Pallam Raju addresses coursemates at National Defence College
Following is the extract of the speech delivered by the Minister of State for Defence Shri MM Pallam Raju on "Evaluation and Manifestation of India's Defence Policy: Safeguarding National Interest" to the participants of the 48th Course on National Security and Strategic Studies at the National Defence College (NDC) here today:
"Our primary objective is to achieve economic, political, social, scientific and technological development within a peaceful and democratic framework. India's security is an integral component of its development process. India continuously aims at promoting peace and stability around it so that developmental priorities can be pursued without disruption. This requires an environment of durable peace and cushion against potential risks to peace and stability. It is our endeavor to proceed towards this objective in cooperation with the global democratic trends and to play a constructive role in advancing the international system towards a peaceful, just and equitable order. We believe that Autonomy of decision making in the developmental process and in strategic matters is an inalienable democratic right of the Indian people. We will strenuously guard this right in a world where there is growing complexity and frequency in the use of force for political purposes.
In the absence of global nuclear disarmament, India's strategic interests also require effective, credible nuclear deterrence and adequate retaliatory capability should deterrence fail. This is consistent with the UN Charter, which allows the right of self-defence. The requirements of deterrence should be carefully weighed in the design of Indian nuclear forces and in the strategy to provide for a level of capability consistent with maximum credibility, effectiveness, safety and security. Highly effective conventional military capabilities shall be maintained to raise the threshold of outbreak of conventional military conflict as well as that of threat or use of nuclear weapons. India shall pursue a doctrine of credible Minimum nuclear deterrence. In this policy of "retaliation only", the survivability of our arsenal is critical. This is a dynamic concept related to the strategic environment, technological imperatives and the needs of National security. However, I reiterate that we remain committed to peaceful use of Nuclear Technology, particularly for meeting our Energy requirements.
As the world awakens to our true potential, India is the focus of interest globally. As a self-confident and vibrant India looks towards achieving its manifest destiny in the years ahead, the Indian security establishment will also increasingly need to play a larger role in achieving our national aims. Institutions such as the NDC will, more than ever before, need to present decision-makers with a range of educated policy options on various issues. Security goes well beyond strategic and military considerations, to involve political, economic, social, technological and even environmental factors. Emerging concerns also include dwindling energy and water resources, which could become the root of future conflicts. In the post cold-war era, we have witnessed the tyranny of technologically advanced countries imposing regimes governing technology, space, nuclear energy, and even the environment and human rights.
The Defence Policy of India is principally the product of its peaceful political aspirations and priorities. Historically Indian policymakers have sought to strike a balance between defence-spending and other social needs. It has been our endeavor to spend as optimally as we could on the defence. Our Defence policy is guided by our need to promote rapid economic growth and social well-being of our people. As such it reflects pursuance of this national aim. We recognize the need for a secure internal and external environment for pursuit of this supreme goal. However, India is located in a strategically peculiar region. We have been victims of territorial aggression in the past. A large number of non-state armed groups have sanctuaries in our neighboring states. Some groups inimical to our unity and integrity use these bases to carry out acts of aggression across India. We also have to contend with a number of insurgent groups in Kashmir and North East who are often supported by external sources. Combination of these and other issues compel us to be on constant vigil and preparedness to defend our vital interests and values.
Allow me to briefly describe the nation's predicament. On the positive side, the world in general and Asia in particular witnessed a period of extraordinary growth followed by worldwide economic crisis and threat of recession. This is likely to impact our growth rates and the efforts to improve the quality of life. This may also lead to increasingly intricate security problems. The very connectivity and the technologies which have led to global growth and progress have made economic insecurity a more potent international threat which merits collective responses. These collective responses are likely to throw up a new genre of challenges which would merit unprecedented responses. The broad four conceptual issues which the nation faces are: -
(i) The progress of globalization is taking us into uncharted territory, making it hard to predict success or anticipate problems. When the past, present and future are so different to each other then policy making is rendered difficult.
(ii) While the challenges are likely to be more global and transnational, yet our approach to them continues to be largely national in nature. This is particularly inadequate in situations where power centres may not be nation states.
(iii) Global security architecture is characterized today by greater freedom of choice which, while generally a welcome development, calls for more sophisticated hedging.
(iv) Our ability, collectively or nationally, to address these challenges is as uncertain as the problems themselves, given that future directions of growth and the extent of global interdependence cannot be accurately predicted.
