If you come, with you; if you do not come, without you, and if you oppose, in spite of you, we go ahead; said Veer Savarkar once. And exactly that is India's nuclear policy now. "If you help, with your help, if you do not help without your help and if you oppose, in spite of you, we shall go ahead with our policy" says India to the advanced nations of the world. It was with their help that India had launched its nuclear program. Soon it had to pass through the second stage and now, it is in spite of their opposition, that India goes ahead, with its policies and programs of 'atoms for peace'.
Nobody knew that a tiny atom could be a store house of tremendous energy, until the early forties. Only when America dropped its 'crude; atom bomb on Japan, the world could realize its huge power of destruction. Apart from wiping out vast areas around and killing every living being that breathes-even plant life is not spared - its immediate and long term effects are stupefying. Even small doses of nuclear radiation, such as - rays, - particles, - particles and neutrons can result in skin disorders loss of hair and the like which are recoverable, while greater doses, in irreparable losses leading to leukemia and malignant tumors. Its long term effects are more baffling. It is their offspring that suffer-their mental efficiency decreases, and their reproductive capacity deteriorates.
No wonder Japan had surrounded unconditionally and with in days the second world war ended. But this should have acted as a deterrent and the world should have stayed away from this forbidden front. But human greed knows no limits and the temptation to acquire power, even if it is destructive, is irresistible. Soon nations found themselves running in the race, to make atom bombs. Russia, England, France and China devised and developed the atom bomb. And now they realized that it had very great powers of destruction and its production therefore should be restricted. While they produced and stock piled them, devising newer and newer ones, they wanted that no other nation should produce them and started compelling non-nuclear nations to give an undertaking to that effect and enter into the non proliferation treaty - NPT in short.
India could not understand the rationale behind such a partisan attitude. Yet it was ready to sigh the treaty provided the nuclear power were prepared to give up their destructive ambitions. It was not palatable to them, they wanted to continue with their nuclear experimentation's, production and stock piling of the arsenal as they devised ways and means of coercing India.
It was in July 1974 they got a chance to pursue their discriminatory policies with renewed vigor; on this day India tested a modest atom bomb at Pokharan and became un-welcome member of the nuclear club. But at the same time, in spite of its capabilities to make and store atom bombs, it once again declared in clear unequivocal terms, its commitment to use the atom-power for peace and prosperity of the nation. Ignoring its unambiguous professions and suspecting its integrity and honesty they applied pressure after pressure to coerce India and bring it round to sign the NPT which "attempted to lock up all the law abiding citizens while allowing the criminals complete freedom to roam about and continue with their criminal deeds".
With the United States of America, Canada, the United Kingdom and France, going back on their promises and refusing to help India in pursuing its nuclear peace program, India began to experience the pinch of neglect and non-co-operation. Without Uranium 235 or heavy water, or other essential components, there came a virtual break down in its program. Even our trusted friend, Russia, withdrew its hand of assistance and refused to supply the heavy water. India has learned the virtue of self help of course, in the hard way. It is indeed ironical that the very force that tried to subdue and humiliate India, had finally become a blessing in disguise.
In 1972, India obtained a design for the Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR) from France. After 1974 when India test fired its atomic device France refused to honor its treaty obligation and part with its know - how or supply enriched uranium fuel. India had therefore to deviate form the French design, make alterations, modification and adaptations, produce the essential components-reactor vessel fuel and reflector sub-assemblies, rotating plus, control and drive mechanisms, heat exchanges, steam generators, pumping systems and finally a new fuel that could be used but at the same time abundantly available in the country itself. Getting over the hurdles one after another, India's first FBTR became critical in 1985 and now, India proudly takes the seventh place in the exclusive 7 member club of countries with FBTRS, the United Stated, the Soviet Union, France, the United Kingdom, West Germany and Japan being the other countries in that order. In this regard, one may recall what out eminent nuclear physicist Dr. Raja Ramanna said "That takes us with the very few, an elite group-the same countries are still thinking whether they should, or should not go into expect that we would finish the FBTR by ourselves."
Not only did our scientists successfully finish it, but also hit upon a new fuel thorium which is available is plenty in India and specifically designed for Indian conditions. Also, the higher fissile content of the plutonium helps the engineers to dispense with the heavy water. Again to quote Raja Ramanna, "We would be the first in the world to use carbide'. Now with Madras Atomic Power Stations I and II, apart from the FBTR, all the three located at Kalpakkam, near Madras and Dhruva Research Reactor at Bombay, India can now be proud of the new technology it has developed in this area, unaided, all by itself. A country that could not once produce quality bolts and nuts can now produce metal cooled, carbide fuelled highly sophisticated, Fast Breeder Reactors. A giant leap indeed. "The rigidity with which our scientists struck to specifications and commissioned them, comparable in quality to any in the world, showed that given the drive, our scientists are capable of reaching great heights" said Rajiv Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India, while dedicating the FBTR at Kalpakkam to the nation.
The purpose of FBTR which uses a mixed carbide of uranium and plutonium as fuel (for driving the reactor ) developed and produced indigenously at the Bhaba Atomic Research Centre, Bombay, is two fold; to offer research facilities and training for our young scientists and then produce electricity at a comparatively cheap rate. Their purpose electricity at a comparatively cheap rate. Their purpose is certainly not for making atom bombs. "By splitting the atom, we have released boundless energy. It must be our task to see that this energy is used for the furtherance of our civilisation and not misused for the destruction of human kind. Our abhorrence to nuclear weapons is total" said Rajiv Gandhi.
In spite of such honest declarations, the USA, not only arms Pakistan to its very teeth in the name of regional balance, but also pressurizes India time and again, through its camp follower, to sign the NPT, in a shrewd and veiled manner. Pakistan proposes that India and Pakistan -
1. Jointly sigh the NPT
2. Agree to mutual inspection of each other's nuclear facilities
3. Together submit all their installations and facilities to international safeguards
4. Convert South Asia into a nuclear free zone and
5. Agree to a mutual renunciation of weapons;
Which clearly and conclusively state that Pakistan has clandestine atom bombs. And in spite of such unambiguous situations, America goes on with its billions of dollars of help and assistance to Pakistan. Does it mean that America is genuinely afraid of India's nuclear policies and programs? Does its pronouncement look so empty and hypothetic to the American mind? Can India become a threat, in spite of its great eastern neighbor equipped with atomic teeth, to a country thousands of miles away from its shores? It is for the politician and the policy maker to find answers to such questions.
Sam James is a freelance writer and has written content for several web & print media projects.
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