May 1998 Edition
Excerpted comments from Indians and well-wishers
"India has not conducted nuclear tests to threat any country but just to prove its deterrent capability." - Amol Andhale, India
"Everyone has their own right to protection. You can't just feel safe because "big brother" promises that he will take care of you." - Samarjit, India
"What greater hypocrisy than to have countries that produced the war-thirsty villains of history like Hitler, Nixon and Churchill preach about peace to the land that produced Mahatma Gandhi." - Chaitanya Nabar, India
" For the world to be in an uproar over India's tests strikes me as the most singular form of gross hypocrisy I have ever come across. Why should the original 'Five Nuclear Nations' have the only right in maintaining a nuclear stock pile? Surely these countries are just as much a threat to world stability as India - or Pakistan for that matter! I cannot help but think that the real condemnation is over the fact that India ,a developing country, has carried out these tests, and shown a little 'muscle'. Maybe it's the case that these once 'Third World' nations now have the ability and clout to stand up to bullies of the world." - Roger Robinson, United Kingdom
" India didn't sign the CTBT, therefore they are under no obligation to follow any rules and regulations of the CTBT." - Ameya Kamat, Botswana
"It's hypocritical for the Americans to condemn such actions, for being a rich nation they can afford the necessary supercomputer technology to simulate nuclear explosions, and continue the arms race. India understandably doesn't want to be left vulnerable, and as such tests are their only answer. A ban on nuclear weapon research is needed, but virtually impossible to implement." Edward Wright, Germany (British)
"Let's stop saying that "poor" India has no right to conduct nuclear tests. I have seen homeless, hungry people living on the streets of London and New York." - Amit Dave, India
" There cannot be one rule for one group of nations and another one for the others." - R Sundarrajan, USA
"Remember Ronald Reagan and all the Pentagon bullies with their theories of nuclear deterrence every time poor Gorbachev extended his hand for peace? Today, the biggest noises are being made by those nations that either have nuclear weapons or are protected under some security blanket such as NATO. With no progress towards disarmament, and threats all around, India had no choice." - Rajesh Ramachandran, USA
"Keeping in view the duplicity of all the major powers of the world on the disarmament issues, India as a sovereign and democratic nation backed by the popular will of its citizens, has every right to do what is best for its security. " - Mukesh Baphna, USA
" It's hypocrisy on the part of the western worlds to condemn the tests. The whole world knows who's stockpiling nuclear warheads!!" - Rahul Naik, India
"For 25 years of self-imposed, principled restraint, all India got from the world was mistrust and constant rebukes." Ravi Iyer, USA
"For 24 years India has been asking for the complete elimination of nuclear weapons, but no listened. How can any other nuclear power, which has perfected these weapons with a far greater number of tests, condemn a country so isolated in its security concerns. India can no longer be treated as a pariah on issues of international security." - Chandra, Singapore
"Currently there are enough nuclear weapons to destroy the planet a 100 times over and I do not think that the tests conducted by India are going to alter that scenario significantly. True disarmament is possible only if all the nuclear weapons are destroyed, the world over." - Arun SN, USA
"India has waited 25 years for nuclear disarmament, but in the meanwhile, other nations have continued their testing and built up a deadly nuclear arsenal. Now these nations want India to stop the testing and development of nuclear weapons, while they still stockpile nuclear weapons. It is only fair that India has decided to take this decisive step towards protecting its citizens." - Suneel, India
"When the world starts treating the haves and the have-nots equally, the global arms race will stop."- Vijay Kashyap, USA
" How does it come about that a handful of sovereign states can dictate the national security concerns of another nation ? India does not claim to be an aggressor, but merely wants to be sure that it is capable of defending itself, something that is surely the right of every sovereign state. The solution does not lie in unilateral economic retaliation by the self-proclaimed "policemen" of the world." - Subbu Balakrishnan, USA
"Sanctions against India! India has been living in sanctions for quite some time. It isn't something new. And with every sanction, India's self reliance and ingenuity increases." - Rajiv Vaidyanath, USA
"If at all a problem arises it would be on account of the unfair uproar the world has created against India and not because of any testing done by India." - Madhu, India
"We don't have the intention of threatening anyone, but the tests gave us something more than physical clout, it gave us the realisation that we now have nothing to fear with regards to attack from outside." - Joe Sappa, India
"The US economy could face a severe meltdown if all the computer engineers and doctors come back to India, in protest against the sanctions." - Chetan, India
