Warfare or Welfare? Alternative Civil Society Action during Aero India 2009 in Bangalore

Posted on February 12, 2009 0 Comments14

Following, we have put together two selected articles published on our events during the Aero India 2009 in Bangalore on February 10th, 2009. For more information please click HERE for our press release and HERE for a detailed program schedule of the events held in Bangalore.


Campaign for global defence expense cut

Bangalore: A Campaign for converting at least ten per cent of global military expenditure and arms trade into social investment such as food, shelter, health, education, social security was launched in the city, even as Asia’s biggest Aero show kicked off Wednesday.

The campaign was organised jointly by Control Arms Foundation of India (CAFI), New Delhi; FEDINA, Bangalore and School of Law, Christ University, Bangalore. The campaigners formed human chain before the Mahatma Gandhi statue and also in front of five-day Aero India, inaugurated by Defence Minister A K Antony.

CAFI Secretary-General Binalakshmi Nepram, talking to newspersons here, alleged that ‘the global trade that fuels epidemic of armed violence was not subject to international regulation.” The arms industry was like any other industry as it operates without regulation. There are more regulations in music and film industry than in arms, she added.

She said ”1135 companies in 98 countries manufactures arms, ammunitions and components.” Ninety per cent of Conventional arms exports in the world were from the permanent five members of the United Nations Security Council–US, UK, Russia, China and France, she said adding Africa, Latin America, Asia and Middle East countries hold 51 per cent of the world’s heavy weapons.

Ms Nepram said ten per cent reduction on defence expenditure would help to improve transparency in defence expenditure and make it more realistic for the country.

The right to ‘security’ would ensure both human security and border security,” she said. FEDINA Executive Director Dr Duarte Barreto said ”while 900 million people in our country lack social security protection, a demand for unilateral 10 per cent reduction in military expenditure is not big.”

“One third of the world’s poor live in India and the country spends eight times of its budget on the military than providing clean water and sanitation while more than 4,50,000 people die every year due to diarrhoea. When people are dying of poverty, can security and arms provide them with a basic square meal,” he asked.

Mr Arvind Radhakrishnan of School of Law, Christ University, Bangalore, said ”in a country where poverty was rampant and where there is a great deal to be done in the fields of health and education, we cannot be spending so much on defence. Our battle is against starvation and deprivation, which cannot be fought with guns and missiles.”

The campaigners have also chalked out ‘Lie down Protest Action, ‘Mime Show,’ ‘Peace Vigil’ walk from Mahatma Gandhi square to Minsk Square and around Aero India Exhibit Halls at Yelahanka.

Source: week.manoramaonline.com


Pride and poverty: India’s amazing socialist blend

Bangalore: When one-third of the world’s poor live in India, is it logical for New Delhi to continue with its fascination for arms and aviation? India spends lot of money for military empowerment but ignores hopelessly the issue of health, because of which hundred thousands die due to curable diseases.

The issue has come alive again as Bangalore is hoisting the 7th Biennial Aerospace Exhibition from February 11 next. The five-day extravaganza, Aero India 2009, at the Yelahanka Air Force Base in the garden city of India has attracted around 600 Indian and international companies for the exhibition. Organised by the Ministry of Defence (GoI) and recognised as Asia’s largest air force exhibition, it will showcase a wide range of civil and military aircrafts from leading manufacturers, vendors and suppliers.

As a prelude to the Aero show, a seminar has also been organised by Defence Research and Development Organisation in association with the Aeronautical Society of India. Titled as Aerospace – Perspectives and Trends in Technologies, the seminar is supposed to discuss various parameters like aircraft technologies, space technologies, airborne systems, aircraft design and development, aircraft technologies and certification, aerospace systems and infrastructure development etc.

It may be mentioned that India is one of the world’s largest weapons importers. Between 2000 and 2007 India ranked world’s second largest arms importer accounting for 7.5 per cent of all major weapons transfers. It stood fourth among the largest military spender in terms of purchasing power in 2007, followed by US, China and Russia.

“Over 1,130 companies in 98 countries manufacture arms, ammunitions and components. Ninety per cent of conventional arms exports in the world are from the permanent five members of the United Nations Security Council namely USA, UK, Russia, China and France. The countries of Africa, Latin America, Asia and the Middle East hold 51 per cent of the world’s heavy weapons. In 2002, arms deliveries to Asia, the Middle East, Latin America and Africa constituted 66.7 per cent of the value of all arms deliveries worldwide,” said Binalakshmi Nepram, Secretary General of Control Arms Foundation of India (CAFI).

She also added, “If we consider the current budget allocations in India for the year 2008-09, allocation for defence is Rs 105,600 crore, which is 14.06 per cent of total budget and around Rs 48,007 crore i.e. 45.5 per cent of the defence budget is spent on arms and ammunitions.”

Similarly, Dr Duarte Barreto of the Foundation of Educational Innovation in Asia (FEDINA), Bangalore questions: While 900 million people of our country lack social security protection, a demand for unilateral 10 per cent reduction in military expenditure is not a big deal.   When people are dying of poverty, can security and arms provide them with a basic square meal?

As the criticism towards New Delhi’s fascination to military power grows bigger, three influential civil society and advocacy groups have decided to organise a parallel event in Bangalore as an alternative action to the Aero show. The event, organised by the CAFI, FEDINA, and the School of Law (Christ University, Bangalore), would focus on the consequences of the arms trade and it is titled as Disarmament for Peace, Human Security and Development in 21st century India.

The programmes include a press conference at Bangalore Press Club, human chain formation in the city streets, group discussion, mime show and a peace vigil walk around the Aero show venue, informed Mita Dutta of FEDINA, who talked to this writer from Bangalore.

Arvind Radhakrishnan of the Bangalore-based School of Law had a major point to get highlighted, “In a country where poverty is rampant and where there is a great deal to be done in the fields of health and education, we cannot be spending so much on defence. Our battle is against starvation and deprivation, which cannot be fought with guns and missiles.”

Source: www.merinews.com