Pokharan test II - Its significance in India's modern history

Pokharan test in 1998 in many ways was a landmark incident in modern Indian history. It was the first time when India openly shrugged off her nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament stance against the powerful international lobby despite the numerous sanction threats.

Since the end of World War II, world was inequitably divided into two groups: one with nuclear power and the other without it. 98 percent of the countries of the world fall into the later with only USA, UK, France, Soviet Union and China being the privileged ones. Just after the aftermath of WW2, a Non Proliferation Treaty for Nuclear weapons was conceptualized among the nations winning the war. The treaty said that only four of the nations namely, the USA, the UK, the Soviet Union and France were authorized to produce and maintain their nuclear artilleries. Any other country if found to work with this technology will be dealt with firm hands and will have to face consequences in the form of political and economical ostracisms and even with military incursions. China being a major power at the time of formation of treaty was treated as an exception and thus it too became a part of the Big four. And thus a BIG five was formed which for the next four decades maintained its hegemony over the world till India became the first country to challenge that, which we will come in subsequent passages.

Subsequently, Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) was created to endorse the earlier one, the NPT, specifying ways in which the sanctions would be applied to the violating countries. Most of the nations in the world were forced to endorse both the treaties with a few exceptions like India, Pakistan, Israel, Iran etc.

Since independence, India has followed a policy of non-alignment, which helped India maintain an equal distance from two major blocks developing after the WW2, namely the capitalist block with USA as its head and the communist block with USSR as its lead. India knew that endorsing any of the treaty like CTBT or NPT will eventually come in the way of maintaining an independent foreign policy. Also, India after independence was surrounded by nations which were not exactly friends with her. Pakistan in collusion with China and USA always used to threaten and transgress the Indian borders as were in 1948, 1965, 1971 and later on in 1999. In 1971, after its creation, Bangladesh also joined the chorus along with Pakistan. China in 1962 war also made clear its intentions of animosity. So, with these insurmountable problems India's harmonious existence has always been in danger.

In the wake of these threats, Congress government with Indira Gandhi as its head conducted the subdued first test in Pokharan. Subdued, because India was not a big power then to face international sanctions from all corners and to jeopardize its growth. India was still a country which needed much international support and aid for its existence. It has not become self dependent. Fifteen years later BJP government came into power overcoming much of the political turmoil with AB Vajpayee becoming Prime Minister of India the third time in three years. Due to some political pressure and due to some existential pressure, the BJP government in order to show India's mettle to the world and hence the government's mettle to its people conducted the TEST in 1999, which in many ways established India as an important player in the world politics.

India successfully conducted three nuclear tests in Pokharan under the able guidance of our former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, then the chief of nuclear operations. International community reacted sharply with USA, UN and other nations imposing several kinds of bans and sanctions on India. India was banned from participating in most of the international economic forums and several countries cut on the imports from India. Japan, Canada, etc suspended providing aid to India. USA however did not succeed in getting G-8 countries taking collective action against India. Germany, France and Russia continued their economic ties with India. With passage of time, several other countries let go their hard stance over India.

Pokharan II marks an important chapter in the history of India as a evolving democratic, independent nation. Although, India did a diplomatic blunder by openly admitting to the world about the tests, it in many ways helped India gain a prominent position among the powerful nations. India became only the sixth nation in the world to openly admit to have the capacity of producing nuclear technology and hence the weapons on its own. In the hindsight, the tests look like an eventuality which was bound to happen to challenge the old world order and form a new world order with new evolving paradigms. As described by UN General Secretary Mr Kofi Annan - "We can not have two parameters for evaluating different nations. At one hand CTBT allows the exclusive club to maintain and produce nuclear weapons and at other hand it restricts other countries (India and Pakistan) not to have them".