The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty
Why India Will Not Sign The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty
Now, Read the Update!
As the Geneva talks on drafting a treaty to ban nuclear explosions draw to a close, India is finding itself isolated in its stand that an effective CTBT must be an instrument for global nuclear disarmament.
Politics have occupied everyone in India for the past three months or so, but now that the country finally has a government in place-one that is expected to last more than the 13 days the previous one did-it will be time to take some hard decisions. And the first and perhaps the toughest one will be India's stand on the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).
As the Geneva talks on drafting a treaty to ban nuclear explosions draws towards a conclusion, India is finding itself isolated in its stand that an effective CTBT must be an instrument for global nuclear disarmament. India is arguing that the present approach of the nuclear powers will create a nuclear apartheid between the haves and have nots and this is unacceptable to Indian security concerns.
With a declared nuclear power - China - on one side and Pakistan which is suspected to have the capability on the other, India has to keep its options open. This has been the consistent stand of all governments in the past few years and the present coalition government in the country too has clearly said that it will follow that route. Indeed, on the questions of nuclear weapons there is a national consensus which transcends political differences-India wants nuclear power for peaceful purposes but will not forego the nuclear option as its security perceptions are based on the nature and direction of threats. India and China have fought one war and India and Pakistan three; temperatures are always high on the Indo-Pak front and of late even diplomatic relations have plummeted to a new low. China, which tested a nuclear device two weeks ago has an estimated 300 warheads; Pakistan has always broadly hinted it has the
Now, Read the Update!
As the Geneva talks on drafting a treaty to ban nuclear explosions draw to a close, India is finding itself isolated in its stand that an effective CTBT must be an instrument for global nuclear disarmament.
Politics have occupied everyone in India for the past three months or so, but now that the country finally has a government in place-one that is expected to last more than the 13 days the previous one did-it will be time to take some hard decisions. And the first and perhaps the toughest one will be India's stand on the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).
As the Geneva talks on drafting a treaty to ban nuclear explosions draws towards a conclusion, India is finding itself isolated in its stand that an effective CTBT must be an instrument for global nuclear disarmament. India is arguing that the present approach of the nuclear powers will create a nuclear apartheid between the haves and have nots and this is unacceptable to Indian security concerns.
With a declared nuclear power - China - on one side and Pakistan which is suspected to have the capability on the other, India has to keep its options open. This has been the consistent stand of all governments in the past few years and the present coalition government in the country too has clearly said that it will follow that route. Indeed, on the questions of nuclear weapons there is a national consensus which transcends political differences-India wants nuclear power for peaceful purposes but will not forego the nuclear option as its security perceptions are based on the nature and direction of threats. India and China have fought one war and India and Pakistan three; temperatures are always high on the Indo-Pak front and of late even diplomatic relations have plummeted to a new low. China, which tested a nuclear device two weeks ago has an estimated 300 warheads; Pakistan has always broadly hinted it has the