NSG --- WHAT IS THE FUSS?
What is this fuss about joining NSG? ANSWER IS : IT IS MUCH ADO ABPUT NOTHING. What do we require nuclear material fiel for? Our desperation shows that it was " Life and Death" or " Do or Die" issue for India. Is it really so? We are unnecessarily making it a prestige issue and going around the world with a begging bowl. We could as much do without the membership of this 48 nation group. I fail to see the reason of so much hype given to a non issue because the group was created primarily to stall India from becoming a nuclear weapon state. Here are some facts which we are ignoring.
India exploded a nuclear bomb (in the project called “Smiling Buddha”) at Pokhran, Rajasthan, on 18 May 1974, during Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s time, which took the Western powers by surprise. The five Nuclear Weapons States (NWS) namely the USA, the USSR, the UK, France and China, became upset and jittery with India’s audacity and wanted to limit nuclear sales and supplies. Therefore, they created the NSG in 1975. So, India was responsible for the creation of the NSG by its action, and we are crying hoarse now because of our non-admission to NSG!
As for Nuclear NPT (Non Proliferation Treaty ) is concerned it was signed in 1970 and has 191 members. But most of them are irrelevant because they do not have the wherewithal of technology to produce nuclear weapons. Only USA, UK, France, Russia and China are the acknowledged nuclear states. South Africa, Israel and some 5-6 others are known to possess nuclear devices. India did not sign the NPT as it found it discriminatory. If it would have signed it, then, India would not have carried out nuclear tests in 1974 and 1998. Not signing the NPT has been the assigned reason which China and others cited to deny India membership of the NSG..
Let us see the reasons which nudges India for gaining NSG membership. I see three primary reasons: one, Supply for its 21 Nuclear reactors to produce electricity; Two, nuclear grade weapon material to produce more Nuclear weapons; Three, to join an elite club and be recognised as a world power.
The last reason is a emotional point. But where is the hurry? This is an idea in the womb of future, whose time will come. India can not be denied for long its rightful place in global power balance. Therefore, India's global rise is NOT subject to membership of the NSG, which really does not affect India's NUCLEAR WEAPON STATE ( NWS) status. Economically India is on the March. Technologically it is Leap frogging others. Geographically it is a seventh largest state with fourth largest army in the world. It got to be patient.
According to SIPRI ( Stockholm International Peace Research Institute) report India has approximately 110-120 nuclear weapons, besides having 600 Kg of weapon grade Plutonium. It is adequate to deter one's enemies. It is immaterial whether you destroy your enemy once or ten times. What matters is the delivery and lethality of the weapon system. Both against Pakistan and China India possesses Second strike capability. Therefore it is not the quantity of nuclear weapons but quality which matters.
Technologically , India is much ahead of Pakistan in delivery and lethality of the nukes, even if Pakistan has more nukes. SIPRI says Pakistan has some 130 or so, and it has the potential to produce some 240 nuclear devices. Some even say that in few years Pakistan might be the THIRD LARGEST NUCLEAR WEAPON STATE. But does it matter ? Pakistan lacks an effective second strike capability. So, nuclear pile is an emotional dump.
What is more interesting for Indian Strategic planners is nuclear strategy of Pakistan. It seeks to checkmate India's rapid conventional strike by its FULL SPECTRUM DETERRENCE ( FSD) strategy. This strategy is more obsessed with Conventional superiority of India than its nuclear might. FSD is primarily a response to India's COLD START DOCTRINE ( CSD). It seeks to use small yield nuclear devices against India's likely punitive action against a terrorist attack through CSD. In other words Pakistan wants to deny India an option against is retaliatory conventional operation against its NON STATE ACTORS. First use of nuclear weapons , in whatever yield, by Pakistan runs the risk of full scale strike by India, thus wiping it off world's map. FSD is a flawed strategy.
Where is the need for more fuel for nuclear reactors when according to 2008 amendment to NSG charter, India has a special privilege which allows it an improved sustained supply of nuclear fuel. In any case India's energy needs are not solely wedded to Nuclear energy. At current rate it is just 3% of our power generation. India is yet to fully tap its other sources of energy such as Thermal power, Solar power and Wind energy. Hydro Generation has not been fully explored.
India is a tropical nation and bestowed with hot climate in most parts of the country throughout the year. And in spite of that we are clamoring for membership of NSG. Instead why not India emulate Chile and harness the potential of Solar Energy. In fact Chile produces so much solar energy that its giving electricity for free. Thanks to Chile’s major investments in renewables, the Latin American country is seeing an incredible solar boom. Santiago’s Metro System to Become World’s First to Be Powered Largely by Solar and Wind.
So why are we giving so much importance to Nuclear generation of power. India has to tap its other sources of renewable energy , which is available in plenty. Besides, with the historic significance of Gas pipeline deal with Iran, the energy needs are going to be much eased. Therefore according to me, the craze for nuclear fuel is undesirable. Let us not make ourselves slaves of a need which can be alternatively met very easily.
