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Effects of Pakistan's nuclear
bomb on
India's Nuclear Programme
By
Muhammad Yousaf Gabriel
Oqasaorg@gmail.com
The term Islamic Bomb
having assumed a general and universal notoriety throughout the
world and having appeared both in the world press and
publications, now appears, at least in outward appearance, to be
losing its luster .But the atomic bomb having been the basic
topic, it could not be safely assumed that the affair has been
finished. No, but the affair will only see its end with the end
of the process of the Baconian science-guided progress, the
basic cause of the appearance of the atomic bomb, without any
doubt or ambiguity in the flames of the atomic hell, that is the
atomic bombs and the atomic radiations. The atomic bomb is only
the one thing. Tagging it with various denominations makes not a
whit of different to its basic function. it is a hell, and
calling it by different names is only a calling. It is wrong,
though to call it as Christian, Islamic, Hindu or Buddhist bomb.
Let it rather be called as Baconian bomb, the common bomb. To
associate its name with any religion is a blasphemy against that
religion, and therefore accountable inspite of the rational,
irreligious and scientific outlook of the people of this present
age. The atomic bomb is a phenomena quite peculiarly different
from the rest of the phenomena. The Christian bomb will not
hesitate to kill the Christians nor will the communist bomb ever
spare the Communists. the Islamic, the Hindu or the Buddhist
bomb could not be regarded as an exception to this rule.The
atomic bomb with its sophisticated name, that is the nuclear
bomb may be regarded as the common grave-digger of this mankind,
and will not think of erecting tombstones on the graves of
different peoples.
Books on the topic of
Islamic bomb have appeared in the world press. These books , as
well might have been expected are based on a particular design,
and having a politico-journalistic, quasi-technical, and
strategic approach interwoven with nuclear au statutory fabric
with a tinge of plaintive hue and interlined with reproaches. The
overall spectacle of these books is that of a woman accusing,
altercating, bickering, hurling defiance at the adversary and
expressing regret at the wrong and the folly of the other. Two
books of this kind have appeared in English language, and both
could be expected to deal with the same questions in the same
field, and having similar approach. Even if two hundred had been
produced, they would have the same pattern. Such books even if
written with admirable ability, in great detail and with
exquisite beauty, could excite neither appreciation in me, nor
could be of much benefit from my point of view, for they do not
touch the real base of the problem, and merely play about in the
outer crest of the malady, while my treatment of the topic is
basic, philosophic and is concerned with the fundamental points
of nuclear science. And let it be remembered, that unless the
basic root of this nuclear problem is held, and eradicated, no
superfluous or partial treatment will be of any avail, till
ultimately the last stage, of the process has arrived in the
flames of the nuclear hell, to eradicate this mankind, and
indeed all life on earth in actual misery, affliction and
disgrace.
Of these books one is
named as " Pakistan's Islamic Bomb", and is written by Maj.
General D.K.Palit and P.K.S. Namboodiri jointly, both of India.
It appears strange to observe that these authors regard he
nuclear threat as a universal threat to all life on earth, and
they negate the inefficacy of the nuclear proliferation treaty,
and yet instead of tackling the problem with a view to ridding
the world of this plague, they dwell at length and exclusively
on the nuclear war strategies, preparations, precautions,
tactics of assault and defence besides trying to shift the blame
on the other party. How deeply this world appears to have been
hypnotized by the nuclear doom, may be judged from these books,
whose authors, whether they themselves know it or not, may be
seen as men playing with the brands snatched from the fire which
is consuming their own houses. These authors appear in their
seemingly capable discussions of this topic, as completely
ignorant of and indifferent to the real nature of nuclear
phenomenon, and its consequent hazards. How dearly its wished
that they had known, no other alternative was left to this
mankind but either to vanish under the hails of atomic bombs
suddenly, deservedly or to perish slowly, lingeringly and
deservedly under the stings of deadly radiations in misery and
affliction after a spell of existence on earth as cancer-ridden
chimeras.
