Weapons for politics

Defence-Related issues unite most countries. In India they have become the weapons of division, recrimination and sordid politics. Nobody de...

Defence-Related issues unite most countries. In India they have become the weapons of division, recrimination and sordid politics. Nobody denies that defence deals, given their magnitude and importance, should come under vigilant scrutiny. The potential for corruption in these deals needs to be curbed. But our investigations into defence-related corruption are now no longer about either corruption or defence. They are characterised by endless procedural wrangles rather than a concern for the truth. These investigations are more concerned about hounding political opponents than punishing the guilty. Ever since Bofors, Indian politics has been rocked by alleged defence scandals. But these alleged scandals, and for the most part they remain alleged, now detract from the real issue.

The main consequence of these investigations is that the nation8217;s defence has suffered immeasurably. There are inordinate delays in arms purchases. No honest official wants to sign on quickly on defence purchases for fear of being investigated. More attention is given to keeping up appearances in purchases than to India8217;s real strategic needs. It is the height of absurdity to suppose that vital strategic purchases can be governed by the same tendering rules that apply to purchases of furniture. There will always be scope for some doubt on any defence deal. The important thing is not to clutch on to straws to keep investigations endlessly alive. Either we should swiftly come up with credible evidence and punish the guilty, or we should give decisions the benefit of the doubt. But creating a perpetual fog of doubt simply obscures the issues. And the victims are India8217;s Armed Forces. Their political masters would rather embarrass their political opponents than pay swift attention to the country8217;s defence needs.

The ruling party and the Opposition really need to work out a consensus on procedures for signing arms deals and investigating them. Perhaps bipartisan committees that are routinely used the world over in defence matters need to be strengthened, so that parties cannot play post facto politics with decisions taken. And the investigative agencies need to be made immune from becoming the handmaiden of partisan politics. It is absolutely extraordinary that so many different agencies are now involved in investigating defence deals. These agencies are now called upon not only to investigate corruption charges, but also make prima facie assessments on whether arms purchases were made on considerations that were other than strategic. Having this kind of information proliferating across so many agencies is to treat national security very cavalierly. The politicians are simply conniving with each other to keep a political circus going. They are not interested in fairness, in the rule of law 8212; or in India8217;s defence needs. And it is our soldiers who pay the price.