23 May 2014
It is against the nature of bureaucrats, who looked for short-term policy benefits rather than long-term sustainable solutions, to push for defence investment which isn't economically yielding within the normal tenure of an elected government, according to Rear-Admiral Mohan Raman (Rtd).
Initiating a discussion on "Defence Self-Reliance" at Observer Research Foundation Chennai Chapter on May 10, 2014, Admiral Raman repeatedly stressed on the importance of R&D and the necessity for more scientific inquiry and creative designing. While clearly differentiating between the research, design and production work that go into developing a war-machine, he spoke of how Indian scientists and engineers have the innate skill and confidence in their armed services that puts their foreign counterparts to test.
Addressing the process of attaining self-reliance, Admiral Raman clarified that this is a process which will take years, if not decades, to complete, and it shall remain an on-going process: a pursuit to outdo oneself with every prototype being produced. Recalling the period of China's 'four modernisations' and the time it took to assume full potential, he explained how it was only in 1978 during Deng Xiaoping's period (after Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai) that the Chinese economy got rejuvenated.
Admiral Raman began with the premise that civilians need to be able to differentiate between accidents and inevitable incidents, and called for doing away with the cynicism in defence matters. His analysis on the subject-area, deeply entrenched by his years of experience with the Navy, set out to look at three aspects of self-reliance, namely, the stages of self-reliance, the benefits of self-reliance and finally how India, as a booming, developing nation could achieve self-reliance.
"Every time you go to war, you learn something the hard way. It's life. What we as humans who are inherently flawed can do is to work on a methodical improvement towards perfection," Admiral Raman said.
He said the armed forces' acclimatisation to the new machines is bound to take time and during that time, mistakes are inevitable. According to the Admiral, in fear of these errors, the government has failed to act over the past two decades in terms of up-gradation and re-equipping the armed forces, putting the security forces on a significant back-foot when compared to other nations.
Emphasising the methodical improvement of the Indian defence forces and its equipment, the veteran naval architect called for moving past cynicism of the media and the public, and the laid-back attitude of the bureaucracy over the years, and for the nation to adopt a more active stance on the development of the nation's defence forces.
Tracing the issue of demand and supply faced by the defence forces, especially in terms of sourcing spare-parts and components, Admiral Raman spoke of the possibility of a public-private partnership (PPP) to aid the development of war machines as a future prospect. He also stressed on strengthening the auxiliary industries in India which shall boost R&D and supply for the development of more indigenised machines, which shall in turn set the Indian defence on the path towards self-reliance.
While a much-discussed solution to reduce the recurring cost is to have a conscripted army, Admiral Raman rationalised on the need for quality over volume. Citing the example of the infamous Chinese policy of conscription, he explained how even the communist neighbour is transiting to volunteerism.
With questions from the floor loaded with apprehension and concern, Admiral Raman waved it off with a request to look past clichéd questions on integrity and faith which are being raised by academicians and analysts across the world. India, he believed, through the education produced by its premier institutions and the interplay between the government and private firms had the potential to command superiority in terms of defence technology and potential -- a stark difference from the status quo, in which India remains the largest importer of war machines.
(This report is prepared by Shreya Murali, III Year BA (Political Science, Sociology and Economics), Christ University, Bangalore)
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