Report on Briefing Session for Indian Parliamentarians on Rising Defence Budget and for United Nations Process for an Arms Trade Treaty (ATT)

New Delhi, 20 February 2009: India is one of the world’s largest military spender. The defence budget for 2009-10 stands at 1,66,663 crores. This means an increase by 34.19 per cent over the previous year’s budget estimate of Rs. 1,05,600 crores. The increase of over 34 per cent in India’s defence budget is one of the highest in the country’s history of defence spending. And almost half of this amount will be spent in weapons purchase.

The spending on military expenditure beyond a legitimate need constitutes unproductive expenditure and diverts resources from other public services that could have helped to combat poverty. Additionally, irresponsible arms transfers are also responsible for fuelling and continuation of conflict. Even as India engages in hectic arms trade, on the other hand, it still feels that it is premature to start work on regulating the arms trade through the United Nations process for an international arms trade treaty.

In order to throw light on both the topics, Control Arms Foundation of India organized a ‘Briefing Session for Parliamentarians on Rising Defence Budget and an Arms Trade Treaty’ in New Delhi’s Constitution Club. Several members of parliament, which included Shri Kirip Chaliha, Member of Lok Sabha, Assam, Dr Thockchom Meinya, Member of Lok Sabha, Manipur and Shri Abdul Rashid, MP from Jammu and Kashmir, MPs Mr Laina from Mizoram, Shri Silvis Condpan, MP Suklabiaidya and MP Lakshman Singh of the BJP attended the briefing.

The purpose of the meeting was to inform the parliamentarians over the concerns of millions of Indian citizens over rising defence budget and to bring to their notice the need for India to take a lead in the international Arms Trade Treaty.

According to Binalakshmi Nepram, Secretary General, Control Arms Foundation of India, “The global trade that fuels the epidemic of armed violence is not subject to international regulation. The arms industry is unlike any other. It operates without regulations. There are more regulations in music and film industry than in arms”. Dr Thockchom Meinya agreed to this and stated, “Every year more than 3, 50,000 people are killed due to armed violence and many more are injured, abused and displaced. In India alone more than 4,000 die due to armed violence every year”.

One third of the world’s poor lives in India. India spends eight times of its budget on the military than clean water and sanitation while more that 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?

“We are among those countries where budget tyranny is liberally practiced, in that, the government recommends a budget for parliamentary approval without even writing or placing a policy document for the parliament!”, said Defence Analyst Ravinder Pal Singh. He further added, “We need to take initiative to connect us and to pay attention to a common problem of balancing our country’s military expenditure with our socio-economic priorities. A need remains to explain and build governance processes for implementing and delivery of almost all facets of public policies, which remains a common limitation in our country. The deficit is particularly noticeable in our national security sectors (both external and internal)”.

1,135 companies in 98 countries manufacture arms, ammunitions and components. 90 per cent of conventional arms export 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. In 2007, 70.5 per cent of the arms transfer agreements were made in favour of developing nations.

The briefing also updated the parliamentarians on the recent progress on the United Nations process on an Arms Trade Treaty for establishing common international standard for imports and exports and transfer of conventional arms. India abstained from voting for an arms trade treaty process in October 2006. In its submission to the United Nation’s Secretary General, India wrote: “India believes that it is premature to begin work on a comprehensive, legally binding instrument establishing common international standards for their import, export and of conventional arms.” The meeting made an appeal to the government of India to support the ongoing talks at United Nations to make arms trade more responsible.

The briefing of MPs ended with a call for the need for the people’s representatives in parliament to work closely with the government and the security sector. It ended with a resolve that parliament is responsible for setting the legal parameters, adopting the budget and overseeing security activities. It can only exercise these responsibilities in full if it has broad access to information, the necessary technical expertise, and the power and intention to hold the government to account.

For photographs of the event please click HERE.

For more information, contact:
Ms. Binalakshmi Nepram
Secretary-General, Control Arms Foundation of India
Phone: +91-11-46018541
Email: contact@cafi-online.org