New Delhi. 17 November 2016.  Violence plays a major role in hampering development of a country and  instability, conflict, insecurity, and violence, deter social security, economic growth, and hamper access to basic services, including education, health, and social security. Violence severely weakens democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.

Drawing a link between security and development, Vice Chairman, Niti Aayog, Dr Arvind Panagariya said that there cannot be sustainable development without peace and security, and that without development and poverty eradication there will be no sustainable peace.

Dr Panagariya was speaking on ‘National Security and Development’ while delivering the 51th Foundation Day Address of the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA).

Drawing references from the World Development Report 2011 on Conflict, Security and Development, Dr Panagariya said that billions of people live in countries affected by repeated cycles of political and criminal violence. Such a lack of stability in any country or region is detrimental to the development efforts nationally or regionally.

Terming it as a ‘Gun vs butter question’, Dr Panagariya said that resources – human and financial – are limited. Conflicts have an enormous cost in terms of human, financial, and infrastructure resources. The more we spend on weapons the less we have for basic needs and development. Therefore, development cooperation between nations must tackle the root causes of conflict and use development aid as a tool to reduce conflict. Economic interdependence in today’s world has considerably reduced tensions between certain countries, he pointed out.