India and the Arms Trade Treaty
Making Disarmament Meaningful to People's Lives
PR from Control Arms Foundation of India , 17th April 2009

Friday, 17 April 2009,
Casuarina Hall, India Habitat Centre,
Lodhi Road, New Delhi,
Time: 6: 30 pm - 8: 00 pm.

"A firing incident robbed me of my teens and my future. A bullet pierced through my spinal cord and I became paraplegic. My dreams of becoming a sportsman and doctor were shattered."- Philem Johnson Singh (27), Gun Survivor

New Delhi, 16 April 2009 : India is one of the most heavily armed countries in the world with around 40 million firearms circulating. Most of the legally registered arms are in civilian possession; but uncounted illegal weapons are in the hands of criminals or insurgents. The consequences are lethal, because every day, 12 people die from gun violence all over India.

One reason for the easy availability of weapons is the lack of regulation of the international arms trade. This is fueling the ongoing conflicts in different parts of India and ultimately puts the security of Indian citizens at risk. Moreover, in regions like Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Kashmir or Manipur gun violence already is a severe danger to people's security. Violence kills and injures innocent people. It obstructs all-day life and shatters the dreams of young Indians.

In late 2006, the United Nations General Assembly embarked on a process to help ending this violence caused by illegal arms. India abstained from voting for an Arms Trade Treaty in October 2006 but it is one among the Group of Governmental Experts selected by UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon to work towards the feasibility, scope and parameters of an Arms Trade Treaty. Meanwhile work has started for drafting an International Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), a legally binding instrument to regulate international transfers of conventional weapons. This is aimed at preventing the transfers of weapons into the wrong hands.

This Friday, 17th April 2009, India's former Ambassador to United Nations, Ambassador Arundhati Ghose is releasing the book called "India and Arms Trade Treaty". The book is edited by Ms. Binalakshmi Nepram with contributions from emminent scholars like Dr Anuradha Chenoy, Air Cmde (retd) Prashant Dikshit, Dr Bibhu Routray, Deba Mohanty, Ashima Kaul, Dr Rjakhowa, Riju Raj Jamwal, Baban Prakash, Utkarsh Rathore, Clare Da Silva, Reena Mutum and Mr Thokchom Meinya.

The book calls upon Government of India to support the ongoing United Nations process for an international Arms Trade Treaty and for the first time makes an attempt to bring together research on the issue. It collates research done on the subject for over five years by eminent scholars, policy makers, parliamentarians, civil society, lawyers, military people, journalists etc to put all our points of view across

All over India, more than 30,000 citizens have given their support to the ATT by signing on to a petition submitted to the United Nations. Moreover, several parliamentarians have given their support to efforts to strengthen international regulations for the trade and transfer of conventional weapons by signing a petition put forward by CAFI.

The book argues that India as an emerging global power has global responsibilities. We cannot live in isolation as today's world is an interlinked one. An Arms Trade Treaty can save lives and help prevent many attacks like Mumbai 26/11 attack and hold countries responsible whose arms cause the death of thousands worldwide.

According to Ms Mary Wareham, Senior Advisor, Arms Division, Human Rights Watch, "The book 'India and Arms Trade Treaty' is an important contribution to the growing body of work on the need for stronger regulation of transfers of small arms and conventional weapons. The economic, humanitarian, social, and other negative consequences of the world's largely arms trade urgently underscores the need for swift international action. The proposed Arms Trade Treaty will complement and reinforce these advances in International Humanitarian Law".

In the foreword to the book, Ms Jody Williams, 1997 Nobel Peace Laureate wrote, "Arms control and disarmament do not happen simply because we wish them to be so. Success is achieved through the day-to-day hard work of ordinary citizens around the world who make disarmament meaningful through their commitment to change; through their understanding that what brings us security – human security – is not more weapons of any sort, but by meeting our most basic needs for food, shelter, medical care, education and opportunities to work and provide for one's family".

The book is published by India Research Press, New Delhi

For information or interview requests, please contact

Ms Binalakshmi Nepram at +91 9891210264
Ms Reena Mutum at +91 9971103691
Ms Elizabeth Imti at +91 9953749725

Control Arms Foundation of India
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New Delhi -110029
Ph: +91-11-46018541, Fax: +91-11-26166234
Email: [email protected]
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