Letter to BS: Disclosing Rafale deal details against 'national interest'

Like the present debate on the Rafale deal, governments have often taken refuge in the “interests of national security” to ward off giving details of the differences in the deals concluded by them. But the Opposition of today could well be the government of tomorrow and will have access to all the details. Now if they feel that the deal can be cancelled and a new deal entered into, we will only have deals and no aircraft. The air force and the security of the country will suffer. But do they care?  And let me add — nothing is so secret. There are enough details in books such as Jane’s Fighting Ships and Aircraft. But that is beside the point. True, many details relating to the technology, exclusive or dedicated to our needs, in any aircraft or weapon cannot be openly revealed to the country or even to Parliament. But is it not possible, in fact even necessary, to evolve a mechanism where the government and select members of the Opposition can discuss and settle matters? The unnecessary debate has made the country look stupid on the international scene.  Do we hear of such events from other countries? This only reveals that our politicians have not moved out of the Tu tu main main syndrome. It shows we are not yet a mature country and for us party and family score over the country. 

T R Ramaswami  Mumbai

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