HVK Archives: Emergence of a world leader
Emergence of a world leader - Organiser
Editorial
()
May 24, 1998
Title: Emergence of a world leader
Author: Editorial
Publication: Organiser
Date: May 24, 1998
International equations have changed since Monday, May 11, 1998.
Earlier, they would be dictated by the Big Nuclear Five. The
nuclear powers, save China, are civilizations of recent origin,
as delineated by Arnold Toynbee, and are yet to achieve the
ideology of universal humanism. China, though an ancient
civilization, has always considered itself a "middle kingdom",
later marginalised by the dictates of Communism, which bogged
down her inner capabilities and spiritual potential.
The dichotomy of existence of force capable of universal
destruction along with narrow patriotism sans universal
brotherhood, is the basic source of tension in the world. An
ancient civilization like India, with spiritual moorings in the
unity in diversity of the Vedas could not be thought of as a
third-rate country to be threatened by every bully in the world.
We had no option but to pool our meagre resources and face the
challenge of time.
It was in May 1974, that India actually sought to join the
nuclear club by conducting the first successful underground
nuclear test by using a 15-kiloton plutonium deliverable nuclear
device that used implosion technique. Eleven years later, a
Pakistan laboratory tested a uranium-based device-not necessarily
their own. Needless to say, Pakistan also wished to join the
nuclear club by hook or crook. It suited that. country to gather
the nuclear material in an ambiguous and clandestine manner.
Another near-nuclear power is Israel, which cannot be considered
as an independent nuclear power because it heavily depends on the
political, military and economic strength of USA.
In the post-Cold War era, nuclear weapons could be said to have
really lost their importance. In May 1992, just as the US and
the then USSR were cutting down their arsenals, China exploded
and tested a megaton size nuclear device. Even more
significantly, the UK and France, both with a sizable arsenal,
continue to hold on to nuclear weapons in spite of the fact that
after the dismemberment of the USSR there is no adversary in
sight. The main argument of the Nuclear-five was that their
nuclear defence system is- more a deterrent than an attack
vehicle. If that is so, why fault us if we decide to lead the
Asian countries and enjoy "armed peace" status? While the " West
has used knowledge for self-aggrandisement, India has a culture
for non-use of force, for peace. The West is yet to evolve this
kind of culture. Just as the destructive use of the nuclear
capability was contemplated by the West, they found it a
convenient tool to use nuclear weapon as deterrent against
Hitler's Nazi Germany. Project Manhattan, which gave birth to
the nuclear weapons, was conceived and executed by scientists
with no inputs from the military profession. The moment the
Allies landed in France in 1944, a special operation was launched
to collect all available material on the status of the "ultimate
weapon", as atom bomb was then called.
Gen. Patton's Third Army captured the city of Strassbourg and
scientific papers belonging to Prof. Wiezacker fell into the
hands of the Americans. It was discovered that the Germans were
way behind the Allies in the field of nuclear research and the
prospects of a real German atomic bomb were nil! Scientists
working on the nuclear project, including Prof. Niels Bohr, a
Swedish scientist, almost convinced Roosvelt to stop further
research on the nuclear front. It was Harry Truman who took the
decision to use the bomb against Japan. The West lost control
over the genie of their own creation and the surrender of Japan
established the nuclear weapon as a "decisive" weapon.
Over the last more than fifty years, since Hiroshima and Nagasaki
and the end of the Second World War, there has been no change in
this equation between political control of nuclear weapons and
subordinate role of the military in affairs nuclear.
Technology gave birth to nuclear weapons but did nothing to alter
the socio-economic and political factors that give rise to
conflicts between nations. The principles of nuclear use evolved
over the last 50 years are chiefly an attempt at reaching a
compromise between the still surviving pre-nuclear war political
structure dominated by international anarchy, nation to nation
equation, and concepts of national interest and the need to save
the world from a nuclear Armageddon. Like most compromises it is
not the best solution. But it possibly can be credited with
having helped the world survive the first 50 years of nuclear
development.
In this world ambience India has stirred the nuclear club with
its reverberations echoing all over the world. The BJP-led
Government has finally decided to prepare the nation to enter the
dharmakshetra. India, like the Pandavas, has collected the sack
of weapons from the Shami tree. The Pandavas, too, were denied
their due share, their very right to existence. But then dharma
was on their side: And the rest is history.
The scientists in Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and
elsewhere were well prepared to take care of any nuclear
radioactive fall-out from the underground tests. Above ground,
the BJP-led ruling coalition seems to have done good homework to
tackle the diplomatic and economic fallout of Pokaran-II. The
Central Government deserves full marks for the bang that has
filled the heart of every Indian with pride and joy. If the
conducting of tests on May 11 was a brave leap into nuclear club,
the tests on May 13 concluding the series was a signal. to the
world that India refuses to be cowed down by threats of sanctions
by bullies. The whole nation has risen as one man to pat the
scientists and hail the political will demonstrated by the ,
Prime Minister, Shri Atal Behari Vajpayee. The sanctions may not
be crippling but may impose an avoidable escalation in the
provisions of the forthcoming budget. But the people are ready.
The rare sense of solidarity shown by almost all the political
parties, except, of course, the leftover Leftists, has not gone
unnoticed. People have already come forward to show their
willingness to sacrifice for the sake of the nation's welfare,
security and integrity. We are determined. Our silence against
sanctions should not be treated as submission. We can also
retaliate against the west by withdrawing from the WTO. The West
of today is market-starved. Many European countries are facing
economic crises. Labour trouble is brewing in many of the EU
countries. Under these circumstances, they can ill-afford to
antagonise a country like India which needs a nuclear deterrent,
apart from strategic consideration, even for political stability
and economic progress. Yet we are assertive without being brazen
about our viewpoint. Let the West, especially the US, understand
that a strong, nuclear India would be a better friend and ally of
the US than probably any other combination.
We are, and should, stand firm and the world will accept that our
status as a nuclear weapon power is irreversible. We are a world
nuclear power-after five bangs-whatever the others might say.
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