New Delhi, Mar 28: India on Wednesday made it clear that it has no intention of entering into an arms race in outer space and the scaling up defence capability to enter the super league of the US, China and Russia is not aimed against anyone but rather the unique feat will “compel” other players in the region to maintain peace.
“India has no intention to threaten anyone …I want to assure the international community that the new capability we have developed is not directed against anyone,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a
a rare televised address to the nation weeks before the elections.
Predictably, the opposition parties have flayed the government for the same and said the announcement was like a theatrical show and formed violation of the election code.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley at a press conference said a large number of countries today will grudge India for achieving this.
Official sources have maintained that – India now expects to play a role in the future in the drafting of international law on prevention of an arms race in outer space.
“By this achievement, we are able to compel others to maintain peace in this region. India’s stand has always been no first use but we must secure our land,” Mr Jaitley told a news conference in presence of Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
Making it clear that he is not trying to show any disrespect to opposition leaders, Mr Jaitley, known for his witty jibes, described opposition parties complain as exercise in poor light and went onto say – “When the finger points to the moon, the idiot always point to the finger”.
As a policy, the government sources have said: “India believes that Outer space is the common heritage of humankind and it is the responsibility of all space-faring nations to preserve and promote the benefits flowing from advances made in space technology and its applications for all”.
“We have always maintained that space must be used only for peaceful purposes. We are against the weaponization of Outer Space and support international efforts to reinforce the safety and security of space based assets,” they said.
Prime Minister said India will be the fourth country to have used such an anti-satellite missile after the United States, Russia and China.
The announcement by Prime Minister Modi followed after Indian Mission ‘Operation Shakti’ destroyed a low-orbiting satellite in a missile test that puts the country in the global space club or the “super league”.
The official sources pointed out that Indian space programme is not in violation of any international law or a Treaty to which it is a party or any national obligation.
The principal international Treaty on space is the 1967 Outer Space Treaty. India is a signatory to this treaty, and ratified it in 1982.
The Outer Space Treaty prohibits only weapons of mass destruction in outer space, not ordinary weapons.
Sources said – “India expects to play a role in the future in the drafting of international law on prevention of an arms race in outer space including inter alia on the prevention of the placement of weapons in outer space in its capacity as a major space faring nation with proven space technology”.
Prime Minister said the benefits of Indian satellites are reaching every Indian.
“The importance of space and satellites in the world will continue to grow. Possibly life will be incomplete without them…..We want to use modern day technologies for the security and welfare of our 1.3 billion people,” Mr Modi said.
