Spending money on it is contributing to a better future. India's apprehensions about China and Pakistan are justified by events of the recent past. Pakistan feels the same way about India, and China about the West. Sri Lanka talks of peace to secure arms on credit, but is intent on maintaining the Sinhala-only status quo. Don't sell arms to South Asia, and indeed, to anywhere else.
Pious talk is cheap, refusing fat profits is difficult.
Thiruvengadam Ramakrishnan, USA Much has been said about India spending on defence and 'begging' for help with the Gujarat earthquake. Let's make no mistake, the biggest help has come from the Gujarati Diaspora and the rest of the Indian community, in India and abroad, and they fully support adequate defence spending to counter the threats that exist there. USA The role of the military is changing from fighting wars to pre-empting conflicts. India needs money to procure military hardware for surveillance, like UAVs, night-vision glasses, GPS and efficient communications equipment to be prepared for conflicts. A strong navy is needed to patrol the seas so as to secure peace in the Indian Ocean.