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E-mail from readers the world over
Date sent: Thu, 21 May 1998 16:04:26 -0400 Great piece of strategy. India should adopt this policy -- this is precisely what the US does. It is not that we will be joining the evil forces but to counter evil you have to feed them some of their own medicine. Saif Ahmed
Date sent: Mon, 18 May 1998 20:21:15 EDT Ridiculous! What if if there is disarmament? Dear VHP, we were forced to make weapons, we did not want to! I hope Devi Saraswati shows you the right direction. An otherwise BJP supporter
Date sent: Mon, 18 May 1998 00:45:44 -0700 Ashok Singhal is incorrect. I think there is a limit to which things can be expanded. I am religious and pray every day, but what does the BJP and its progeny think? Sathya
Date sent: Sat, 16 May 1998 10:49:29 +0530 While reading the analysis "US winking at Chinese arms sales..." I was wondering who the author could be to give a fresh, and in depth analysis of the subject in question. But I stopped myself from scrolling to the end to read the author's name. Well it had to be Dr Mahapatra! As his student in the diplomacy class in ISIL, I always admired his expertise. Rediff has done good to have a contributor like him. Thank you. Anjali Gujral
Date sent: Sat, 16 May 1998 12:01:43 EDT I am surprised at Mr Mulayam Singh's statement. I thought the whole idea of nuclear deterrence was to demonstrate and publicise the capability so that others know and therefore the deterrence takes effect. Krishnan
Date sent: Sat, 16 May 1998 12:07:55 -0400 The test was done to find out whether it works or not. How can he do a test without it being detected? He must be a great genius who may have a secret device which can be used to do tests without being detected! He should have given that one to India! Wasn't he the defence minister!!! Sundaram
Date sent: Sat, 16 May 1998 22:22:36 -0700 Mulayam Singh is advocating exactly what the RSS wants, ban MNCs. Shows his knowledge by saying that one should not announce nuclear tests -- guess he is unaware of the sophisticated technology available to detect such tests. Gaurang
Date sent: Mon, 18 May 1998 17:56:33 +0800 How could you make nuclear plans public, Mulayam asks the PM? I think no one should even bother to listen to Mulayam Singh Yadav and Laloo Prasad Yadav. Even if they appear to be making a point, it can merely be a coincidence, and without them having an iota of knowledge of the point. They shout at whatever the BJP does, whether in power or out of power. I am wondering how come they have not added a "secular" touch to the issue. I think India has justifiably explained the reasons for the nuke tests. As long as the arms race goes "hidden," the end result can be disastrous. Ranjan
Date sent: Sat, 16 May 1998 16:48:42 +0200 A lot has been said by several people in several capacities about the Indian nuclear tests, both in India and abroad. I do not have very 'original' views on this subject! Nevertheless, I wish to say the following, which touches on many of the issues raised and not yet raised. Yeah, folks back home are thrilled about the nukes and are taking to the streets, with sweets and crackers and all! I am not sure if there is anything unpleasant about this, since I guess the average Indian does not know to react in any other way and this is a perfectly legitimate reaction as any other. You wouldn't see this kind of reaction to a satellite launch for example, although it is equally a technological feat. But then I guess the issues or rather their perception by the masses is totally different. This is the reason you see the celebrations, although everyone knows it is not going to change the way Indians 'eat, sleep and drink' in the immediate future! Yes, the victory might be pyhrric, but certainly a victory over a previous mindset, which is wholly welcome, I feel. 'Open-border' Gujral, although he claims 'the file was on my table too' would 9 out of ten not have done it. Maybe PVN would have, but we hear he messed it up. As for this 'becoming a BJP plank,' I think it very much is, although the other parties don't want to acknowledge this. If one remembers carefully, one of the ideas that was said to be an example of the BJP's strident and extreme attitude towards issues of national interest was its ardent support to go nuclear. I don't think any other party said 'yes, once we are in power, India will have nukes.' All talk about having the option open, meaning having it endlessly open, was put forward in different words by the other parties. Only the BJP was categorical in this. So I don't think one should deny credit to the party for this. I mean, when the big dome in Ayodhya fell, everyone said: 'See they have done it. They already said they would, and now they have done it .....' given the dubious connection between the party and the incident. But why don't people say this now? I don't understand this hypocrisy. I think the media doesn't want the BJP to take credit for this, although it is due. The media seems to be just helping in the game of other parties like the Congress (BTW, Sonia it seems has realised the danger in this game and is trying to back the BJP on this!!!) I don't think we should stop with saying we did it because we had to, because then what about weaponisation and other issues. If at some future time, we evaluate our security options and realise that we would need to take some action, we should do it, irrespective of how others feel about it. I think this is the message of the tests. We always had the ability (meaning, in the past 10 or 20 years), but the tests NOW indicate that only we can evaluate our security scenario and wouldn't mind defying the WEST, if need be to do something that is important for our security. This message should be well understood by everyone, especially Indians. There is no need to be apologetic about it. It seems the Lefties want an explanation as to the timing of the blasts! I guess, Buddha Purnima is a good explanation! Just kidding! A lot is being said about the sanctions and their possible effects on India. As usual, we have many predictions, this way or that way. One thing is clear -- THE SANCTIONS WILL HAVE SOME EFFECT. But this is just saying the obvious. So, we should not waste time quibbling over what effects would sanctions have, since we do not know what kind of shape the sanctions, both announced and the ones that might follow, are going to take. Instead, we should spend it usefully in articulating the feeling that whatever the sanctions, we will face it ruthlessly and turn this into a total victory. That should be the spirit, notwithstanding the colourful debate. Kudos to Rediff for its fantastic coverage, which continues. Has been a pleasure reading all that.
