MAJOR GENERAL (retd) Satbir Singh said here on Monday that public awareness and political determination were imperative to check the proliferation of small arms in South Asia. Internal security was at stake as the large number of small arms could be used by the owners in their nefarious designs. Contrary to developed countries, India had not taken the problem of proliferation of small arms into serious consideration, he said.
He was speaking as the chief guest at a national seminar on ‘Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons in South Asia : Impact on Indian Security’ organised by the Department of Defence And Strategic Studies, Allahabad University (AU) in collaboration with the Indian Institute for Peace, Disarmament and Environmental Protection (IIPDEP), Nagpur at the Bhattacharya Auditorium, Nehru Science Complex, AU, on Monday.
Deputy GOC, 4 Infantry Division Brigadier MN Karnick was the guest of honour. The inaugural session was presided over by DR BK Kurvey, president IIPDEP.
Brigadier Karnick was of the view that the milieu had caused increase in the possession of small arms as a status symbol.
The small arms freely possessed by the people were a threat to internal security owing to poor law and order in the country.
Dr Kurvey explained the system involved in proliferation of small arms around the world. In India, the small arms were flaunted as a status symbol and used for terrorism in Punjab, by mafia in Maharashtra, by Peoples War Group in Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh and by private armies and criminals in Bihar.
{{/usCountry}}Dr Kurvey explained the system involved in proliferation of small arms around the world. In India, the small arms were flaunted as a status symbol and used for terrorism in Punjab, by mafia in Maharashtra, by Peoples War Group in Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh and by private armies and criminals in Bihar.
{{/usCountry}}Research scholars and delegates from different parts of the country, including Major General Vijay Aga, Dr Subhav Kapila, Dr Hari Saran, Dr Nand Kishore and Wing Commander RK Singh expressed their views.
In his valedictory note, former Vice-Chancellor of AU and eminent scholar Dr T Pati congratulated the convenor Dr Sanjeev Bhadoria for the seminar while Prof RB Singh proposed the vote of thanks.