India's defence expenditure v social spending debate-09Oct07

Mike Mcclure, Al Jazeera's correspondent, reports from the Indian Air Force's air base in Hindon near Delhi on the debate over increased expenditure on defence hardware amid the poverty in which hundreds of millions of its people live.

For the country's million-man armed forces, there's lots to celebrate these days.

An ageing fleet of Soviet-era equipment -- though it can still thrill the crowds -- is set to be replaced. A $40bn upgrade to the Indian arsenal, equipping it with firepower to match its emerging economic prowess.

New jet fighters, artillery, submarines and tanks -- the Indian military believes they are essential but critics say this massive military expenditure is indefensible in a country where two-thirds of the people still live in poverty.

In the flight path of these war machines, less than a kilometre from the Hindon base, people are still waiting for proper sanitation, wishing their children could get a decent public education, wondering even how they'll survive past next week.

"Our young people need better schools and jobs," says Srichand, a retiree. "old folks like me need a pension and some help buying food so we can get by."

Until now, India's defence spending has been about $25bn a year or about 2.5 per cent of its gross domestic product, much less than its Asian rivals, China and Pakistan.

Still, there's fierce debate about whether that's too much. Praful Bidwai, activist writer, says: "Ihe Indian elite is so insensitive to it's own people, so completely callous that it thinks it is perfectly reasonable to spend billions and billions of dollars upon armaments while millions of people starve."

Commodore (retired) Uday Bhaskar, defence analyst, says: "Look at the United States of America - 640 billion dollars. It's not like the United States does not have serious social issues which need investment, but clearly the decision of the political leadership, supported by the people, is that the country needs this expenditure."

Whether Indians support this rapid rise in arms spending depends a lot on what they already have, what vision they have for their country.

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[basava3232]

India's gdp in defense spending is very less than pakistan and china, india spending is 2.5 gdp and that too some of money is returned back to the govern every year so why this fuss about that.

[ANSchauhan]

dosto , comment mat kero ... mulo ke pass mind nhi hota .... agar hota to aaj bo musalman nhi hote ... they will never accept truth ..... it is only resion .. they are living in pathetic condition .. 56 muslim country , but no one have democracy ........... they can not think anythink outside from quran ............

[killerme44]

We together with israel will deep fry porki and arabic asses if need be.this terrorist channel al-hijra has lots of itches in its ass.fucking bitches.we will buy 100billion dollars worth of arms,if these arbi has guts ,stop us.its our own mony nt ur pimp n oil money

[soham087]

My friends from EU forget that

1) during the cold war, all European countries had a big defense expenditure

2) Western Europe is more or less protected by the NATO umbrella,, so in a way part of USA's defense budget is spent to secure the EU.

[djthebest1234]

@iooo007 just adding to what fisatbtech said......india is a trillion dollar economy moreover india is 4th largest when it comes to purchasing power parity so it is not that big deal here,infact people in india say that india should spend more money in defense! in addition to that india is one of the fastest growing nation in world.......with all due respect it is not romania!

[iooo007]

@fisatbtech india is too big for pakistand and for china is not interesting it has no natural resources that china would want ,and india from what i know has nukes noone is stupid enough to atack a nuclar country ,so my point of view is valid don't send your money to russia or usa for weapons ,develop your country man it's ridiculous for poor countries to buy weapons and ''pose'' as superpowers when teir people starv ,and die from treatable deseas .

[fisatbtech]

@iooo007

we have pakistan on east with whom we had many war and china east also with whom we had war.its enough reason for us to justify it.just check our history.

first safety of our lives then only education and other things.

[iooo007]

@basava3232 man Germany spends 0,8% on military my stupid country Romania one of the poorest in Europe spends 1,4% i wish we spent 0,8% at 12 000 dolars gdp/capita in PPP and you guys spend over 2,5% at 3000 dolars gdp/capita ?? how is live in India do you have cars? roads? education? health? who is going to atack you? at over 1 bilion people noone is that crazy india can't be conquerd ,you want to conquer bangladesh? or pakistan?and take what ?their higher poverty?

[iooo007]

i've got a question for indian natives if anyone sees it ,man in my country gdp per capita at power purchase rate is almost 12 000 dolars from what i've seen on the internet yours is like 3000 dolars ,70% of the people in my country want to emigrate to western europe ,we spend 1,4% of the gdp on millitary ,and my question is are you guys nuts? how do you people live? i can't even imagine and i', not talking about a few developed cityes ,for a big country like india 0,8% is enough

[iooo007]

stupid people the poorer they are more spending on defence who will atack you indians and what will they take from you your poverty? EU spends like 1,5% only the stupid americans spend like 4% but thei're in a war and at least they are rich

[lastdropofpoison]

the interviewer is chutiya (pussy)



[shaundsouza81]

@sheikhbpl : Its funny you talk that way. Yes India has a lot of issues (like Pakistan is heaven). Yet it is the 4th largest economy in terms of PPP, and the 11th largest in terms of nominal GDP, and the only way is forward for them. Its defense budget is just 2.8% of GDP, (internally generated funds, not aid). I'v been to India and Pakistan (Karachi and Lahore), and I can tell you that India is miles ahead of Pakistan. No offence to your country, but stop the hate dude.