Vikram Bhatt on India sticking with neutrality amidst global uncertainity: 'Sign of mature democracy'
Mumbai, June 24
Filmmaker Vikram Bhatt, who is receiving a lot of positive response for his recently released film 'Haunted 3D', has lauded the government for sticking by the nation's principle of staying neutral in the face of rising global conflicts.
The director spoke with IANS during the promotions of his film, and said that India has managed to stay autonomous when it comes to its foreign policy.
He told IANS, "When most of the countries have chosen one side or the other, our government has been able to stay neutral. And I think neutrality takes a lot of courage because there is never pressure from the person who is on the weaker side. But there is always a lot of pressure from the bigger power to take their line of understanding of communication. Our government has not done that".
He further mentioned, "We haven't told anyone, 'You are wrong or he is right'. We have condemned wrongdoings regardless of the country and we have appreciated the right ones regardless of the country. And I think that's a very rare sign of a mature democracy that doesn't feel the need for alignment for survival".
India's policy of non-alignment emerged during the Cold War as a strategy to avoid being drawn into the rival blocs led by the United States and the Soviet Union. Nehru, along with other leaders helped shape the Non-Aligned Movement, formally established in 1961.
The policy reflected India's anti-colonial outlook, desire for peace, and focus on development. Critics have argued it sometimes became idealistic, especially during security crises like the 1962 war with China.
India, which was once the leader of the non-alignment movement, shifted its foreign policy from non-alignment owing to its economic liberalization in the 1990s, and growing integration into the global economy. The nation now operates on multi-alignment or strategic autonomy prioritizing issue-based partnerships with major powers like the U.S. and Russia.
— IANS
Reader Comments
As someone living in the US, I can tell you how refreshing this is. Almost every country here expects you to pick a side. India's approach is smart - we trade with Russia, partner with America, buy oil from whoever gives the best deal. It's not about being neutral on morality, it's about being smart about survival. Critics call it opportunistic, I call it pragmatic.
I appreciate the sentiment but we need to be careful. 'Neutrality' sometimes becomes a mask for inaction. Remember how we stayed quiet when Russia invaded Ukraine? Where's the condemnation there? If we truly believe in 'condemning wrongdoings regardless of country', we need to apply it consistently. Strategic autonomy is fine but not at the cost of our moral compass. Just my two paise.
Haunted 3D ka promotion hai ya foreign policy lecture? 😂 Just kidding. He's spot on though. Look at what happened to countries that picked sides in the Ukraine war - Europe is struggling with energy costs, while India is getting discounted Russian oil. That's not opportunism, that's called being smart. Our PM knows how to play the game. Jai Hind! 🇮🇳
From a Western perspective, this is fascinating. We're so used to 'with us or against us' thinking. India's approach reminds me of the old saying - 'the wise man sits on the fence because he can see both sides'. Of course, there's a fine line between strategic autonomy and being seen as unreliable. But given our colonial history, I understand why India values independence in foreign policy.
V Vikram M