It is stated that India can not follow the principal of NAM in new cold war era.
The NAM was a political alignment of countries that did not want to align with either United States or Soviet Union during the cold war after World War ii. Nam was founded in 9161 and had over 100 members at its peak.
India was one of the founding members of the NAM and was a leading advocate of non-Alignment. The cold war is characterised by a multipolar world with US, China, Russia and the European Union as the main power blocs.
In a multipolar world it is more difficult for countries to maintain a normal stance. Countries are more likely to drawn into alliances or partnership with one or more of the power blocs.
Why could India not follow the principal of NAM in the new cold war era?
- Indian security is continuously threatened by China: China is rapidly modernising its military and has been expanding its influence in the Indian Ocean region for example China has built artificial Islands in the south China Sea and has been conducting military exercise in the region. India needs to develop closer ties with US and other western countries in order to balance China’s growing power.
- India’s economy: it is integrated with global economy. India needs to maintain good relations with all major powers in order to protect its interests for example India is a member of WTO and G20, it has also economic ties with the US and European Union.
- India’s rising power: India has been playing a more active role in the UN security council and has been taking a leading role in mediating conflict in the region. This means that India can not to be neutral in the new cold war era.
In addition to these reasons, it is also worth noting that new cold war is characterised by different set of challenges than the old cold war. The old cold war was primarily a military conflict, but new cold war is also characterised by economic, political, and cyber threats. This means that countries need to be more proactive in their security and can not afford to be neutral.