India has the 'big bomb': Vajpayee
The Times of India News Service
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Atal Behari
Vajpayee has set at rest speculation about
India's future nuclear programme, saying
the country is moving close to acquiring
nuclear weapons. The country, he
affirmed, has the capacity for ''a big
bomb.''
In an interview to India Today, Mr
Vajpayee shed all ambiguities about the
future direction of the country's nuclear
programme and said, ''We have the
capacity for a big bomb now for which necessary command and
control system is also in place.'' He, however, pointed out that
despite the acquisition of the nuclear armament, the country would
not deviate from the path of peace. ''Ours will never be weapons of
aggression,'' the Prime Minister said.
In a frank assertion of the country's nuclear ambition, he said there
was no need to cover the nuclear explosions ''with a veil of needless
ambiguity.'' He unhesitantly admitted that ''India now is a nuclear
weapons state.''
However, discounting any possibility of India harbouring visions of
militaristic domination, he stressed that its intentions were peaceful.
''Our intentions were, are, and will always be peaceful,'' he added.
Addressing a gathering of BJP workers at his official residence on
Friday morning, the Prime Minister urged the countries, which had
announced sanctions against India, to reconsider their decision. He
asserted that the country's nuclear programme was intended for
peaceful purposes and self-defence. The tests, he said, were not
directed against any other country.
In his interview, the Prime Minister said, ''You have noted that
neither my own statement of May 11 nor the longer official text
released later that day characterised the nuclear tests as peaceful
nuclear tests.''
Commenting on the issue of signing the Comprehensive Test Ban
Treaty (CTBT), Mr Vajpayee made it clear that ''there is no question
of India accepting any treaty that is discriminatory in character. No
one should have any illusions on this score.''
He said, ''We have indicated our readiness to discuss certain
provisions of the treaty on a reciprocal basis. But, taken as a whole,
the CTBT is discriminatory because it allows nuclear weapons states
with advanced technology capabilities to continue their nuclear
weapons programme. And so also is the nuclear non-proliferation
treaty.''
Asked about the impact of the sanctions by the US and some of its
allies, the Prime Minister said, ''Sanctions cannot and will not hurt
us.''
''India will not be cowed down by any such threats and punitive
steps. India has the sanction of its own past glory and future vision
to become strong - in every sense of the term,'' Mr Vajpayee said.
He, however, admitted that ''every decisive action has its
consequences. But if the action is inherently in the national interest -
and I believe our decision to conduct the tests is in the supreme
national interest - then we have to face the consequences and
overcome the challenge.''
Indicating a new firmness and determination, Mr Vajpayee said, ''No
price is high enough when it comes to securing national interests. We
must be ready to face any eventuality.''
He agreed that the country might have to pay a price for the nuclear
tests but assured that the people should not worry about it.
He said the countries threatening sanctions, were actually being
hypocritical and pointed out that some of them had built up huge
stockpiles of nuclear weapons. |
