What is meant by Non-Alignment?
Non-alignment means keeping a distance from any country or groups created by other countries and without any discrimination, praise, or condemnation of the work done by those groups. Countries adopting the principle of non-alignment are free to decide their own country’s and foreign policies. There is no pressure on them to adopt the policies of any group.
What is Neutrality?
Neutrality means following the policy of not engaging in war. Neutral countries neither support nor oppose the countries involved in the war in times of war. At such times, neutral countries remain silent and indifferent.
Features:
(1) Neutrality is a negative principle that is only used during wartime.
(2) The neutrality principle is related to international law or law.
(3) Neutral countries are not involved in war and do not have an opinion on whether it is right or wrong.
The following are the differences between Non-Alignment and Neutrality:
- Neutrality is a negative principle that is used only in times of war. On the contrary, the nature of non-alignment is positive, followed both in war and peace.
- Neutrality theory is related to international law or law, whereas non-alignment is related to the field of international relations.
- During a war, a neutral country neither supports nor opposes any of the countries involved in the conflict.At the time of war, he does not work with countries where any country involved in the war is benefited or harmed. At such times, the neutral state remains silent and indifferent. But the state, following the policy of non-alignment, expresses its reaction publicly based on the merits and demerits of any work, war, conflict, or problem.
- The principle of neutrality is the product of the condition of some states of Europe not supporting or opposing any warring state during the mutual conflict of European nations in the 18th–19th century. But the development of the theory of non-alignment began in India after the Second World War, during the Cold War politics of the American and Soviet power blocs on the international stage. When many nations of Asia, Africa, and other regions, including India, were restless for their nation’s economic and social development by staying separate from both the power groups. They were determined to maintain their independent authority and identity.