What is this fuss about joining NSG? ANSWER IS : IT IS MUCH ADO ABPUT NOTHING. What do we require nuclear material fiel for? Our desperation shows that it was " Life and Death" or " Do or Die" issue for India. Is it really so? We are unnecessarily making it a prestige issue and going around the world with a begging bowl. We could as much do without the membership of this 48 nation group. I fail to see the reason of so much hype given to a non issue because the group was created primarily to stall India from becoming a nuclear weapon state. Here are some facts which we are ignoring.
India exploded a nuclear bomb (in the project called “Smiling Buddha”) at Pokhran, Rajasthan, on 18 May 1974, during Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s time, which took the Western powers by surprise. The five Nuclear Weapons States (NWS) namely the USA, the USSR, the UK, France and China, became upset and jittery with India’s audacity and wanted to limit nuclear sales and supplies. Therefore, they created the NSG in 1975. So, India was responsible for the creation of the NSG by its action, and we are crying hoarse now because of our non-admission to NSG!
As for Nuclear NPT (Non Proliferation Treaty ) is concerned it was signed in 1970 and has 191 members. But most of them are irrelevant because they do not have the wherewithal of technology to produce nuclear weapons. Only USA, UK, France, Russia and China are the acknowledged nuclear states. South Africa, Israel and some 5-6 others are known to possess nuclear devices. India did not sign the NPT as it found it discriminatory. If it would have signed it, then, India would not have carried out nuclear tests in 1974 and 1998. Not signing the NPT has been the assigned reason which China and others cited to deny India membership of the NSG..
Let us see the reasons which nudges India for gaining NSG membership. I see three primary reasons: one, Supply for its 21 Nuclear reactors to produce electricity; Two, nuclear grade weapon material to produce more Nuclear weapons; Three, to join an elite club and be recognised as a world power.
The last reason is a emotional point. But where is the hurry? This is an idea in the womb of future, whose time will come. India can not be denied for long its rightful place in global power balance. Therefore, India's global rise is NOT subject to membership of the NSG, which really does not affect India's NUCLEAR WEAPON STATE ( NWS) status. Economically India is on the March. Technologically it is Leap frogging others. Geographically it is a seventh largest state with fourth largest army in the world. It got to be patient.
According to SIPRI ( Stockholm International Peace Research Institute) report India has approximately 110-120 nuclear weapons, besides having 600 Kg of weapon grade Plutonium. It is adequate to deter one's enemies. It is immaterial whether you destroy your enemy once or ten times. What matters is the delivery and lethality of the weapon system. Both against Pakistan and China India possesses Second strike capability. Therefore it is not the quantity of nuclear weapons but quality which matters.
Technologically , India is much ahead of Pakistan in delivery and lethality of the nukes, even if Pakistan has more nukes. SIPRI says Pakistan has some 130 or so, and it has the potential to produce some 240 nuclear devices. Some even say that in few years Pakistan might be the THIRD LARGEST NUCLEAR WEAPON STATE. But does it matter ? Pakistan lacks an effective second strike capability. So, nuclear pile is an emotional dump.
What is more interesting for Indian Strategic planners is nuclear strategy of Pakistan. It seeks to checkmate India's rapid conventional strike by its FULL SPECTRUM DETERRENCE ( FSD) strategy. This strategy is more obsessed with Conventional superiority of India than its nuclear might. FSD is primarily a response to India's COLD START DOCTRINE ( CSD). It seeks to use small yield nuclear devices against India's likely punitive action against a terrorist attack through CSD. In other words Pakistan wants to deny India an option against is retaliatory conventional operation against its NON STATE ACTORS. First use of nuclear weapons , in whatever yield, by Pakistan runs the risk of full scale strike by India, thus wiping it off world's map. FSD is a flawed strategy.
Where is the need for more fuel for nuclear reactors when according to 2008 amendment to NSG charter, India has a special privilege which allows it an improved sustained supply of nuclear fuel. In any case India's energy needs are not solely wedded to Nuclear energy. At current rate it is just 3% of our power generation. India is yet to fully tap its other sources of energy such as Thermal power, Solar power and Wind energy. Hydro Generation has not been fully explored.
India is a tropical nation and bestowed with hot climate in most parts of the country throughout the year. And in spite of that we are clamoring for membership of NSG. Instead why not India emulate Chile and harness the potential of Solar Energy. In fact Chile produces so much solar energy that its giving electricity for free. Thanks to Chile’s major investments in renewables, the Latin American country is seeing an incredible solar boom. Santiago’s Metro System to Become World’s First to Be Powered Largely by Solar and Wind.
So why are we giving so much importance to Nuclear generation of power. India has to tap its other sources of renewable energy , which is available in plenty. Besides, with the historic significance of Gas pipeline deal with Iran, the energy needs are going to be much eased. Therefore according to me, the craze for nuclear fuel is undesirable. Let us not make ourselves slaves of a need which can be alternatively met very easily.
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