Somebody read from the report of the External Affairs Ministry, one sentence that India looks at the world situation with hope and concern. I think that sums up the whole issue. Hopes are certainly there because there are forces of detente which are strengthening the non-aligned movement and its progress. The liberation and emergence of Vietnam, the liberation of Angola, the liberation of Mozambique, dismantling of the Portuguese empire and constructive discussions about the economic problems amongst the developing countries, are matters of hope. Then, there are matters of concern. What is happening in the Middle East ? What is happening in Diego Garcia? What is happening in Zimbabwe? What is happening in the South Pacific? What is happening in other places? Somebody gave very interesting figures - I think it was Prof. Dutt - of nearly fifty per cent of the arms production going to certain areas. What about the huge defence budgets in the world for creating these sophisticated arms? When there are sophisticated arms, they do not lead towards peace. They always create tension and problems which may lead to something negative and not peace. So, these are all matters of concern. This African issue, as I said, is a matter of concern to us. We hope that the African countries will remain united and will stick to their rights. We hope that the forces of liberation will emerge successful as they did in parts of Asia. If they do so in Africa, certainly, the forces of progress will further be strengthened and this is what we have to work for.
Mr. Bhupesh Gupta yesterday gave some suggestions and he said that we must make detente irreversible. This can be made irreversible only by making detente universal. This is the only way of making it irreversible. If it is only confined to Europe I must say it is hanging by a narrow thread. If this is the base of detente, it is a very narrow base. It will have to be extended further. This is the only way in which it can be extended further. This is the only way of doing it. This will have to be done carefully. There are many other points of concern in Africa. But this is the major question in regard to which we will have to be very watchful and wide awake in the days to come to see these problems through.
I will mention one or two more points before I conclude. I know I have already taken a lot of time, but these are certain issues which one must deal with. Once we start dealing with one issue, it leads to another. While I am replying to the debate, I must do justice to it.
The other day I made a statement here on the policy of Canada in regard to the nuclear programme of India. We did say what we had to say. I do not want to add to it. I am merly taking it as an illustration. This is a new trend which is developing. This is a very important thing which we have to take note of in a general sense. At the present moment, I have already said all that I had to say but one cannot think of it in isolation and therefore I consider it as an indication of a trend on this particular matter. This new trend is that the developed countries appear to have decided that they would not make it very easy for the developing countries to participate in the technological revolution. This is the basic thing.