The decision of the defence minister to throw open the roads in cantonments may have pleased her political colleagues but is this the hallmark of her performance? Can she defend the country? The answer is, no. For a defence minister to be effective, he or she has also to be the finance minister of her ministry. If the defence minister has to go time and again to the finance minister with a begging bowl, then the defence of the country is not the responsibility of the defence minister but that of the finance minister.
Has any finance minister ever been held responsible for any of our defence snafus? Examine deeply and you will find they are equally culpable.
Recall what Sam Manekshaw told Y B Chavan, then finance minister at the famous meeting in March 1971 before the Bangladesh war. Nothing has changed since then. The defence budget is grandly announced and then nothing is spent and it is used to shore up the deficit. Can the defence minister or the Army chief, or the defence secretary give a certificate to Parliament that the armed forces have enough to fight a two-front war for a minimum number of days? What we need is a heavyweight defence minister. Say Mohan Bhagwat or even Amit Shah.
T R Ramaswami Mumbai
Letters can be mailed, faxed or e-mailed to:
The Editor, Business Standard
Nehru House, 4 Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg
New Delhi 110 002
Fax: (011) 23720201 E-mail: letters@bsmail.in
All letters must have a postal address and telephone number
One subscription. Two world-class reads.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
SAVE 25%
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Subscribe
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors
Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share
Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor
Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements
Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app
SAVE 25%