Nuclear Pact between India and the US

The historic Nuclear Pact between India and the US needs to be dispassionately and objectively analysed in its right perspective. In fact, India has only a Hobson’s choice in the Nuclear agreement with the US. It is also to be remembered that despite being lone super cop of the unipolar world the US is finding it difficult to wriggle out of the compulsions of the NPT as proliferation continues to be the main stay of the US foreign policy. That in spite of this the US Government run by the Republicans has got the bill approved by the US congress presently dominated by the Democrats shows the importance the US peoples’ Representatives have begun to accord for India. However, this rare near unanimity has sowed seeds of suspicion among the Indian Political class.

The Bill underscores the cold fact that today the US policy makers simply cannot ignore the geo-political importance of India in the emerging Asian Security Architecture. They have chosen to overlook the hitherto objected possession of the Nuclear Arsenal by India. In short, India is being elevated to the status of a state which will enjoy almost all the privileges of the five Nuclear countries hitherto not available to India.

On a cursory look, the argument that the agreement makes it impossible to conduct further Nuclear Tests for India is seen as a Nuclear deterrent for Indian Nuclear Experiment in future. However, if one looks beyond this paranoia it can be seen that such Nuclear blackmail always existed whether there was a Mutual Agreement or not. As long as India is not a signatory to the Controversial NPT, which is heavily loaded against the Nuclear have-nots rather than regulating the Nuclear Powers. This Nuclear xenophobia is artificially created and does not carry much weight as in the past way back in 1974 when the Indian economy and the nuclear environment both were not favourable for India. Indian Nuclear Experiments were in a truly nascent stage. Notwithstanding these unfavourable circumstances and insurmountable international pressure the then Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi displayed a rare sense of courage and conviction to surprise the world with India’s Nuclear capabilities. The Advanced countries took it to be India’s misadventure into the Nuclear world defying the powerful nuclear states. By 1998, India grew both in the size of economy and in the advancement in Nuclear Technology. Therefore, the international pressure in 1998 was very negligible as compared to 1974. The pinch of the US ban subsequent to Pokharan-II was not felt much by the country. The US is fully aware of this.

Today, a country’s economy is more important than its military wares. An economy of India’s enormity registering a steady, robust, yearly growth with middle class purchasing power cannot be overlooked by the private capitalists from the advanced countries. India, therefore, is in an enviable position to impose its sweet will on the developed countries whether or not they like it. Given this, a third nuclear test in future may not be a problem at all whether or not we go ahead with the indo-US Nuclear treaty.

Moreover, the US precondition banning future nuclear test by India is only a toothless clause which the US will impossible to enforce. IT seems that the clause has been included with twin objectives of satisfying the domestic political compulsions and to keep the Damocles’ sword over the Indian Nuclear Institution.

Therefore, India can go ahead with the pact, but should tread the Nuclear Path artfully with caution so as to avoid any nuclear pitfalls.