These are not just as
alarmist views. it is not even an exaggeration of the facts nor
it is in any way indulgence in hyperbolism. This mankind that
today raves in mad frenzy, after the reactors and the bombs will
see this process to its finish. This science- guided,
continuous, systematic, ever- increasing and infinite process of
wealth-accumulation will explode in nuclear flames and will
consume this mankind. And certainly no heavens will ever cry,
for it is not the heavens that did wrong to this mankind, but
surely it is this mankind itself that has wronged itself. It
appears to be in no way amiss to say that merely pruning the
branches would not do, but rather the basic causes ought to be
removed in order to remove the effects. And what by the way,
happen to be the causes of the nuclear malady. They are the
habits of slander, the engrossment in the pursuit of wealth, and
the belief in the eternity of this life, and whole heart in it.
Unless indeed these causes are removed, there is no power
beneath this heaven and over this earth to save this world from
the nuclear doom.
The Book " Pakistan's
Islamic Bomb", revolves about the Pakistan nuclear bomb, and the
effects of its birth on Indian nuclear programme. the two
countries being neighbors with constantly estranged mutual
relations.
The line of argument
assumed by these authors to prove the necessity and the
subsequent birth of the Pakistan's nuclear bomb is this, that
because Israel has the nuclear bomb, and Arabs have not, the
Arabs will want to have one. Further because the Arabs have the
necessary money but Pakistan have not. And because the Pakistan
have the necessary talent for building a nuclear bomb which the
Arabs have not, the Arabs will want Pakistan to build a nuclear
bomb for the Arabs. and because the Pakistanis and not the Arabs
will build the nuclear bomb, it is natural that it is the
Pakistanis that will be in command of the bomb built by them for
the Arabs. But what is really worrying to these authors is the
point that Pakistanis will retain some nuclear bombs for India,
being their close adversary. India will thus be obliged to
counter-act for safety and integrity and will be dragged
reluctantly into the nuclear war preparations.
Suggesting the necessities of
options to India against the prospective birth of Pakistani
bomb, the authors of Pakistan's Islamic bomb, write:-
"Clearly it was to
Pakistan's advantage to obtain approval--- and the funds----for
an " Islamic bomb" by projecting the Arab-Israel conflict and
the advantages to be gained by injecting an Arab Nuclear
argument into that confrontation. It is also clear that once
Pakistan has acquired minimum nuclear armory, It will switch the
focus of its strategic thrust from the Israel to the Indian
conflict, whatever the Arabs might say. And when that happens,
an agreement on the nuclear free zone or a joint declaration
would be of no help to Indian security. India will therefore
have to rely on more credible options".
(Pakistan's Islamic
Bomb page 137)
They suggest options to India as
follows:-
(i) Going Nuclear
explicitly, following Pakistani test, and to make
representations for it ahead of the event.
(ii) Expanding its
conventional forces, both offensive and defense, to deter
Pakistan's nuclear threat with a conventional threat of deep
thrusts and long scale occupation of territory.
(iii) Using a strategy of
uncertainty based on a declared policy of no-weapons but to
continue further nuclear tests ( including thermonuclear ones)
and to accelerate missile development ; and
(iv) Using a strategy of
uncertainty based on a declared policy of no-weapons but at the
same time preparing a sufficient number of nuclear weapons with
the last wires unconnected".
(The Pakistan's Islamic
Bomb page 146)
The authors further explain the
implications of these four options. they write:-
" All the four
strategies have their casts in political and economic terms. The
first strategy would mean India giving up its " ideological"
struggle for nuclear disarmament, perhaps, by adopting this
strategy, India would be able to ensure its own security and
even gain in political stature in a world dominated by the
nuclear cult, but it would mean a major set-back for the
humanitarian aim of striving for a denuclearized world. The
second strategy would be valid only for a limited period of
time, that is , till Pakistan builds up a reasonable stock-pile.
