Chair: Maj Gen Dipankar Banerjee
Panelists: Ms. Mallika Joseph (Assistant Director, IPCS)
Air Cmde Jasjit Singh (Director, Center for Strategic and International Studies)

Maj Gen Dipankar Banerjee

The issue of small arms is an important and major aspect of international politics, which has unfortunately received very little attention on the world stage. Though the debate on small arms has taken a back seat in terms of international security, it is by no means an inconsequential topic in the contemporary world.

Ms. Mallika Joseph

The book ((Mallika Joseph and Salma Malik, eds., Small Arms and the Security Debate in South Asia, Manohar Publishers, 2005) is an attempt to highlight the importance of small arms and the security debate in South Asia. The publication is divided into six sub themes, which look at the threat small arms posed to the state and to human security; the problem of small arms in South Asia; international efforts at controlling small arms; explosives and their production; national and regional initiatives to control small arms, and the future of small arms. Right from the Cold war to September 11 and present day 2005, small arms has played a major role in international affairs and continues to endanger state and human security.

The idea of small arms being a threat to security in South Asia is a very relevant issue, with countries in the sub-continent having a different 'stake in the pie', so to speak. Pakistan, is not only a source of weapons, but has had to deal with the resultant humanitarian fallout, due to the easy availability of weapons. The flow of small arms into Pakistan begun with the CIA as the main supplier, in an attempt to counter the Russians during the Afghan War. Not only did the CIA pump an estimated $2 billion into the mujahideen funds, but there was the interesting and un-debated aspect of procuring weapons from the 'arms pipe line', which led to China. The flooding of the Pakistani market in weapons, spilled over into society, with cities such as Karachi witnessing a surge in violent sectarian and gang related violence.

Sri Lanka has also had to deal with the problem of small arms, with the LTTE a major purchaser of weapons on the International arms procurement network, or the black market. The easy availability of funds from the Sri Lankan Tamil Diaspora, estimated at $1 million per month without taking into account collections from the US, allows the organization access to a wide spectrum of weapons.

The Indian market for small arms is interestingly placed between the global black market in Southeast Asia and the surplus of arms in Central Asia. According to a 1994 Human Rights Watch report, the supply of weapons into Jammu and Kashmir is largely controlled by Pakistan's ISI; the militants also dip into the arms bazaar of the NWFP. India's North Eastern region poses an interesting situation with majority of the regions borders being international in nature, accounting for a cross-border flow of arms.

Bangladesh on the other hand, has a large supply of weapons with no internal conflict, resulting in arms bring used for political and criminal related activities. While Nepal is faced with an insurgency problem, there is very little use for the weapons, with the Maoists relying on their strength in numbers as a tool to counter the state.

The illegal domestic production of fire arms in India, though a serious issue, does not receive due attention. Indigenous weapons come at a cheap price, and while their accuracy cannot be guaranteed, they are highly destructive and impossible to trace using ballistic fingerprinting. In 2002, a total of 9249 deaths occurred due to firearms, of which, 956 happened in Kashmir and 215 in Assam. The highest number (4098) of casualties however came from Uttar Pradesh where country-made weapons killed 3695, which is roughly four times the casualty caused by small arms of military specification in a conflict zone.

Another important issue which is has repeatedly highlighted by India in international for a is the the use of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). IEDs provide terrorists with an illusive, cheap, easy to make and very deadly weapon, capable of causing widespread damage and loss of life. The use of RDX by militants, provides a target and time specific alternative to fire arms, and while it is not being given much attention by the international community as of yet, it is likely to be a weapon of the future.

Mallika concluded her discussion by analyzing the effectiveness of current efforts at restricting the movement and use of small arms. While the United Nations had brought about some proactive measures, it was not enough to deal with current problem, although it did provide some scope for future initiatives. She suggested policy initiatives to be adopted at the regional, national and domestic level, each targeting a different aspect of small arms. At the same time, there needed to be greater policing and increased vigilance to deter potential attacks.

Air Cmde. Jasjit Singh

The issue of small arms and the security debate is a very complex issue. Small arms has moved weapons from the official control of the state, into the hands of society. Free and often illegal flow of weapons resulted in weapons being utilized by adversaries to the state. It is important to note that while all small arms are destructive, it was just as imperative to enforce strict regulations on high caliber, sophisticated weapons, which should only be available to military and police personnel.

An essential feature of our contemporary world is to maintain the so called 'balance of power' between the state and society. A free flow of sophisticated small arms, will not only give militants the upper hand in the battle against security forces, but will make the regulation and control of this 'menace', all the more tougher. The control of weapons is interestingly influenced by cultural beliefs, resulting in the situation varying from one place to another. While the UN's efforts at regulating small arms is commendable, there is a need to build on past policies, so that they are able to tackle today's problems more effectively.

The increase in small arms in India can largely be attributed to the lack of confidence in the security being provided by the state. The acquisition of a weapon is seen as a necessity to counter the inadequacies within the state security forces, a privilege which is being dangerously abused by our society. It is absolutely necessary for the government to tighten laws before a level of anarchy takes hold, and society functions by the 'way of the gun'. At the same time, there needs to be a revision of laws whereby gun licenses are not issued for display, hunting or self defence, but for legitimate reasons. In a civilized India, there is no place or need for an ordinary citizen to possess a gun, a right which is currently decided upon by archaic laws.

Human security should take precedence over state security. While state and human security are inextricably linked, it is important not to oversimplify the relationship. A well functioning state could work in accordance with its citizens and would be able to provide them with adequate security. However, human security also relates to protecting citizens from external threats, allowing some nations to justify maintaining over 10,000 nuclear weapons. While nation states are realizing the need to control small arms, the onus often lay with developing nations, who have been forced into controlling their weapons flow, while the developed world continues un-checked.

Discussion

• In the context of Pakistan, who was China supplying arms to? The illegal manufacturing of weapons in India has been arming the Nepal Maoists. However, the Maoists have over a million Rupees in funds to procure weapons. Where is this money coming from?

• China's supply of weapons to Pakistan has been aiding the mujahideen fighters, initially in Afghanistan, and presently in Kashmir.

• The increase in demand for small arms is because of increasing insurgency in our country. This can be directly attributed to poor governance and the inability to provide for the unemployed and destitute.

• While resolutions on small arms have been implemented, the need of the hour is to analyse and attend to the ground situation. National and regional laws must be implemented and more importantly, they should be realistic, with an Asian or regional focus, rather than being global.

• The increasing demand for security is because of an increasing sense of insecurity and not because of crime. With citizens feeling the need to protect themselves, the solution ultimately lies in the functioning of the government. However, this does not mean that people involved in crime will not continue to indulge in the illegal procurement of weapons.

• While it is important to implement international conventions to deal with the illegal manufacturing of weapons, one must realize that illegal domestic production is used to aide criminal activity and not military or terrorism. The criminalization of politics has meant that a lucrative market exists in the supply of arms to politicians.