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Gujral won't admit he gave nod for the bomb

Rajesh Ramachandran in New Delhi

The Buddha's smile had always remained on the face of India's nuclear programme. But was not visible till the thermonuclear test at Pokhran on Monday.

Former prime minister Inder Kumar Gujral would not commit that he had taken the decision to explode a nuclear device during his tenure which lasted barely eight months. He would only indicate that the preparations were going on while he preached the Gujral doctrine of peace and 'the other cheek' with the neighbours.

"I don't want to make a comment on that," Gujral told Rediff On The NeT when his his attention was drawn to former Pakistan ambassador to the United States Maleeha Lodhi's comment that India's nuclear programme was a continuing one.

Instead he asked a few questions, "What did we explode? A nuclear device? What does that mean? Can it be done overnight?

"You can make out whatever you want to know from the fact that a nuclear test cannot be done overnight," Gujral said.

United Front sources indicate that the programme was on despite the change in governments. The US media had earlier reported that India was preparing for a test during the P V Narasimha Rao government.

The government of the day had refuted any such intentions. Now observers point out that Rao might have developed cold feet and had second thoughts in the wake of US government leaks to its media.

What lends credence to this argument is that the country was in the grips of a severe economic crisis when Rao assumed office. And any economic sanctions, particularly against aid from the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, would have had serious repercussions on the Indian economy.

The other possibility is that the programme was pursued all along -- even during Rao's tenure -- and had a logical conclusion on Monday.

Former information and broadcasting minister S Jaipal Reddy said the whole world knew about India's intentions.

"We have been preparing for this outcome when we resolutely refused to sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The UF government had to take a lot of flak because of its stand in the world conference on disarmament. So I don't think that it was a surprise for the US or Pakistan," Reddy told Rediff On The NeT.

The test, according to Reddy, was getting technically and politically ready. "India has been capable of conducting the test for three decades. And many governments have considered the option," he said.

K C Pant, minister of state for defence during the 1974 test and now chairman of the task force appointed by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government to constitute the National Security Council, had also told Rediff On The Net that the test was an inevitable step, considering the geo-strategic situation and the presence of missiles in the sub-continent.

The decision is obviously political and the BJP-led coalition government has deliberately kept away from the 'peaceful nuclear explosion' course charted by Indira Gandhi.

It remains to be seen whether the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government will further flex its muscles and decide to induct nuclear weapons into the armed forces.

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