'Defence spending and development: Is there a correlation?'

In relation to Mr. Nazrul's reference to the two authors' works, I would like to draw his attention to some other studies where the scholars found correlation even between corruption and development. In their opinion, corruption speeds up economic activities. For example, a public servant disposes of a file when some graft comes his way. With the release of the file, a given economic activity starts that may contribute to national economic growth. How far it will be fair and wise to bolster this oversimplified notion that graft and illegal gratification are conducive to economic health of a state as it quickens the pace of economic activities?

In the wake of the establishment of a cantonment, a township grows up around it. It is very much true as Mr. Islam noted in his article. We see greater economic activities in case of industrial establishments.

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Just think of the Adamjeenagar. Can anyone cite a single instance where industries have been set up but townships or hubs of economic or business activities have not flourished surrounding them?

Industrialisation has always been an important criterion in nation building. Our governments have all along been diligent in tapping resources for industrialsiation. In such straitened circumstances at the national level, how could we rest satisfied to see some tiny townships growing around cantonments and generating some small micro enterprises in the shape of shops or stalls?

And, how many mills and factories could be set up with the cost of a single cantonment? Does a cantonment with a few hundred shops or stalls around stand any comparison with as many industries as could be set up with the same cost in terms of their contribution to national economy? If so, where should our investment go first? To militarisation or industrialisation?

Mr. Islam has put forward his logic of spending for the armed forces as it provides strong deterrence to anti-social elements of the country. If it comes to that, the number of anti-social elements should have been diminishing with the rise of number of cantonments in the country.

Rather, crime, terrorism, hooliganism, extortion etc. have been on the rise.

Internal law and order situation must be congenial to national and foreign investment. The police all over the world are entrusted with this task. If they fail anywhere, the reasons need to be sorted out. They can be corrected if need be. But the job of the police must not change hands.

Maintaining law and order is not an occasional vocation. Law and order management is an everyday occupation. To be more precise, it's a round-the-clock effort that befits the police force which is supposed to be groomed and tuned to the task. Not the defence forces whose grooming and temperament better suit deterring foreign threats.

The author also cited a number of industrial management failure cases. Since being taken over by the defence, they have been making profits. The previous losses were due to incompetence of the management and interference by some quarters. Had they decided to make profit, they would have invariably been successful.

The defence has handled them in a fair way. Hats-off to them. Here we can speak of some mills and factories which too have been profit-making since they were handed over to the ownership of staff and workers. Before such changeover, they had been losing concerns over the years.

So there are more than one option to turn a failure into success. The defence forces in industry and business management should be the last option.

To maintain a worker in industries is by far the least expensive than a person in uniform. A person in uniform needs to undergo expensive training and needs to be equipped with costly arms and ammunition. If he is engaged in areas other than his own, he will be doing something much below his worth. A nation pays a lot to make a soldier. Moreover, his engagement outside his area will just curtail the scope of employment in a labour-intensive country like ours.

Name a single country which has spent its resources as per requirement for education, science and technology but remained poor. But we have a lot of countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America which have spent lavishly on defence and still have retained their names in the list of poor countries.

To conclude, ensuring people's entitlement to employment, nutrition, health, housing, social security, education, technology, communication, and pollution-free environment etc. cannot be compromised while mobilising resources for the defence.

'Defence' has moved away from what it meant earlier. Strong economy is the eternal vigilance.

Syed Ali Reja is Deputy Post Master General, Jamalpur Division.