Speeches in Parliament Vol. (IV)-9

Non-alignment, as I have said, is movement. I was asked the other day whether non-aligned was not becoming a mantra, and I pointed out to my interviewer that ‘non-alignment is a dynamic, living organism’. Notwithstanding the progress of detente, which all of us welcome and to which we subscribe in our own attitudes, there is need for vigilance and solidarity among the non-aligned countries in guarding against the tendency to carve out spheres of influence or settle matters over the heads of others. The importance of such solidarity was reiterated at the recent Ministerial meeting of the Co-ordination Bureau of the non-aligned at Havana. The aims and principles of non-alignment continue to have a great validity in order to ensure genuine independence, peace and international security for the majority of the world’s population, and India will continue to play its due role in furthering these principles. What has happened in Cyprus underlines the importance of solidarity among the non-aligned. We firmly support the sovereignty, territorial integrity, independence and non-aligned status of Cyprus. We endorse the various U. N. Resolutions on Cyprus which, while reiterating the above-mentioned principles, call for an end to foreign military presence of interference and for talks between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities in order to achieve a mutually acceptable political and constitutional settlement. For the sake of peace in that region and of the welfare of the people of Cyprus who have already suffered so much, we earnestly hope that all concerned will avoid doing anything that might delay or endanger the prospects of such a settlement. We are glad to note that there is likelihood of the talks between the two communities being resumed shortly.

I have mentioned the economic and monetary crises. I would like to refer to what Mr. Naik has said. I would request him to reconsider the proposition that he had made...

An Hon. Member : What did he say?

Shri Y. B. Chavan : I do not want to repeat what he had said.

Prof. Madhu Dandavate (Rajapur) : Why not tell him that it is not a mantra but a tantra?