Date sent: Sat, 16 May 1998 22:04:41 EDT Some Indians have gone with the Western view that poor India should not spend on nukes simply because of our frail, lousy economy. I suggest we should not stop just at that. 1. Cancel the nukes programme. 2. Missiles are a drain on the economy. How about capping them? Heaven knows, the missile programme could be more expensive than the nuclear programme. 3. Isn't India spending like too much on the armed forces. How about cutting the army by half? 4. ISI sponsored activities could go on as long as they don't drain the economy. 5. China wouldn't attack India like it did in 1962. Surely they are now more trustworthy than before and history may yet choose not to repeat itself. And as regards the other accusation that the test was untimely: 1. The Kashmir conflict/Al Umma really needed to go on for at least a decade more before the test could take on any legitimacy. 2. China is actually supplying Pakistan with technology (perhaps substandard) so that they might not develop their own and hence surpass us in greatness, and is therefore actually helping us. 3. China is promoting insurgency in the North-East to help us relax a bit taking the heat and attention off Kashmir every now and then. 4. Promoted instability in the region: After all one had a declared nuclear power at one end, a non "nuclear-tested" power at the other end, and us, the proverbial dhobi ka kutta. Pretty much in equilibrium one would say.
Date sent: Sun, 17 May 1998 09:48:31 -0400 I have been reading with interest the reports on the nuclear tests conducted by India. It is shocking to note the ignorance of the press in the US. Every report (in the news media and the US government) talks about nuclear proliferation but stops short of explaining how it all began. The three threshold nuclear nations -- India, Israel and Pakistan all obtained nuclear capability with help from nations who are NPT signatories. India, with Canadian help, Israel, with US help, and Pakistan, with Chinese help. American foreign policy for all its "morality talk" has been plain and simple about self interest (which is fine) but at the same time the US government cannot expect other countries to conduct their foreign policy based on imaginary threats to world peace and not self interest. Further, it should be pointed out that although the US has signed the CTBT, it has not been ratified by the Senate and Congress. France and China signed the CTBT after conducting a series of tests in mid-1997. At least the Indians were "straight" about their intentions and refused to sign the CTBT. About the comments of the state department, with regards to duplicity of the Indian government, no country would conduct nuclear tests by first making a public announcement. The fact that five of the eight G-8 nations did not even want sanctions makes it abundantly clear the mistaken notions of the US experts. Again, with regards to sanctions on the transfer of military hardware from the US, these sanctions have been in place for the past 10+ years when India went ahead with its missile programme. Hari
Date sent: Sun, 17 May 1998 12:26:00 -0500 I liked this report which refreshingly, unlike other media reports, did not indulge in frenzied Indian bashing. However, as is usually the case, whatever you read in print is never "totally politically incorrect," i e never the "complete truth so help me god" type article. I am no expert in nuclear technology, but I would like one particular aspect to be researched or at least looked into: 1. I assume that the rationale behind banning nuclear testing is to stop further developments of these weapons. 2. Today, most advances in engineering sciences rely heavily on computer simulations since computer models are refined enough to mimic reality very well and of course are extremely economical compared to experiments. Experiments, of course, are indispensable (up to a point) and provide a means to test the validity of the model and to provide a rich reservoir of data. I would like to know: a. How accurate are computer simulations of nuclear tests being carried out in the US, France, Russia, China and UK? Note that China and France conducted tests before and after, respectively, signing CTBT for the purpose of collecting data for their computer simulations. b. Are these countries trying to improve their nuclear weapons technology through computer simulations? c. How vast is the US nuclear test database? Is is vast enough that they do not envisage the need to carry out real experiments in the foreseeable future? d. Is there any provision in CTBT about conducting these simulations? These issues would bring the real issue of nuclear weapons to light and answer questions as to what the five nuclear powers of the world are actually doing with their nuclear weapons programme. Prashant