It would also be a very costly alternative. The third strategy
would call for a reversal of the Prime Minster's personal
commitment ( which is not the Government's policy) not to have
any more test explsoions. The fourth strategy is perhaps the
cheapest and the best, and an adversary would expect this of
India. The most dangerous scenario for India will be a policy of
drift, that is, to adopt an apparently moralistic stand without
debate or deep consideration. This would have us to be caught in
a state of physical and emotional unpreaparedness, which could
only lead to a trauma far worse than that we experienced in
1962.
(The Pakistan's Islamic
Bomb page 146-7)
Now the thoughts like
ensuring the national security through nuclear preparation, or
over-running and occupying the hostile nuclear territories by
means of overwhelmingly superior convention forces, or keeping
nuclear weapons with Last wires unconnected could hardly match
the sentiments like the denuclearization of the world. Such
thoughts could be likened to the mutual massacre of the inmates
of a ship on fire. Inmates cutting each other's throats and
crying peace. What it is wondered would have been the views of
Late Mahatma Gandhi, the Reputed Saint of Ahansa on the
point..Poor Mahatama might perhaps had writhed in anguish and
washed his hands off the doomed humanity in dismay. The cause of
general blindness of mankind could have most easily been imputed
to mankind's general ignorance of the subject of atomic energy
and its dreadful, but unavoidable hazards, had not the most
learned in his subject been found the blindest of all in their
enthusiasm for the atomic energy, and atomic weapons.The
ignorance therefore could be reckoned as one of the causes at
most, the actual causes eprhaps lay soemwhere else, unknown to
this mankind.
The inefficacy of the
nn-prolfieation treaty and subsequent spread of nculear weapons
was a factor quite sufficient to expsoe thereality to anyone,
but th authors of " Paksitan's islamci bomb" do not apepar to
find the cue inspite of the fact thatthey knew the inefficacy of
the N.P.T. They write:-
" Ours is an attempt to
presetn to the peple of India the real sgifinificance of the term of the so-called N.P.T. How they
serve not only to legitiamte prlfieration among the nucelar
powers ( vertical prolfieation) but also to proivide loopholes
for selctive clandestine prolfieration to countires like Israel
and South AFrica, while withdolding the benefits ofthe ncuelar
industry from the ncuelra unamred nations".
(Paksitan's islamic
Bomb intor. page vii)
Nuclear Powers are the criminals
of the first drder for having built the things like the atomci
werapons, but to what use the Isarel and the South Africa have
put theri nculear technolgoy other than building he atomci
wrapons? The fact that the nuclear powrs themselves should
restrain others only from having the ncuelar powr is a a fact in
itself which goes a longway to expose the moral situation of an
age in which we now live, and to expose the realtiy of the
ncuelar probabilties in the course oftime. The authors of "
Paksitan's Islamic Bomb" themselves reveal the morality of the
cultists of fnucelar weapons. They write:-
" This book is an
attempt to clear the miasma of delbierate misifnoramtion and
misconceptions built up over the last thrity-four years by the
cultists of nuclear weapons. It is a rebuttal ofthe conventional
wisdom on ncuelar proliferation and the folk-lore develoed by
thebards of nuclear weapons nationsand theri allies in various
peace movemtns andarms control lobbies. Our purpsoe here is to
exposethe myth0-makers and to demolish the myth">
(The pakstian's islamic
Bobm Introduciton P.vi)
But alas the pleadged iconclast
himself inwardly apears to be a devotedworshiper ofthe idol
which he declarestobreak to pieces. And the nuclear myth-breaker
is seen to ahve been entangled in the mythg himslef. Complaining
ofthe inefficacy of the non-prolfierationtreaty these authrss
say:-
" The general
impression is that the non-prolfieration mvoemtn, ending with
the non-proiferation movemtn, endingwith the non-prolfieration
treaty which signed by 103 nations, aimed specifically at
preventing thespreado f ncuelar weapons. It is learned that
prolfieration in fact is taking place freely in the world.As one
of the first countries to voice concern on this issue and to
sponsor proposals for non-prolfieration treaty, Idnia has bbeen
in the fore-front of the emovemtn to control the spread of,
andfinally abolish, nculearweapons. And yetthe concern that
expressed in genral terms atthe U.N.has now arirved at our own
dor-steps".
