Your cover story, India's Defense : the Shocking Truth (India Abroad,April 13,2012), reveals in graphic details what is well-known to all - lack of equipment and lack of resources for Indian defense. The basic issue in Indian defense is the mistrust of the military by the politicians. The politicians have not provided enough resources to equip the military with the latest tools of war. The army fought the 1962 war without even enough snow-boots and it was reported that ordinance factories were manufacturing consumer goods. India has won the wars with the bravery of the soldiers and the strategy and tactics of the generals and the officers rather than with the latest equipment.
The politicians wrongly believed that India won the freedom without a fight and without violence.Prime Minister Nehru and Defense Minister V.K.Menon never expected Communist China to attack India as they believed that Communists cannot be imperialists. They were afraid of the British-trained army may take over the country just like in Pakistan.So they never provided enough budget to face the two neighbors who have never concealed their antipathy to India.
A cover story in the Economist (April 7-13,2012) entitled, China's Military Rise, explains the Chinese military expansion and its consequences to the world and to its Asian neighbors.It mentions some very interesting figures of Chinese military spending which do not bode peaceful rise of China.The report states China spent $89.8 billion in 2011 which is 5.5% world's military spending while it was $37.3 billion for India which is 2.3 % of the world's total.According to SIPRI, a research institute, the Chinese annual defense spending is almost $120 billion in 2010. The institute adds 50% more to the official figure as certain defense related expenditure are not included.
India's defense requires that the Indian politicians have to trust the military as it has proved its professionalism in all situations and in all these years. India has sufficient man-power, scientific-power and resources to be a great military power to defend its borders and its democratic institutions nurtured since Independence. The politicians have to remove the network of corruption and cobweb of defense procurement procedural delays. It is time that India develops its defense industry to be self-sufficient by the next decade and enlist the co-operation of the private sector in this task. There has to be a better coordination between the army, navy and the air force with a chief of defense staff. All this is possible if the politicians change their attitude of distrust - distrust of the military and the distrust of the private sector. The recent civil-military tiff is the result of the neglect of defense by the politicians and it should be a wake-up call to the Indian government.
April 28,2010.
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