HVK Archives: India will convince nations
India will convince nations - The Times of India
Prakash Nanda
()
May 13, 1998
Title: India will convince nations
Author: Prakash Nanda
Publication: The Times of India
Date: May 13, 1998
India on Tuesday was hopeful that the "adverse reactions",
including the decision by Australia and New Zealand to recall
their respective high commissioners "for consultations",
following Monday's three nuclear explosions could be contained.
"We are watching the situation closely. Let us see what happens.
here is no need to get unnecessarily perturbed at the moment,'
said a senior South Block official.
"Our immediate approach is to convince the outside world of the
circumstances under which we went in for the explosion. We will
say that though we are endowed with nuclear capability, that
capability will not be used irresponsibly. We are a responsible
power, thanks to our democracy. We are for peace and stability.
Even now, we want a genuinely nuclear weapon-free world, and if
the CTBT and proposed FMCT can guarantee that goal, we will have
a second look at them," added the official. However, sources
denied the rumour that in order to avoid sanctions, India would
be signing the CTBT in its present form. "Our offer is strictly
conditional. There has to be a clear linkage between universal
disarmament and measures like the CTBT and FMCT," said a reliable
source.
This process of taking the rest of the world into confidence
started on Tuesday, with the representatives of foreign missions
based here being briefed by senior ministry of external affairs
officials, including foreign secretary K. Raghunath.
Simultaneously, Indian ambassadors to various world capitals have
been instructed to brief their counterparts in the foreign
offices of their respective countries on the government's view,
as explained by the principal secretary to the Prime Minister on
Monday through a written statement.
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