(The Paksitan's islamci
Bomb. page 64)
It is not sufficientto express
cocnern and making propsoals in the case of nculear problem.
Here the temptation ahve to be withodood, storms braved and
sacrifices made. The nuclear cocnern will not remain only at
thedoor-step of nations, but it wil lactually entre the house
and ransack it competlely. It is a universal intruder well
invited.
The necessity of the
hour for the people of India according to the authors of
Paksitan's Islamci bomb was to turn hawks. They wh o stood
behind moral legal values and did on this baiss opoe atomic bomb
were doves. Theauthros say:-
" Nuclear problems have
been debated in India for a number ofeyars now,........Then
there wre the "Doves" of thiis country, a mix intellecuals,
businessmand and a number of faceless people in the governemnt.
Their linewas to hide behind AD HOC moral legal values that
aseldom bore relevance to the point at issue butseemed to gain
support form various ill-informed sources forthis anti bombstnad".
( The pakstian's
Islamic Bomb page 91-92)
It may be remarked that
not differentiation could be made betwene doves andbhawks in the
evetn ofatomci bomb explosion. It is said, that not the presence
fo mind, butteh absence of mind it is, that is neeeded at the
moemnt of the explsoion of the atomci bomb. Those devoid of
mroal elgal values will not farebetterthan the votaries of mroal
legal values when the moment arrived. Hwo these authros will, is
not known.
The authors of "Pakstian's
islamci bomb" basing their faith itheefficacy of
nculeardeterrence describethe nature ofthe ncuelar daiglogue
that emanates fromthe mtual deterrence oftwo nuclear powrs. They
say:-
" The nuclear dialogue
issuch that it at once divides and unites thetwo nuclear
antagonists because ofthe realization that a nuclear war
betweenthem would beso devastating as to make surival of
eithernation asa viable society ad doubtful issue".
( Paksitan's Islamic
Bomb. pages 113)
No doubt the theory of mutual
deterrence is a time -honured theory. It has no parituclar or
exclsuive origi in the ncuelaraffair but it could well be
appleid tostick, knife or pistol.But the point which deserves
note is that why there is apprehension of the danger of nuclear
war between the ncuelar powrs, after they are all equally
posessed of nuclear deterrrence? It is the factor of ncuelar
arms race that supersedes the factor of nuclear detrrence. To
stop thearm race betweenth powrs is something which apepars
aswell nigh an improbaiblity. If then this mankind cherishes a
desire to avoid thefinal nuclear holocaust which indeed is
something terible beyond imagiatnion, it has to look somwehre
else in order to find themethod of eliminating the dreadful
danger. Peeople will have to elarn to look at the affiar from
adifferent angle altogehter. it is not posisble to extract, the
fangs of this nculear serpent. There is no way there but to kill
it, for no antidote exists for the ncuelar venom.But how to kill
this eara adder? It has conditions. the destructio of the causes
of itsapeprance only coudl ensure its death. To expect peace and
survial in the presence of aotmci bomb is a hope only of the
damned and the doomed.
The difficulty with
those that deal with the nuclear problem is thatthey asee the
thing in its presnt prespective when only a few pwoers in the
world havethe atomci weapons, and but a few reactors are thre in
theworld. They fial to preep into the future, in the age of
full-fledge atoci energy when most coutnries will ahve aotmic
weapons, ad when a far greater number of reactors will be
functioning throroughout theowrld.And althugh they try to
estiamte the number of reactors in future, they fiail to picutre
a world in whch every thingfrom a pwor hose to a privatecar will
ahve its own independent-reactor, and this earth will apepar
enwarapped in a maze of shooting stars that is the radiations of
exploding reactors. If they would work up their imagination so
far, they would cease to talk of deterrences and dialgoues and
monoplies, and do but weep and gnash their treeth in agony, if
they can.
