Indian scientists stir controversy over nuclear capability of New Delhi

Barely a week after an Indian atomic scientist raised a major controversy by claiming that the country's nuclear tests in Pokhran in 1998 were not "as successful as claimed", a couple of other top Indian scientists have also added fuel to the fire by calling for further tests to establish India as a true nuke power.

Experts say that the claims of atomic scientist K. Santhanam, who was associated with the Pokhran nuclear tests, and P.K. Iyengar, the former head of India's main nuclear body Atomic Energy Commission, have only stirred up doubts about India's nuclear capability not only in the "volatile" South Asian region but also in the world arena.

"Their colleagues have already contradicted the claims. Even the Indian government has refuted the claims, saying that the nuclear tests were successful. So, raising a sensitive issue like this at this time means an unnecessary controversy that puts India's nuclear capability at stake in South Asia, with Pakistan always trying to undermine it," said Delhi-based defense analyst R.K. Basu.

"Pakistan may take advantage of the controversy. Recent reports have suggested that Pakistan has been using U.S. security aid to beef up its military against India by illegally modifying the Harpoon anti-ship missile and maritime surveillance aircraft P-3C for land attacks against New Delhi. Raising the issue of its nuke capability now may turn out to be a threat to India only," he added.

In fact, blowing the lid off the claims by India about the success of the nuclear tests, Santhanam, who was director for 1998test site preparations in Pokhran, had said last week that the yield for the thermonuclear test or hydrogen bomb in popular usage was much lower than what was claimed by the then BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government.

"Based upon the seismic measurements and expert opinion from world over, it is clear that the yield in the thermonuclear device test was much lower than what was claimed. I think it is well documented and that is why I assert that India should not rush into signing the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT)," Santhanam told an English daily here.

And, political analyst Professor Ajay Singh claimed that Santhanam's assessment will bolster India's opposition to signing the CTBT.

"The issue is likely to come up in the discussions when Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh goes to the U.S. in November. India has opposed CTBT on grounds that it is discriminatory and divides the world into the nuclear haves and have-nots. So, this could also be the reason, though it has led to a major controversy," he said.

Contended political scientist Professor S.K. Gupta: "Why blame Santhanam only? Even Iyengar bolstered his claim by saying that he had already made it clear in 2002 that India's nuclear tests were inconclusive and ambiguous. His calls for more Indian nuclear tests raise fear in the volatile sub-continent at a time when the domestic scenario in Pakistan is not up to the mark."

Supporting his colleague Santhanam, Iyengar had said in an interview: "If India wants to declare itself as a nuclear power and confirm to the military that you have all the means of designing a thermo-nuclear device which can go into a missile, which can be dropped from an aircraft or can be launched from a submarine, you need many more tests."

Indian nuclear weapons program started in 1964. The country blasted five nuclear devices in Pokhran, three on May 11 and two on May 13, 1998, which led to international sanctions against the country.

"Now, being an Indian scientist how could one possibly denigrate India's nuclear capability. Even if the tests were not successful, the scientists should not have said it in public," said Ajay Singh.

Source: Xinhua