Author: Kamal Matinuddin
Publication: www.jang.com.pk
Date: February 27, 2001
The recent decision by Moscow to
provide nuclear fuel for India's Tarapur Nuclear Reactor will further encourage
the Hindu fundamentalist government in New Delhi to use its nuclear fangs
to brow beat its neighbours. Russia has violated an international agreement.
It has acted against the nonproliferation regime. Why has it done so and
why have the established nuclear powers closed their eyes on this violation?
Russia wants to earn foreign exchange
from where ever it can. Russian Atomic Energy Minister, Yevgeny Adasmov,
is keen to get a major portion of India's nuclear power generation programme.
He is looking towards India to get a big slice of the $20 billion, which
has been allotted for India's so-called minimum nuclear deterrent. Moscow
would also like to benefit, as much as it can, from the $3 billion, which
have been given to the Indian armed forces for the purchase of new weapon
systems. The current deal could be a part of Russia's desire to build a
strategic partnership with India and China.
According to a reliable source India
already has around 8,000 Kg of rector-grade plutonium, sufficient for over
400 nuclear weapons. The delivery of nuclear-related material by Russia
to India will add fuel to the existing volatile situation in the region
and will contribute to the ever increasing diversion of resources from
economic development to military hardware by the two adversaries in the
subcontinent.
It is not, however, the first time
that Russia has supported India's ambitious nuclear ambitions During the
hey days of the Indo-Soviet relationship, Moscow had helped India's nuclear
programme by providing two 100 MW nuclear reactors for the Kudan Kalam
power project in Tamil Naidu. In 1998, Russia had secretly sold about 100
tons of heavy water to India for its un-safeguarded reactors.
Moscow's relations with its long-standing
ally had received a slight jolt after the disintegration of the Soviet
Union. However, it did not take long for Russia to revive the old ties.
During the visit of President Boris Yeltsin to India in 1998, ten agreements
were signed. While most of them were economic in nature one agreement pertained
to the supply of defence equipment. Russia signed an agreement with India
in June that year for supplying two 1,000 MW nuclear power reactors, in
Tamil Nadu, at a cost of $2 billion, despite the US pressure on Moscow
not to do so.
In addition to supplying spare parts
for the Soviet built defence arsenal held by India and providing technical
know how for the production of spares for equipment of Russian origin,
Moscow was prepared to supply the much wanted cryogenic rockets for India's
space programme, despite Washington's desire to prevent the proliferation
of long range missile system.
Moscow had earlier loaned two nuclear
powered submarines to the Indian navy, thus providing a platform for their
personnel to receive training as India itself has plans to construct nuclear
powered submarines at some later date. These were returned, but Russia
is reported to have agreed to loan a nuclear submarine to India again.
With the purchase of an aircraft
carrier, 150 Sukhoi 30 MK1 fighter aircraft, 310, T 90 tanks from Russia
India is determined to increase the conventional disparity between India
and Pakistan. The T-90 tanks has a very sophisticated fire control mechanism
and a very effective tank to tank missile system. Russian origin weapons
are relatively cheaper The T-90 costs only Rs8 crores as against Rs18 crores,
which the indigenously designed MBT is going to cost the Indian exchequer.
Similarly, the SU-30 costs $35 million apiece whereas an equivalent aircraft
will cost $75 million.
It will be naïve to expect
western nations to prevent the nuclear cooperation between India and Russia
as many other outside powers have played an important role in the development
of India's nuclear weapons programme.
Canada gave a 40 MW nuclear research
reactor and two 200 MW power reactors to India in 1960. The Indo-Canadian
collaboration paved the way for building the Canadian-Indian reactor (CIRUS).
The plutonium derived from the re-processed spent fuel from Cirus was used
for the 1974 explosion. It also provided fuel to India's first two heavy
water power reactors in Rajasthan.
France helped Indian engineers in
the fabrication of the un-safeguarded Fast Breeder Test Reactor at Kalpakkam
and trained Indian engineers in nuclear related fields. It also supplied
low enriched uranium fuel for the Tarapur Atomic Power station from 1983
to 1993 and established two heavy water plants with a combined capacity
of producing 138.5 tons of heavy water per year.
Germany supplied un-safeguarded
heavy water plants, which were installed at Nangal in Himachel Pradesh
and at Talsher in Orissa. It sold the tele-perm process control system
to the heavy water plant at Hazira in Gujrat, and supplied it with over
200 tons of heavy water. Bonn supplied natural lithium useful in making
tritium to boost nuclear bombs. This was a secret deal between the two
countries. It also sold zircoloy pipes, which are used as reactor fuel.
India covertly imported 1,000 kg of beryllium from Germany in 1984. This
helped India to develop its own belryllium plant at Bhaba Atomic Research
Centre (BARC) at Mumbai. India is running a beryllium project illegally
supplied by a German firm, which has enabled India to its work of producing
thermo-nuclear device.
The United States also helped India
in the construction of the Tarapur Atomic Power Station and initially supplied
low enriched uranium fort these plants. Besides, it supplied heavy water
for the Cirus reactor that made plutonium for India's first nuclear bomb.
The United States also provided assistance and technology for establishing
a plutonium re-processing plant at Trombay, which processed the Cirus fuel
for the 1974 nuclear explosion.
Israel has also offered to extend
cooperation to India in the field of nuclear missile technology in return
for India giving full diplomatic recognition to Israel. Russia, along with
other nations, has also been helping India in its Integrated Missile Development
Programme. APJ Kalam, the father of India's missile programme, acquired
all the technical details of the American Scout rocket during his stay
in the United States. The knowledge so gained was utilised for the Indian
space programme. India obtained liquid propulsion know how from France.
In fact India's Space Research Organisation (ISRO) got the complete liquid
engine technology from the French firm Societe Europion de Propulsion.
The second stage of India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) is powered
by an engine, the drawings of which have been taken from the French Viking
engine.
Indian leaders do not hesitate in
crying foul when Pakistan is allegedly assisted by China and North Korea
in its missile programme. The United States gets deeply concerned when
there is a hint of Pakistan obtaining technical assistance for its nuclear
and missile programme from its friends but closes its eyes to India receiving
help from foreign countries. This unprincipled and discriminating attitude
of the United States gives fuel to the average citizen in Pakistan who
is unaware of the fact that what matters in inter-state relations is not
morality but narrow national interests.
India's quest for security will
not be achieved with possession of an array of conventional and nuclear
weapons alone. It will have to live in peace with its neighbours, which
will only be possible if it settles outstanding disputes and gives up its
hegemonic designs.
Pakistan's response has so far has
been correct. It has warned the western nations of the impact this will
have on the region but is not going to fall into the trap of an arms race
with India. It must re-iterate its proposal of a nuclear restraint regime
and offer to enter into a nuclear dialogue with India, at the official
level, so as to prevent an accidental nuclear war.
The author is a retired Lt-General
and has written the forthcoming book, "Nuclearisation of South Asia"