With this overarching perspective, I would like to share with you some thoughts on India's Defence Policy making. In terms of specific concerns that we seek to address, I would categorize them using the three levels domestic, regional and global. In respect of domestic security challenges, our concern emanate primarily from forces that ideologically challenge India's pluralistic and secular character. By espousing ethnic or religious extremism and advocating separation, they seek to threaten the Indian identity. Many of these groups obtain sustenance from outside. While we recognize that pluralistic cultures are broadly under threat from narrow and sectarian beliefs the world over, India which lives in a particularly difficult neighborhood, has borne the brunt of such attacks much longer than most other states. In recent years, the consequences of uneven growth and unmet expectations have added to our vulnerabilities. The internal security dimension occupies a significant portion of our policymaking. Our defence policy aims to deter the external exploitation of our challenges while we fashion a political response, which draws on our democratic strengths.
The other significant issue before the defence planners is that of nuclear proliferation both among states and non-state actors. For variety of reasons, nuclear weapons continue to remain attractive while the nuclear non-proliferation regime continues to be under stress. The stability of nuclear order has come under threat in recent times from four inter-related issues. First, the moral case of containing nuclear weapons powers have not kept up the promise of taking steps towards eventual disarmament and abolition of nuclear weapons. Second, some states are actively seeking to build nuclear weapons. Third, many non-state armed groups, often millenarians in their ideological orientation, are known to be in pursuit of WMDs. Fourth, technological diffusion, especially in the civil nuclear field and the resources available to medium and small states makes it easy to pursue a weaponisation programme, if they have the incentive and the will to do so.
In recent years some states have shown both the capability and the will to acquire this capability. Also, there are continuing concerns about the safety of these weapons in some nuclear weapon states, given the political instability and fragility of the governing regimes. The concern is real and consequential given the enormous destructive potential; if these weapons were to fall in the hands of rogue elements and non-state armed groups. The proliferation of nuclear weapons and related technologies continues to be a legitimate area of concern. In addition there are growing anxieties about what might be called weapons of mass destruction like chemical and biological weapons.
Experts fear that the growth and proliferation of technologies particularly information technology, bio-technology nano-technogloy and genetic engineering may create a permissive environment for nuclear proliferation. Besides, these technologies are likely to increase both the lethality and reach of the existing weapons systems.
Let me now, summarize India's Defence Policy. Indian Defence Policy is based on an envisaged stabilizing role in the region and therefore, War Prevention is the primary percept. Capability in this regard will rest on the combined effect of multiple inputs that provide the capacity. This ability cannot be just the sum of inputs, the synergy that arises from the way those inputs are combined and apply.
Indian military strength will be used to defend the national interest. This will encompass the responsibilities related to Border Defence, Security of Strategic Objectives and protection of hinterland. Security of the EEZ, Offshore/Inshore assets will be ensured through building adequate maritime potential for deterrence (benign and combat), as also in the domains of constabulary and diplomacy. Offensive and defensive potential over land, air space and cyber space will be used to concentrate military power, 'Where' and 'When' needed so that this instrument of power is asserted as necessitated by National Interest and Objectives.
India will continue to institute measures that promote mutual confidence with her regional neighbours to obviate the possibility of a conflict: without prejudice to its claims and interests. Concerns and interests of the smaller neighbours will be accommodated through reassurance of our peaceful intent and orientation. India is committed to proactively assist smaller neighbours, as and when common interests are threatened.
The sub-conventional and asymmetric threats will be countered by raising diplomatic, political, economic and military costs; to bring about behavioral climbdown amongst state, non-state, organizational and institutional players involved in perpetuating these threats. India shall continue essentially a military – economic – political confrontation with the proponents of such threats. India's strategy will be based on a multidimensional approach wherein all instruments of national power act in unison to bring about an early resolution of an internal conflict. The military segment will be responsible for causing sustained attraction to bring the proponents to the negotiating table.
Military capabilities will be based on coexistence of legacy systems, fresh acquisitions and planned development for the future including incremental upgradation. Reserves of manpower and material will be maintained to meet the demands of unplanned criticalities. Surge capacities will be planned to support such a requirement. The capability building and refinement process will be based on a continuously updated Long Term Integrated Perspective Plan, Five Year Plan and Annual Acquisition Plan. Planned induction and upgradations will be linked to budgeting / funding based on a committed support and monitored to timelines of achievement indices.
Development of indigenous technological solutions that are contemporary will be an integral part of the Indian Defence Policy. The Indian Industrial base and innovative skills of the Indian people will be harnessed alongwith the Defence Research and Development Organisation, Ordnance Factory Board and Defence Public Sector Undertakings.
Forces of global and regional correction are at work and at times these are at cross-purposes with each other. We therefore, cannot afford to retain status quo in our response or postulation. International, Regional, Structural Economic and Technological changes compel a review. We cannot afford to be resistant to them. Any delay in preparing ourselves for these changes will not only find us out of synchronization but will also result in unplanned criticalities.
Finally, since security has become a much dimensional and convergent construct, our response systems cannot afford to be anything else but integrated in perception, evolution, planning and preparation while core competencies may be manifested and executed individually.
PK/RAJ
(Release ID :44787)