Ajai Shukla in his column "A full-time job in South Block" (Broadsword, November 11) has provided an insight into the current crisis in the defence establishment and also about the controversial $20-billion Rafale deal. He has rightly pointed out that India should go for the Russian Sukhoi-30MKIs instead of the Rafale. The new defence minister should look into the matter and seal the deal with the Russians instead of the controversial Rafale.
I think such an agreement between the Narendra Modi government and Russians will give fresh impetus to the Indo-Russian strategic partnership. Since the Russians are looking east (the recent oil, gas agreement between Russia and China being one example), it is high time India engages with Russia on the defence and technology sphere to gain an edge over China. Let's hope that a deal of this magnitude with the Russians will get the Kremlin's attention.
M Natarajan Chennai
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