On May 18, 1974 India conducted its first so-called peaceful nuclear explosion and named it Smiling Buddha. Obviously Buddha would have smiled when his name fervently associated with peace and reverence was sardonically linked to a nuclear explosion.
The test was conducted at a place called Pokhran which literally meant The Place of Five Mirages.
After the test India vowed never to weaponise its nuclear power.
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Author’s assertions with regard to India’s linking of terrorism to nuclear context and then statement by Indian National Security Chief that India would use force in statecraft is certainly very dangerous thought. This particularly when India, Pakistan and China are nuclear powers having hundreds of nuclear weapons. Instead of enhancing peace in the region, Indian leaders and policy makers are issuing threats and that too nuclear while living in nuclear neighborhood is indeed alarming and very very frightening.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, I doubt the validity of the news source. Having said that, I believe the international community doesn't have the authority, right or credibility to say anything if India stockpiles nukes. We're surrounded by Pakistan and China, with all their missiles targeted towards us. Pakistan is getting millions of dollars from US as aid to fight Taliban, and making bombs with it. Atleast we have an official, declared, "no first use" policy. They have not even declared that.
ReplyDeleteMr or Ms Samantra,
ReplyDeleteAnything which is good for Indians, its validity is considered valid. Read the article, he cites reports from US Defense Department. Yes the International community does not have the right to say anything about India OR PAKISTAN. Where are Indian missiles pointed towards. Did Pakistan carried out the nuclear explosion first or the Indians. And when the Indians conducted weaponized nuclear Shakti tests, was it Pakistan's senior political and government functionaries threatened India - no it were the Indian political leadership who openly threatened Pakistan challenging it to identify the place and time for a nuclear exchange. Indian No First Use policy does not mean NO USE POLICY. And if you further read the article, the Indian National Security Chief to Prime Minister is justifying use of force for statecraft - would he use this nuclear force against nuclear neighbors China or Pakistan. He is going bonkers like you if you think that a nuclear war is fun.
@anonymous -- his argument is based on one think -- he has write in a way to justify pakistan expanding its nuclear programme. citing articles without mentioning the source (ie as references) is like making up ur own argument. my only wish as an indian is for pakistan taliban to take complete control of pakistan. i would love it. there wont be ppl like him to write these stupid articles.
ReplyDeleteIndians are raising the stakes which is likely to be followed by enhanced defense spending by other nations in the region. The arms race in an already volatile region from the Middle East to South Asia to South East Asia is indeed a high stake game. Imagine an Indian Ocean patrolled by nuclear subs from USA, France, UK, China and India who will be given nuclear subs by the Russians. US and West propagate against Pakistan for nuclear proliferation giving clean chit to the Indians and look who is giving nuclear subs to Indians – Russia. Isn’t it a blatant proliferation and why aren’t the US and Western nations not talking against it and sanctioning the Russians.
ReplyDeleteWOW … we are heading towards a very dangerous world and God only help us.
At the end of it all, it is the interest of big powers to hand out favours to different nations. The most interesting thing is that when it didn’t suit the big powers they sanctioned both India and Pakistan when they tested their nuclear capability. Now, all those who were sanctioning these two countries have taken sides and are openly proliferating in Indian favor – what an irony. Therefore, it is not that the Indians have grown big and are standing in the big league – as Nehru said in the 1930s, this is primarily because the big powers are using India for their interests. And the Indians are happily dancing to the illusions of a shimmering mirage they call Rising India.
ReplyDeleteIndian always say that China is India’s threat number one, then why more than 80 percent of Indian Army is deployed against Pakistan. Only 10-15 percent of Indian Army is deployed along Indo-China border and LACs. This is a blatant hoax and is fed by Indian government and media.
ReplyDeleteEssentially these people are deeply illusioned in bigness syndrome – because we are big we should only have China as our enemy because Pakistan is small and it is demeaning to cite Pakistan as our enemy. Indian Armed Forces' major bias of defense is towards Pakistan and not China. Get educated Indians.
