Here, I would like to make a mention about the size and significance of the demand for defence this year because, as I just mentioned, this figure of the defence demand is not only big, it is also very significant; significant because it is not just an accident, and it is not going to he, if I may venture a guess or venture to predict the trend of things or shape of things to come, the last one; it is just a beginning of our defence effort in this country. I think we will have to prepare ourselves, not only this House but the entire country, for the size of this defence effort has come to stay for the defence of our country. I do not mean to suggest that this type of taxation will come from year to year—I have not the authority to say so and an authoritative statement like that on finance cannot come from me— but I have no doubt in my mind that this type of effort will have to be made continuously from time to time, from year to year, and possibly this type of confidence in our defence efforts will have to be permanently created in the minds of the people of our country.

A reference was made to defence planning and it was said that there was nothing like defence planning in our country. I may say that it is rather an erroneous statement. I hope you will permit me to give some details on this point, not exactly concerning the defence but, to a certain extent, concerning the political angle of the question also.

Defence planning, as any planning, has always two aspects, short-term aspect and long-term aspect. When we think of a long-term aspect, it is always based on certain principles. There are always certain governing principles when we think of any planning which is long term planning in the case of defence planning also there is something like long-term aspect, and that long-term aspect is governed by the foreign policy of the country. Here I am speaking not about the foreign policy as such, but the major planks of our foreign policy. The foreign policy, besides serving other objects, also serves as a basic stratagem, basic mechanism, for the defence of the country. The foreign policy of any country, besides serving the other ideal objectives, also serves as a mechanism; it serves as some sort of arrangement of working of world forces, making a proper assessment of them and indirectly though not directly, affects the defence of the country. This country has realised that during the crisis in a limited sense, when we had to make a huge defence effort. I know some people have a sense of frustration, some people have a sense of despair and anger; I know that. I do not say it is always justifiable but I admit the fact that it is there. During the crisis it has been proved that our basic approach to the world problems has contributed something effective for the defence of our country. I would like to mention about it only from the defence point of view, its significance on the defence stratagem how our defence functions or works. Here I will refer only to one or two points.