India is the land of Mahatma Gandhi known around the world as the apostle of peace who propagated the concept of ‘ahimsa’. Holding an event in India that celebrates the weapons of war is principally wrong and should be therefore avoided. Again to hold it in Goa is more wrong since its people have set an example of peace and amity in day to day life which does not really fit into the image of display and trade of equipment that is used to kill people. We in India need a minimum level of arms that would be able to serve as a deterrent to those who plan to attack us and this can be done discreetly. There is no need to have jamborees like the DefExpo which do nothing but serve the interests of the military-industrial complex of the developed world mostly the US. This multinational military-industrial complex sets agendas for war and strife as we have seen in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Africa and other parts of the world.
Manohar Parrikar had further said that after the DefExpo he would take the opinion of the people and if people do not want it, he would drop it. This statement is like shedding crocodile tears. First, he did not listen to the people of Naqueri – Quitila – Betul when they voiced their objections to holding the DefExpo in their area. So what guarantee is there that he will listen to people rejecting the DefExpo now? It is just a ploy he is using to deceive the innocent and trusting people of Goa yet again.
During the holding of the DefExpo the villagers staying in the adjoining areas had their lives disrupted by jamming of their cell phones, were at the receiving end of traffic chaos and water lines tapped to supply the exhibitors at the event at the cost of supply to local residents. The villagers had to also tolerate the overbearing security organized for the DefExpo which interfered with their movement in the area for performance of their daily activities. Additionally none of the jobs promised by both, Parrikar and CM Parsekar, to locals during the event materialized. Local tradesmen like electricians hoping to be employed on daily wage basis were dismayed to see the exhibitors and organizers of the DefExpo bring in truckloads of electricians and technicians from neighbouring Karnataka and Maharasthra. No purchases of high end electronic items like LCD TV’s happened that the CM had forecast. Thus now that the DefExpo has ended, people should ask CM Parsekar if 3 Lakh LCD TV’s were bought by the DefExpo exhibitors and organizers? Whether the DefExpo brought in business of Rs. 100 crore to Goa’s hospitality industry like hotels, restaurants, taxis and the like? And whether the visitor count of actual business visitors was anywhere near the 1 Lakh quoted by the CM and Manohar Parrikar? Answers to these questions need be given since we cannot continue tolerating blatant lies tripping from the lips of our politicians holding senior positions of responsibility to run the State.
Those who arrived for the DefExpo were just the routine business people related to the arms Cos. and no senior army commanders or defence ministers of other countries worth their name visited the event. The much hyped international symposium for defence also did not take place. Many of the exhibitors complained about the difficulty to access the DefExpo site, logistical trauma, communication difficulties and being ‘far away from civilization’.
What has not been said about Manohar Parrikar’s insistence to hold the DefExpo near the seacoast off Betul and linking these to other moves of the Indian Navy in and around Goa in the recent past, one has to conclude a sinister design that is going to be harmful to the people of Goa.
One had hoped that with Manohar Parrikar as Defence Minister Goa would be benefited but in contrast it is being put at greater risk and danger from things like nuclear facilities coming up here which cannot be humanly controlled in event of an accident or bombing. Goa has remained a simple and peaceful place and should be allowed to remain that way.
