Puffing Nuclear Arms Race in South-Asian Region

 - D. Vishnumohan Rao

Prompted by the then Prime Minister of India Mr Jawaharlal Nehru in 1962, China initiated the process of nuclearising the South Asian region. After suffering a set back in a confrontation with China on the borders in 1962, Nehru declared the decision of the government to modernise the Indian armed forces.

As a spontaneous response, China headed towards nuclearising its defence strength. The first ever nuke test in the region was done by China on October 16, 1964. It tested successfully a 15-tonne U235 nuke weapon, which raised the curtain for puffing the countries of the South Asian region with those kind of destructive weapons. Depending on the prevailing situation then, the countries of the region were under the impression that China wished to establish its supremacy over India in defence armaments.

The expressions of various country heads made China a headstrong one. After the devastation of Second World War, and prior to this augmentation of Chinese armoury potency, countries were adopting discussion schedule for settling the disputes, if any, with other countries. However, the entire region’s strategy changed over night with the standing of China and its instigation on neighbouring countries for confrontation. When the nuke test success went to China’s head, it started poking its nose into other’s affairs.

Invasion on Tibet

Dictating the terms to surrender and recognise the supremacy of China, it invaded on the Tibetan borders. The countries of the region, including India, grossly condemned this footing of China. Dalai Lama, demanded for autonomy of Tibet to be on familiar terms with Chinese primacy and the world countries supported this.

Later China receded its forces from the Tibetan territory. The Indian criticism on the Chinese aggression into Tibet pinched the former. Then on it started creating troubles along the Indian border, with a pretext that Chinese territory was encroached upon and declared war over India.

In this war, India suffered a major arms loss compared to China. Hence, Indian government thought of modernising the forces and the same was stated by the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

India looks at European countries for arms

In accordance to the decision, India approached various European countries for procuring modernised arms. Europe was recognised as a strong continent by then itself. Many European countries supported India with arms supplies. The point to put up here is that there was no nuke technology packed in these supplies.

This move of India made China and Pakistan raise their eyebrows. Pakistan that had always had difference of opinion with India looked at Indian enemy China for friendship as the saying goes, “foe’s foe is a friend”.

USSR extends nuke tech to China

Erstwhile Union of Soviet Socialist Russia (USSR) was graded to be the penultimate with huge arms chest and nuke technology. China scanned through the globe and approached USSR for borrowing nuke tech. At some point or the other USSR acceded to the requests of China and provided the latter with the required technology. China immediately started manufacturing nuke weapons and with in a short span of time it produced and piled heavy cache of nuclear weapons with its army, navy and air forces. A stage was reached where no South Asian country could dare eye to eye with China.

India compelled to take part in the race

India was compelled to take note of the challenges being thrown open by the Chinese with nuclear scare. The then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi flagged green to the country’s scientists to surge ahead with nuke testing and production of nuke weapons.

Indian government stated that it had successfully tested a 12-kilo tonne nuclear warhead successfully on May 18, 1974. Where as the spy network of various countries estimated the actual size of test capacity was ranged between four to six kilo tonnes. They further reported about the advancement in the strengths of Indian defence with the introduction of newer set of arms into its armed forces.

Pakistan adopts N-tech

Shocked with the augmentation of the Indian defence strength, Pakistan immediately resorted to nuke test strategies. The United Kingdom extended primary support of the technology to Pakistan in 1970. As the success rate of the UK technology could not satiate the thirst and meet to the expectations of Pakistan, it stopped using the UK tech.

Later in 1980, the then United States President Ronald Regan agreed to provide nuke tech and transformed the dreams of Pakistan come true. The scene behind the screen for supply of nuke tech from US to Pakistan was that, it was a gift to Pakistan for working against the interests of USSR and looking forward for friendship ties with US. And from here onwards, Pakistan never looked behind in framing piles of arms in the country.

Though it is to be admitted by India that it was on the fore run to start manufacturing nuke arms, Pakistan’s imminent piling up of nuke stocks was much ahead to India. With the assistance of China, Pakistan logged up new strengths to its forces.

To counter this, India secured modern war tanks, fighter planes from various countries. Pakistan is on its stand to always compete with India on the war front. Ghouri missile was tested by Pakistan on April 8, 1998, after which India conducted three rounds of tests near Pokhran on May 11, 1998 and twice on May 13, 1998.

America was enraged with the tests being taken up by India and Pakistan and imposed many sanctions against these two countries. Clarifications given by India that it is a peace-loving nation and the tests conducted were exclusively for peaceful means went in vain before the adamant nature of US.

Responding to the voice of several nations at the United Nations meetings about the threat to peace, with the arms race in the South Asian region, India assured them that it would not be the first one to use the weaponry on any other country by itself.

Now, the real threat to peace in the region remains a big question, as China and Pakistan have not committed their stand on the armaments and its usage.

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