question_answer

How did India play a crucial role in the Non-aligned Movement during the Cold War period? Explain.

Or

Why did the Soviet Union, the second most powerful country in the world, disintegrate? Explain any six reasons.

Answer:

Non-Alignment Movement during cold war Period:

(i) India?s policy was neither negative nor passive.

(ii) Non-Alignment was not a policy of fleeing away.

(iii) On the contrary, India was in favour of actively intervening in world affairs to soften cold war rivalries. India tried to reduce the differences between the alliances.

(iv) Thereby prevent differences from escalating into a full scale war.

(v) Indian diplomats and leaders were often used to communicate and mediate between cold war rivals such as in Korea war in the early 1950s.

(vi) India chose to involve other members of the non - aligned group to reduce the tension in the world war. For example: India repeatedly tried to activate those regional and international organisations, which ware not a part of alliances led by the US & USSR.

(vii) Nehru took the help of many countries who were the members of a ?genuine commonwealth of free and cooperating nations? that would play a positive role in softening, if not ending the cold war.

Or

Reasons responsible for the disintegration of USSR:

(i) The soviet system became very bureaucratic and authoritarian in making life very difficult for its citizens. It also impacted in lack of democracy and the absence of freedom of speech stifled people who often expressed their dissent in jokes and cartoons.

(ii) Lack of democracy.

(iii) Most of the institutions of the Soviet State needed reforms; the one party system represented by the Communist Party of the Soviet Union had tight control over all institutions and was unaccountable.

(iv) Economic stagnation for many years led to serve consumer in shortages and a large section of Soviet society began to question and doubt the system.

(v) The Soviet economy used much of its resources in maintaining a nuclear and military arsenals and the development of the satellite states in .Eastern Europe and within die Soviet system. This led to huge economic burden that the system could not handle,

(vi) Dominance of Russia; neglect of the interests of other republics.