India's Nuclear Labyrinth - A Must Read

[Kaushal]

I have several problems with this article, which I read at least a couple of times, prior to and in the immediate aftermath of POK II. A lot of the substance is now passe, since India has overtly chosen to nuclearize, and the labyrinth has straightened out considerably. This needs a more lengthy rebuttal than I am willing to do at this moment.<P>Kaushal<p>[This message has been edited by Kaushal (edited 28-09-1999).]

[bala]

This article has a definite bash India for going Nuclear outlook. The authors claim China has superior Nuclear know-how than India. Let us pause for a moment and look at the heritage of the Chinese nuclear program. All technical know-how started from erstwhile USSR. Then the authors claim Pakistan has leap-frogged in Nuclear capability. And all of us know the source of Pakistan's nuclear capability - China. <BR>In India's case no outside help. Verified by the authors quote.<P>"Unlike Israel and Pakistan (allegedly), India has not gained or sought external assistance.[13]"<P>Everything India has done in the Nuclear field from scratch is the key issue for these experts. In fact if you look at the nuclear field, all P5 members(incl Israel, Pakistan) have their know-how from USA, USSR. So they scratch head and say absolutely inane <BR>statements against India.<BR>There is no acknowledgement of key innovations like Tritrium production for H-bombs. <BR>The authors also state this really funny line:<BR>"China has not felt much threatened by India's nuclear weapon program, despite India's repeated identification of China as one of the program's main objects."<BR>I remember the Chinese Foreign Office being completely surprised and even further mortified when the additional 2 tests were performed. I also contend that the reason the Chinese did not support Pakistan in Kargill operation is because they know that India is a real nuclear power. <BR>Also there is an excessive bent to treat China superior to India. Until the 1990's China and India were pretty much on par (except for Nuclear weapons). We know that their scientists are no more brilliant than ours. Their villages mimic ours. Only recently (90's) their economy has taken off.

[Sunil]

i agree with bala, a western view point. <P>we cannot expect the men of the west to understand/feel the compulsions of our government and yet the article is very balanced and refreshingly `realistic'. <P>On one hand you have people like Zia Mian and then on the other hand you have this one.. i guess it takes all kinds. <P>

[ramana]

I did read the article when it first came out. In fact this article supported my views that uncle was egging on the nuclear armed pitbull at India in order for her to rush into his arms.<BR>There is another way out of the labryinth. You can blast your way out of it if you have the means. Where all these anlysts got it wrong was, they grossly underestimated Indian sicence ad technology. They believed their own deluded conclusions about the absymal state of Indian scientific establishment. Maybe deluded experts like Dhirendra Sharma were useful after all in propogating the incompetence myth.