shall continue to do everything possible to prevent the conflict from escalating. But we have to guard our national interest and security.
Q.-About three months ago there was a treaty signed between India and the Soviet Union and one article of this treaty calls for immediate measures to be taken in case of an attack or a threat of attack. Does that mean that the traditional policy of neutrality of India has been abolished now?
A.-We never had a policy of neutrality in the sense that you have it here in Austria. We had and we continue to have a policy of non-alignment, i.e., we believe that we should have freedom of judgment and action with regard to international affairs which we shall continue to judge on the merits of cach particular case and in the interest of our country and what we consider to be world peace. I do not think that the treaty with the Soviet Union in any way impinges on this freedom of ours.
