Cairo Declaration, the Chinese Government-in utter dis- regard of the hopes and wishes of all the non-aligned countries and in cynical defiance of world public opinion-carried out a nuclear test.