Non-Alignment is one area of international politics where there is no dearth of literature. Still, since the concept is dynamic there is always the probability of getting some fresh air whenever new arrivals hit the bookstands. The books under review have not belied that hope. Published in the wake of the Seventh Non-Aligned Summit held in New Delhi in March 1983, they have served a valuable topical purpose by putting the concept in its historical and current perspectives.
In spite of the cynicism expressed by many about its worth, the non-aligned movement has been gaining in status and importance. Starting with a handful of members in the fifties, it now enrolls some hundred-odd nations. It is not just for nothing that these nations are opting to join the movement. The exigencies of the complex international economic and military order are virtually forcing them to shun their ‘alliance’ relationships with the superpowers. Non-alignment offers them at least a conceptual cover to workout somewhat independent policies vis-a-vis the superpowers. What is still more important, the relevance of non-alignment is no longer confined to the classical concept of not aligning with either of the superpowers. It is now much wider, encompassing the entire gamut of international relations, from such global issues as nuclear disarmament or the new international economic and information orders to regional or bilateral matters such as the Iran-Iraq war or the Kampuchean tangle.