<nettime> Indian general on globalization & US dominance

[Patrice Riemens <patrice@xs4all.nl>]

from:
goanet-news-digest       Friday, March 10 2000       Volume 01 : Number 051


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Date: Sat, 11 Mar 2000 01:10:53 +0100
From: Eustaquio Santimano <ejs@image.dk>


Globalisation only answer to contain US ambition of world dominance The
Times of India News Service

PANAJI: Globalisation and economic interdependence was the answer to
contain the US ambition for world dominance, said the Chief of Staff,
southern command, Lt. Gen. M.R. Sharma, on Thursday. 

General Sharma stated that while the world is multi-polar only to the
extent of political sub-divisions, in reality it is unipolar, with the US
as the dominant and assertive power. In his opening address at the Civil
Military Liaison Conference held at the 2 STC Headquarters, Panaji,
attended by Chief Minister Francisco Sardinha, chief secretary Ashok Nath,
secretaries of the Goa government and other high-ranking Army officers, he
said the US intervention in Kosovo, under the cloak of NATO, air raids on
Iraq and the missile attack on Afghanistan, are testimony to this fact of
the super-power's dominance and we have to live with it and work to our
best advantage. 

His statement, coming in the wake of the US President Bill Clinton's visit
to India, bears significance, which according to the General, is aimed at
the well-being of US and ensuring continued supply of raw material to fuel
its economy. 

``As far as India is concerned, the importance of US to our security
concerns cannot be overrated and requires deft handling,'' he averred. 

Referring to China, which is the single most important country with regard
to India's security concerns, Sharma felt that in the long term, China's
aims and ideology are bound to conflict with India as it aspires to become
a super power. Hence, its efforts to strategically encircle India with
hostile Pakistan and increasing military operations with Myanmar and
Bangladesh. 

``Our immediate objective should be to ensure that China sees us as a
competitor and not as a challenger,'' he said. ``Our economic and military
capabilities must be enhanced,'' and according to his assessment, we have
a period till about 2015 for this. 

He said that he sees a ``period of hostility and continuance of the proxy
war in Jammu and Kashmir and this will be aided by huge quantity of drug
money, whereas, there will be continued increase in their efforts to
destabilise India by subversion and sabotage in an inverted crescent. 

He said that illegal arms, ammunition and drug trafficking had also
increased through the borders of Rajasthan, Gujarat and from the sea, and
asserted that, with its tentacles fast spreading, Goa too will not be left
out. 

He said that Goa is an important state for the Services, as it houses a
sizeable naval establishment and the 2 STC. Most of the tourists are
foreigners and soft targets and in the garb of tourism, illegal activities
like smuggling of arms and narcotics, cannot be ruled out, he said. 

Chief Minister Sardinha, who inaugurated the conference, announced that
the government has reserved 2 per cent vacancies in Group C and D for
ex-servicemen. Presently, 25 per cent vacancies are reserved for different
categories which includes SC 2 per cent, ST 1 per cent, OBC 15 per cent,
physically handicapped 3 per cent, freedom fighters 2 per cent. In
addition, the government has also decided to give ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh
to next of kin of the deceased and Rs 1 lakh to disabled soldiers,
employment of lone eligible family member of the deceased or permanently
disabled , and free education up to graduate level to the children of
personnel killed or permanently disabled. 

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