Do you know that just before The US of A invaded Iraq, the Chief of Indian Atomic Energy Commission was a guest of Saddam Hussain and he visited Iraqi nuclear sites. And all what is said by Indians is that everybody has proliferated.
I sincerely hope that the world powers dissuade Russia to provide nuclear submarines to India and avoid exacerbating the Asian nuclear quagmaire.
ReplyDeleteOne of the best I have read recently. This gentleman has explained almost the total geopolitical jigsaw-puzzle in limited number of pages and also explained the Pakistani position in this milieu. He has explained the major US concerns, how the US is trying to come to terms with her concerns and how China is attempting to circumvent US hedging. One of the most interesting things that emerges is the almost limited geoplitical strength India can ensemble at this stage. Apparently, if Pakistan can take care of its act internally, this country seems to be in a very strong geopolitical position at this stage. Marvelous article indeed.
ReplyDeleteI support Sumantra...we have a right to have nukes...India tested first, but we did as a brinkmanship, and even russia and usa knew about it. no one said a thing, they supported it. even they want a strong democratic india against growing china, and talibanistic pakistan. sanctions didnt do anything on us, we have a solid economy, but pakistan went broke. as of the nuke subs, we already have nuke triad, and credible minimum deterrent. please research. and sanctioning russia? haha...hilarious... :)
ReplyDeletegrow up people, both us and russia supports india, overtly, and covertly...cause they know who's the best bet.
There is another thing which the Indians say time and time again. We are a status-quo power and hold no hegemonic aspirations against anybody. Our nuclear weapons are for our defense only and nothing more. There are enough historical facts which trounce such theories.
ReplyDeleteIndia is not a status-quo power. It is a regional hegemon and is now increasing her nuclear stockpile to terrorize the other smaller neighbors, destabilize the region and Asia as a whole.
It invaded and captured Junagarh and Manavadar in 1947, invaded and captured Indian Occupied Kashmir in 1947, invaded and captured Hyderabad in 1948, invaded and captured Goa in 1961 which was an area belonging to Portugal, invaded East Pakistan in 1971, invaded and captured Sikkim as late as 1975, invaded and captured some portions of Siachen in 1988, created Sri Lankan terrorist group LTTE and later invaded Sri Lanka in 1988 till the President of Sri Lanka had to openly ask the Indians to leave, invaded Maldives in 1988 and has continually interfered in internal affairs of Nepal and Bhutan and has spread terrorism in all her neighbors.
WOW ... good grief. And I thought Indians were relatively peacful people. No wonder the regional countries do not want to even trade with Indians. And to top it all, they named the peaceful Buddha with a nuclear explosion. Twisted mind-set indeed.
ReplyDeleteIn Sep 2010, Sunil Das Gupta while speaking on his new book launch ceremony, titled, “Arming Without Aiming: India’s Military Modernization”, said that, “I think it would be disastrous, if India squanders its money on that white elephant of a weapons system, the Arihant, which is a seagoing, nuclear powered, nuclear weapons delivery vessel. The book and my own view is I’m really quite skeptical about the Arihant as a practical weapon. They may make one demonstration model of it, but I doubt if they’ll go beyond that.
ReplyDeleteThe question arises, has Indian government capped the enrichment for nuclear weapon program on American insistence and nuclear deal with America. I don’t think so. That is why Pakistan and China needs to remain cognizant of Indian chaankiyan ways.
Whereas Pakistan says that their nuclear arming is in response to India, the Indians say that they have to cater for China because China is their number one threat. But then, even more interestingly, 80 percent of Indian armed forces are deployed against Pakistan and not China. Who should one believe. But all the same, very dangerous environment when many Indian army generals have said that India should call Pakistan’s bluff and attack Pakistan, if Pakistan responds with nuclear weapons India would be able to withstand the losses, on the other hand however, when India retaliates Pakistan would be totally destroyed. May be the reason Pakistan is also enhancing her nuclear weapons. Very complex and very dangerous indeed.
ReplyDelete