Clear intent

The Indian government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made its intent clear in announcing its first budget, with a 12 percent increase in defence spending allocated over the previous fiscal year. The defence budget for India goes up to Rs4 trillion, or USD40 billion. Much of this is to be spent on the purchase of sophisticated equipment sought by the military including new jet fighters, helicopters, navy vessels and artillery equipment. However, this will happen only in stages given the huge expenditure it incurs to maintain the world’s third largest standing army. India’s prime reasons for the renewed emphasis on defence are cited as the need to keep pace with China which is expected to announce its own increase in military spending. Relations between China and India remain tense, notably over the issue of its disputed Himalayan border, which again flared up last year. The presence of Chinese vessels in the seas of the Indian coast has been noted in that country.
But of course the increase will also create some waves in Pakistan. The question of alliances and Pakistan’s close links with Beijing also arises. But beyond all this is the fact that in recent months New Delhi has been taking an increasingly belligerent stance as far as Pakistan goes, with skirmishes taking place along the Line of Control and hostile language used again and again. Against this backdrop the increase in the military budget will create a new edge of tension between the two neighbours. It is also unfortunate that both countries, partially as a result of these tensions, lay so much focus on defence spending rather than on improving the quality of lives for citizens. This cycle needs to be ended. But the strong stress placed by the Indian finance minister while announcing the budget on defending every inch of the country’s territory sends out a message that makes it obvious that India is not in its most peaceful phase. The jump in its military spending will lead to similar demands and developments at home. This is only natural. But it impedes the efforts to build greater harmony in the region and create normalcy between the two South Asian neighbours which have fought three wars since 1947. It would be pleasant to see a greater effort made to work for peace rather than war. But this is clearly not the case in New Delhi and we can for now only hope there will not be unpleasant repercussions from the budgetary priorities exhibited by the Modi government as it continues along a path that in many ways clashes with the interests of the region as a whole.