Ghose was head of Indian delegation to the conference on the CTBT in Geneva in 1996 and she is hailed for strongly outlining India's position in opposing the treaty.
'It is because of Chinese policy that Pakistan is nuclear. So we have to look at it as one unit. If the fissile material of Pakistan is to be controlled, you have to control China,' says former diplomat Arundhati Ghose.
For me, Arundhati (Chukku) Ghose was the last word on multilateral economic issues when we worked together in the ministry of external affairs on UN affairs. If her disarmament persona had not made her a celebrity in that area, she would have been known for the work she did in economic matters in different capitals. She was highly respected for her views and no one wanted to be seen on the opposite side of the argument with her. But she was always patient in explaining her position and in accommodating different perspectives, says Ambassador T P Sreenivasan.
'There is no doubt that the US would like all their friends to agree with them. We are not in the habit of doing that,' says former diplomat Arundhati Ghose.
The decision is significant as it comes in the midst of India's efforts to lobby support in the international community for its civil nuclear energy ambitions.
