While addressing weekly press briefing, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby rebuffed the reports regarding India plans to buy 30 armed drones from the U.S. He underlined by saying this report should be answered by the Indian Ministry of Defense. In fact, procurement of American armed drones is the longstanding wish of Indian War mongers. After affective use of armed drones by US Military in Afghanistan and Iraq, several other countries aimed to procure these aerial war machines. Previously, Indian military was intended to use these drones against Kashmiri freedom fighters, but these could not be availed to them. Presently, India is planning to buy 30 armed drones from the U.S. to boost its sea and land defense against its proposed rivals China and Pakistan. According to reports, Indian government is likely to approve the US $ 3 billion purchase of 30 MQ-9B Predator drones manufactured by San Diego-based General Atomics. India is hopeful to make this deal being strategic partner of United States Countering Chinese influence in the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia. United States and India had been enjoying close relations in various fields including bilateral trade and investment, defense, and facilitation of private businesses of the two nations. As per reports, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is expected to visit India this month, while President Biden will soon join counterparts from India, Japan, and Australia in the forthcoming meeting of the “Quad” bloc scheduled to be held virtually on March 12. Presently, Narendra Modi’s regime is pursuing a 10-year, $ 250 billion military modernization program by funneling this huge money into its war machine instead of investing in its poor masses. According to reports, more than 800 million people in India are living below poverty line. India is one of the world’s top countries when it comes to malnutrition. More than 200 million people don’t have sufficient access to food, including 61 million children. All these figures clearly depict the drastic situation of country’s masses, which is heading to invest $ 250 billion in purchase of latest war machines. Pakistani leadership is continuously calling India to refrain arm race and come to resolve all issues with dialogue and start investing in poor masses instead of war machine.
