It is the business of arms and ammunition which is killing many more people worldwide than diseases or natural disasters.

And once again the United States of America leads all other weapon-producing countries in 2015. It supplied the weapons of mass killing worth $ 40 BILLION mostly to the developing nations to meet their “defense needs”, reports New York Times (December 26, 2016).


France is number two with $15 billion in sales. Other major arms suppliers are Russia ($11.1 billion), China ($6 billion), Sweden, Italy, Germany, Turkey, Britain, and France.

Among the leading buyer countries, the tiny nation of Qatar tops the list with $17 billion in purchases, followed by Egypt ($12 billion) and Saudi Arabia ($8 billion), South Korea, Pakistan, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Iraq.

Weapons for “defense” are the weapons of offense to suppress anti-government uprisings as in Egypt, to “fight against terrorism” per Saudi Arabia deceptive demands, or to clandestinely support terrorism like Pakistan does.

No matter under what agreements these weapon-purchase deals are made, the selling countries care less against whom these weapons are used, and what the safeguards are there that these don’t end up in the hands of terrorist organizations.

But that is not their business. Their business is political which is influenced by the arms manufacturing lobbies. While the bloodshed goes on. And the world peace remains as mere an agenda.

(Promod Puri is the author of Hinduism Beyond Rituals, Customs And Traditions)

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