By Moira Dynon B.Sc.
1968 Melbourne, Victoria
This is the text of Moira’s talk on radio station 3KZ ‘Labor Hour’, on 19 May 1968
Next Tuesday, the Prime Minister of India, Mrs Indira Gandhi will commence an official visit to Australia. This will be the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Australia and we look forward to her visit with enthusiasm.
Last year it was my privilege to speak with Mrs Gandhi in India. She is a wonderful person – a great leader of courage and vision.
Mrs Gandhi became Prime Minister of India in January 1966 and was destined to proceed with her late father’s mission of modernising India and making her a force for world peace. She learnt much from life and from contact with minds like those of Rabindranath Tagore at Santiniketan and from her work in the service of the people. She herself has said: “There is no parallel in history for what we are trying to achieve in India today. In a vast and ancient land steeped in extreme poverty and embracing within its borders a rich variety of cultures, languages and religions, we are attempting to bridge, in a matter of decades, the gap created by a century and more of stagnation. This we are doing within the framework of an active and highly articulate democracy. For, we believe that development can be achieved with consent and with increasing welfare.”
India is organising all the country’s energies and resources under planned development programmes and in accordance with principles of democratic socialism.
India most realistically represents the cause of freedom and democracy on the Asian mainland. Australia is a neighbour of India and the Indian Ocean which bears her name washes our western shores.
The corner stone of India’s foreign policy is non-alignment. It is very important that we in Australia understand what this means. Non-alignment means a decision not to align oneself by means of military alliances with states of either the Communist or non-Communist bloc, but to follow an independent foreign policy. Political, economic and geographical considerations no doubt explain why India decided on this policy for herself. However it is clear that it is not an end of foreign policy but merely the means to the end. The end of foreign policy is the promotion of national interest – the protection of the territorial integrity and political independence of the nation.
Geographically Australia is situated on the fringe of the countries of Asia, which today are pulsating with new life and expectations.
In this setting we cannot ignore the challenge presented by the concept of non-alignment. The Australian Government’s present foreign policy of military alignment with one power bloc should be re-examined and re-assessed. Geographically Australia lies between the world’s two largest democracies, India and the United States of America. We Australians must look both ways, both east and west. If we are to be truly realistic we have to remember that one sixth of the people of the world live in India. Obviously what happens in India is important – and very important to Australia.
When the British withdrawal comes into effect, the independent policy of India with regard to the Indian Ocean must lead to the Australian Government re-thinking its present policy. Even now, the Australian Government should seriously consider whether its present policy of military alignment will, in the long run, prove to be a wise one. Our nearest northern neighbour, Indonesia, has also chosen a policy of non-alignment.
There are many divisive factors in the world today. Australia should do all in her power to co-operate with all peoples and countries of goodwill.
Geographically situated as we are, Australia cannot afford to give second preference to some countries simply because they are non-aligned. It is in Australia’s interest to help India build.
It has been announced that India will not sign the nuclear non proliferation treaty in its present form.
Her attitude to this Treaty clearly demonstrates her independent approach. Indian spokesmen consider that the present draft Treaty does not promote disarmament and as long as accumulation of nuclear weapons by nuclear Powers continues unchecked, it does not advance the security of the world. India is aware that by refusing to sign the treaty she would have to face the possibility of stoppage of aid and of help.
India has repeatedly announced that she is not making an atom bomb and that she is developing her nuclear energy programme exclusively for peaceful purposes. The provision of power for her towns, her villages and her industries is the main objective of India’s nuclear programme. India believes that we should work for complete nuclear disarmament.
Without doubt there is an impressive record of progress in independent India. Progress there has been in all spheres of economic activities – industrial, agricultural, education and health. But in India the people’s desire for rapid development has now become a passionate demand.
In the foreseeable future this desire for rapid development can become a reality with the co-operation of affluent nations providing meaningful opportunities for trade and aid. This situation is a challenge to any developed nation which it will ignore at its peril.