Date sent: Sun, 17 May 1998 11:04:03 -0400 Let this be known to friend and foe alike, that I, Aqueil Ahmad, having been born an Indian and having worked on India's science and technology policy for over three decades, strongly disapprove of India's recent nuclear tests. I am against nuclear weapons, or any weapons of mass destruction, under all circumstances and by all nations, big and small, rich and poor. For a country like India, with her tradition of peace and nonviolence, at least in theory, going all the way back to Buddha and Gandhi, it does not make any sense to engage in nuclear lunacy and hereby weaken her moral stature and political clout to convince others not to do so, particularly here neighbours. As for the security needs, it should be obvious to anyone that these weapons do not ensure that, for they cannot be used without risking a nuclear holocaust that no sane person or nation would desire. The present mood in India is nationalistic and chauvinistic, created by the political party currently in power, for its own tenuous survival. I hope the Indian scientific community and the general voice of reason in India would soon see the futility of the current economic and political boondoggle, and would soon cut through the euphoria of the hungry and poor Indians. These people also happen to be ignorant of the real meaning and implications of useless, expensive and dangerous moves like these by a a self-serving government which should know better what priorities would serve the needs of the Indian people -- who needs something other than nuclear bombs for their personal security. Aqueil Ahmad, Ph D
Date sent: Sun, 17 May 1998 11:04:03 -0400 Don't some facts strike you as funny? Let me outline some of them: 1. To be a nuclear state you have to have detonated a nuclear device before 1968. If not, tough luck, you could blow up the planet -- but the US will not recognise you as a nuclear state. What logic of law, national or international, states that the when a law is outdated, stick to it with both guns blazing? What great political student will try to argue that the world in 1968 was an accurate representation of the world in 1998? Do you smell an ostrich here? 2. There is this country called US that has currently some 9,000 nuclear warheads -- that are ready for launch. This is after deactivating about twice the number. This is a build up of some 30 odd years. In the 31st year, that country does an about turn, and decides to play safer than thou. This is backed by some more countries armed to their teeth with nuclear devices. Suddenly there's this major concern for the safety of the planet and the holocaust. They systematically denuded their (and others') natural resources, and suddenly after bringing the planet to the brink of ecological holocaust are asking the less developed states to give up their livelihoods by banning logging of trees and CFCs. Did the US not know about the risks of nuclear proliferation while it was building up its arsenal of more than 30,000 nuclear warheads? Take your choice -- idiots or hypocrites? 3. This country -- the one called US, has been behind some of the bloodiest and most long drawn out feuds in the century. A significant pillar of the US economy is the arms industry. Israel, Egypt, Pakistan ...where does this list stop? A country that has profited from death for decades now, is suddenly worried about why the Indian government has misled them? The same country that has tacitly been selling arms to Pakistan, knowing its bloody ramifications in the valley of Kashmir? In school, the class monitor had the right to extract the truth out of a suspected errant. Often this took the form of twisting the person's arms behind his back till the point where truth escaped from the person's lips. It seems we are back in school and against the wall. And very, very indignant about it. Any suggestions as to how we can tackle an unpleasant monitor?
Date sent: Mon, 18 May 1998 12:11:23 PDT Apropos Prem Panicker's article on deterrence, here's how deterrence works: if China can wipe out all of India (which they probably can) but India can destroy Beijing, Hong Kong and Canton (which we DEFINITELY can), that's deterrence because China will not risk the loss of its major cities for the benefit of destroying India. The price is too high to pay -- that's deterrence. Now, if India does not have nuclear weapons and China does, then they can blow us up and we will not be able to do anything in return. That's suicide! Now does Panicker understand? How Readers responded to Amberish K Diwanji's last column
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