Thiruvananthapuram: Stating that India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru wanted the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) to be alive to changing situations, External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh today (Jul 11, 2004) said that the NAM now needed drastic reforms, in view of changing international agendas.

"NAM needs drastic reforms. It requires reinventing, just like Tony Blair reinvented the Labour party. And we should not mix 'non-alignment' with NAM," he said, delivering a lecture on 'changing dimensions of Nehruism', organised by the Nehru centre.

He said Nehru gave India an independent foreign policy, which was not dedicated to any dogma or doctrine. In his days, India's point of view prevailed in large parts of the world.

"Our policy has the flexibility to deal with problems as and when they arise. Nehru laid the foundation for a just and pluralistic state and put peace high on the international agenda. There is renewed interest in Nehruism now," he said.

Nehruism was still relevant in the world as there were certain ideals, policies and outlook, which were timeless, though agendas had changed. Nehru's greatness lay in his work, writings, philosophy and idealism, which changed the mindset of millions of people in a positive and uplifting manner, he said.

India's GNP (Gross National Product) was not worth calculating when it gained Independence and yet the country's voice was heard through Nehru. At the United Nations, African countries used to look to India to speak for them.