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Neighbours, G-8 informed of Agni test on April 9

Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi

India informed the G-8 countries and its neighbours of its decision to test-fire the intermediate range ballistic missile Agni II on April 9, senior officials said.

They said the envoys of these countries were summoned to the South Block and informed about the test.

The officials said none of these countries pressed the government to abandon the test.

But a senior official of the external affairs ministry said that as the envoys of these countries were told of the Indian decision, the Chinese ambassador left the foreign office with a grim face.

Ministry officials said that 24 hours after Agni II's test-firing, it was becoming clear that the advocates of missile non-proliferation were uncertain how to react to the Indian action.

They said if the G-8 members, especially permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, reacted negatively, as happened in the aftermath of the Pokhran II tests, a "mutual hardening of positions" could have resulted. This was amply demonstrated during the Jaswant Singh-Strobe Talbott talks, the officials said.

They said the Indian missile development programme, which was being carried out on a massive scale, was largely a reaction to the developments in China's missile technology.

It was underlined that the Indian strategic community had argued that if Chinese missiles could strike any target as far as Kanyakumari, India should acquire a similar capability, thereby preventing a scenario as in 1962 when India was virtually at China's mercy.

They said the acquisition of IRBMs like Agni II or India's plans to acquire inter-continental ballistic missile must be viewed as its desire to build up the necessary deterrence vis-à-vis known and potential adversaries.

The officials said it is also becoming clear that India's missile programme is not only a matter involving the subcontinent, reflecting the India-Pakistan rivalry, but is beginning to involve China too.

They said Pakistan would not have been part of this triangle had it not been for Chinese help.

It was felt that in the next few days, the Chinese were bound to reiterate their demand for fresh sanctions in the UN or through the G-8.

The officials said it would be interesting to see how prominent members of the Security Council react to the Chinese demand. So far, the US and Britain have only expressed regret at the test-firing and have not discussed punitive actions against New Delhi.

Meanwhile, senior defence ministry officials said the development of the Agni missile had begun in 1970 in the Defence Research and Development Organisation. Agni II is a two-stage IRBM with solid fuel propellant. Its total length is 18.4 metre. It has a base body diameter of 1.3metre and a launch weight of 16,000kg.

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