Kill Vehicle for India’s defense as we continue to die of cold weather

By Rupali Gaurav

Just when the cold wave claimed 11 lives in Bihar in the last couple of days, our Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) set for itself a new milestone of preparing "Kill Vehicle", a new weapon system in order to destroy enemy satellites.

The Kill Vehicle that will be developed under the Indian Ballistic Missile Program will enable us to hit and destroy satellites in the earth's orbit. This must cost us horrendous amount of money at the expense of, not only India's ability to defend itself from natural calamities and a hazardous nuclear leakages (as evident from the Bhaba Atomic Research Center and the Kaiga Atomic Power Station incidents that took place recently), but also explain for the rising suicide rate among the pitiable minors of rural West Bengal who appear to be dying out of 'unknown causes'.

The preoccupation of the Center, unfortunately, remains fixated at China's Anti-satellite test that it conducted in January 2007 through which it obtained the ability to destroy satellites within five hundred miles of earth's radius. The Space Arms prowl we have taken upon ourselves is certainly blinding us from the need to concentrate on our deteriorating security situation, our sectarian and communal fragmentation, the Naxalite threat and homegrown terrorism, religious extremism and our biological and nuclear leakages that have recently caused two casualties and some 90 injuries due to radioactive contaminated water consumption not to mention the mysterious death of a scientist, Lokanathan Mahalingam earlier this year. Smuggling and killing has become a permanent feature of our atomic plants and facilities over the years.

The recent mysterious death of two scientists at Bhaba Atomic Research Center in the outskirts of Mumbai, our capital city, is an alarming enough incident taking place in rapid succession, questioning our poor nuclear safety and proliferation record. After the missing scientist act, and the 90 some workers who suffered radiation injuries due to the contamination of drinking water at the Kaiga Atomic Power Station in November 25, this would be the third major incident highlighting irresponsibility on part of our nuclear research facilities and power plants, this year. All the three events, however, were scrupulously foiled away by the authorities and concealed by our media. But enough of it found light of day to cause concern as BBC reported on the recent incident calling to attention our poor nuclear security records.

Our preferences for developing defences at the expense of concentrating on improving our security, speaks of our policies based on threat perception an allegation we otherwise ardently throw at our neighbors. On the hind side widespread smuggling and security lapses continue to turn us into a laughing stalk against the new-earned label of 'responsible regional player'.