Inspite of theirfirm
faith in nculear deterrence the authors of " Paksitan's islamic
bomb" discuss the necesisity of the success of the first
ncuelar batle. They say:-
" But in the case of
nculear weapons if we depend upon expreience to evolve a new
doctirne, we might find that at thefirstbattle it is arleady too
late. It is the first battle that will ahveto besuccessfully
fought according to an effective (even if therettical
)doctrine".
( Paksitan's Islamic
bomb -page 120)
If this be the case, then sturely
both the nuclear antagonist pwoers will sleep on lvie embers for
fear of nculear tttack.And in orderto gain the precedence and
exploit the chancewill try to neglectthe princppe ofdeclaring
thewar on the enemy. That will idneed bea lfie not worth living
andaworld not worth living in.
The authors of the "
Paksitan's isalmci Bomb" say:-
" Ours is nota
schoalrly work, buta presentation ofthe realtieis underlying one
of the most crucial issues governing thesruvival ofamnkind".
(The Paksitan's Islamci
Bobm page viii. Intorduciton).
Eviently these authros
know that the nculear issue is one of the msot crucial issues
and they knowthat it governs thesurival of mankind. But
unfrotuantely the reality is that the ncuelar issue does not
govern th survial ofa mankind.And And this is theangle of
observation which makees all the differnece.What these authors,
and almost the entiere community of authors in those days
believe in thatthe atomci war could bestoped. And if it starts,
it could besurvived. And also that theatomci war could
becontrolled and confined to certain regions.But the actual
object in theireyes is the use ofatomci-eenrgy-for-peace . They
arethevictims of ilusions and optimisms.
The influence of
retribution has blinded this mankind.And it is dueto
thisblindnessthat they fail toseeteglaring realities so
dredfully grim, so terirbly grieovus as the efects of atomci
bomband the atomci radiations, andthe imposibility of proteciton
aginst them.They arethe victims of a conceit peculair only to
those doomed.They seethe dwarfish unarmed an against thefiery
giant atumbubm in the arena, and hope the man to
win.Theirdiscussions of the nculear stretegies arethe
discussions of a plan of unviersal nuclar suicide and
nothignelse. is any defencepossible against the nculear bomb? Is
it posible to furnish all the idndividuals residing
intheneighbouring distircsts of reacotr with any means
whatsoever of protection against the radiatons of the leaking
andthe epxldoign reactors that could flood the neighbouring
districtswith deadly radiations? Is there any sure cure for
radiaton sickness, or is there any in sight? Could the mtuated
genes, mutateted by radiations, bedetected ordestroyed? Or could
anythign bedone afterthe mutated genes ahvave manfiested their
existence in the form of abnromal chmeras? Or is the permissible
dose of raddiation certainly coorect? Nay butverily this
amnkidis determiend to throw itself int othe flames of blazing
atomci hell, the nuclear jehannah, well merited, wel planned.
The emergence of the
term Islamci bomb has caused an alarm in the owrld at large.Waht
will they do when therewill in thsis world be Naga bombs, mezu
bombws, hara bobms, kari bobms, when every terrorist gangwill
ahve its own stock-pile of portableatomci devices.Andwhen every
Nomad will ahve his nuclear armoury in hsi tent.But that will
nto be a life of humand beigns, but a lfie of jinns, indeed
msirable ones.
And certainly these
majestic momnuments of seciences that apepar so strong, so
durable, could vanish in a matter of moments in the event of
aotmci war as if by amgic wand.Or they may be left as the
memorials of an extinct species, as aresutl of the devastation
caused by the RAdiations dof theatomic-energy-for-peace. fActs
indeed bitter. Yet facts verifiable scitnifcally.
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