Let me explain why India decided to develop nuclear weapons without trying to justify their development.

When India became independent in 1947, its leaders including Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru inherited an idealistic world view. They felt weapons and the military were instruments of domination by colonial and imperial powers. With the defeat of fascism and the de-colonisation of large parts of the world, the Indian leadership felt a new era in world history was beginning to dawn. Nehru, in particular felt that newly de-colonised nations such as India, China, Yugoslavia and Egypt could form a new bloc to avoid the confrontation between the communist and the capitalist blocs. One result of this was the Non-Aligned Movement. In fact this idealistic edifice broke down in reality after it was formed.

In the 1950s, in India there was an important slogan' Hindi-Chini Bhai Bhai '. India and China are brothers. This was hailed as great achievement and there was a great euphoria in India about this relationship. Therefore, it came as great shock to the Indian leadership when it found in the late1950s that the Chinese PLA had occupied a large part of the state of Jammu and Kashmir, and a major road had been built connecting Tibet to Xinjiang province. This road was to assume great importance in the 1960s when the Chinese build the Lop Nor nuclear test site in Xinjiang. What was shocking was that the Chinese had neither informed the Govt. of India nor discussed the issue. It was unilateral move. China when later confronted by India said that the part of Jammu and Kashmir state they had occupied was never a part of India and the British colonialists had added it to the maps of India. Whatever the issue, surely China could have discussed it before making any unilateral move. Truth is that China was annoyed with India for providing shelter to Dalai Lama after the Chinese invasion of Tibet.

All this led to a war between India and China in 1962. The Indian PM Nehru adopted a threatening stance against the Chinese without realising that his idealistic policies and anti-military ideas had emasculated the Indian army. As a result, the Chinese inflicted a humiliating military defeat in India but subsequently withdrew to their side of the border. They did not however vacate Aksai Chin, the area in J & K occupied by them. They also laid claim to large chunks of territory in eastern India. The total territory claimed by China would be larger than that of Tajikistan.

Then in 1964, China tested its first nuclear device. This caused great panic in New Delhi. However, at that time India was under going political turmoil and great food shortages. Resources for the nuclear weapons could not be found. In 1969, the Indian Government sent an emissary to Washington to seek a US nuclear guarantee against the Chinese nuclear threat. This was turned down by Washington. Subsequently, emissaries were sent to London and Moscow. These too were turned down. Ultimately, India had to spend precious resources in nuclear weapons programme and in 1974 it exploded its first nuclear device. But it was late by seven years – the newly formed nuclear club NPT gave 1967 as the cut off year, allowing China to join the club. India stayed out of the NPT and in 1998 conducted further tests.

The irony is that the greatest components of disarmament , the countries of Western Europe and Japan and Australia have security guarantees and the US nuclear umbrella. Without this guarantee they would not have survived the Cold War. India never enjoyed this luxury. The rush by world powers to build up insane nuclear arsenals in the 1950s had prompted Nehru to first voice a demand fro the complete demolition of nuclear weapons. India had been the champion of the nuclear test ban treaties. Its position has not changed – India still desires nuclear disarmament. But it condemns dualistic approaches: like China has the right to possess nuclear weapons but not India.

One cause for the development of the nuclear weapons is conflict. It was conflict with the US that prompted the Soviet Union develop its nuclear arsenal. The other cause is prestige, this issue being more for the UK and France. For China it was partly prestige and partly insecurity arising out by the position of the Soviet Union and the Western powers. Pakistan went nuclear because India did. North Korea has tested a nuclear device because of its conflict with the US. Iran is trying to develop nukes because it wants a counter to Israel's arsenal and a deterrent against the US. The world of realpolitiks suggests that nuclear weapons will remain a currency of power as long as one nation possesses it and there are major conflicts.

The CA region is fortunately free of conflict. It can abjure nuclear weapons. Moreover, two great powers China and Russia support this move. And whether we like it or not, these two nuclear powers are the guarantor of security in a Nuclear Weapons free Central Asia of tomorrow.

India, in a sense has been compelled to develop nuclear weapons. It was not a first choice but a reaction . Traditionally, India has always called for and continues to call for universal nuclear disarmament. The concept of nuclear deterrence is one based on enforcing terror. This is the one reason why India is the only one nuclear weapon state that has voluntarily relinquished the right to first use of nuclear weapons. Despite possessing a relatively modest arsenal of nuclear devices, India has said it will never be the first to initiate a nuclear strike. Neither Pakistan nor do any of the nuclear powers. China also professes a no first use policy but no one can be sure.

The establishment of nuclear free zones would be welcomed by India as they contribute to disarmament. As more and more nations abjure the use of nuclear weapons and endeavour to set up nuclear free zones, the world becomes safer. However this encouraging trend cannot wish away certain grim realities of the way the world is today with each power trying to impose its will and a growing tendency to settle conflict through the use of force. Thus, nuclear weapons cannot yet be completely wished away. But those countries that have the necessary conditions can declare nuclear weapons free zones.

Though it is difficult, India continues to abjure the policy of nuclear terrorism. For starters, it has tried a lot to to make its potential opponents move reassured. Firstly, there is the no first use of policy. Secondly, India has entered into negotiations with USA for the peaceful use of nuclear energy. India is agreeable to sign the CTBT and move towards the FMCT when global conditions are right and when it receives the right kind of signals from China and Pakistan.

Thank you.

Indranil Banerjie
Dushanbe, 18 October 2006