"Universal nuclear disarmament is the desired objective. The super-powers are hypocritical in insisting on exclusive membership of the nuclear club. I believe that India has taken this course of action reluctantly." C. Visvanathan, Australia
" The world, after these tests, is not any more unsafe than it had been just prior to the incident. Remember, a few more grains of salt do not make the sea any more salty." - Ambresh Kapoor, New Zealand
"We can describe US policy in only one sentence 'Do what we say, don't do as we do'. This can't be tolerated. What Indian government has done is correct and there is no need to give any justification for it." - Vaibhav Deshpande, India
"As a Britisher of Indian ancestry - and having suffered all manner of subtle racial indignities growing up in Britain, I cannot but support this step taken by the country of my parents. When Ms Thatcher attacked the Falklands - I was dismayed by the jingoist war cries that drowned Britain. Britain has little moral authority in talking down to India today. People in glass houses are in no position to throw stones." - Suveer Multani, UK
"I deplore the double standards imposed by 'Western Democracies' on India." - Jayantha Kumar, USA
"India MUST have a right to defend itself in the event of a nuclear attack. The U.S., which is so anxious to impose WTO regulations on other countries to ensure its own exports, would be contravening WTO provisions by imposing unilateral sanctions against India for this action. Until the so-called nuclear powers agree to some form of international control on their own nuclear arsenals they can scarcely claim any moral right to impose such controls on others." - Patrick J. de Souza, UK
"For 200 years, India has suffered at the hands of the colonial powers. This is the first step in rectifying that wrong. The days of Western hypocrisy and terror on this planet are numbered." - Subhas, India
"The Super Powers had to be taught a lesson to respect all countries equally and not to have double standards. India has its own concerns and it has every right to achieve its rightful place in the global community. "Madhu Sahay, Canada
"...CTBT and NPT: If you already have a gun, you may go get one more, but if you don't, then don't even think about it. This so-called international community that is crying hoarse now, perhaps had better spend its energies trying to build a more democratic world. I'm surprised that these "keepers of conscience" are saying that India should be made to pay for it. Why aren't they made to pay with retrospective effect?" Jaspreet Singh Jodhka, India
"....another example of the US and the big five nuclear powers trying to push the rest of the world around." Michael, UK
"I believe that the world should progress towards total disarmament. Yet, some countries have managed to pile up nuclear weapons. It is those countries that have reacted strongly to India's tests. What justification do they have for their stockpile of weapons?" Maya, India
"India has been ready to sign the NPT if the super powers drew up a timetable for TOTAL disarmament. How dare the western world condemn us with their holier than thou attitude. Get your own house in order first and stop consuming so much of the world's natural resources." K Gaddam, USA
"What are the 5 so-declared nuclear powers telling a nation of 1 billion: " DO AS WE SAY, NOT AS WE DO". Let's destroy nuclear weapons truly comprehensively. Let's destroy nuclear arsenals possessed by countries that have used them in the past and by those that still possess them." Kris Gates, USA
"Now all the nuclear nations should sit together and decide to make the world a truly nuclear weapons-free." Sameer Kapoor, India
"Way to go India!!! Now make the world say good riddance to nuclear weapons." Dharmendra, Singapore
"The nuclear tests serve a good purpose in encouraging the nuclear countries to stop preaching about nuclear disarmament and seriously think about actually doing it." - Manoj Panicker, India
"I hope this test forces the big 5 nuclear powers to rethink their nuclear club strategy and come clean towards a comprehensive global nuclear weapons ban. It is time to tear up the veil of hypocrisy." P S S USA
"India should conduct a test every month till all nations commit to making this world nuclear free in a time bound programme."- Ashit K Choudhury, USA
"Let's not forget that India still supports complete nuclear disarmament. What it does not support is a one-sided policy which allows so-called "nuclear nations" to keep their nuclear weapons, while prohibiting others from testing and/or developing the same." - Alok Maskara, USA
"The rules are dictated by Western powers. It is about time India started influencing these rules to reflect India's concerns. The only language understood in this arena is that of power." - Sadanand Karve, USA/India
"What about computer simulations of a (nuclear) test.? Is that justified. I don' t see any sanctions against the countries who are doing it. . .."Anamitra, Singapore
"In 1971 Dr Kissinger made his secret trip to China. The Nixon administration justified it on the grounds that a nation of 800 million armed with nuclear weapons could not be ignored. Can the US ignore India now?" Lisa, USA
"Most of the western countries are more worried about losing their technological edge to other nations and are worried that they cannot bully India any more." - Ramesh Shankar, India
"India is now seen as a nuclear power and not a timid nation that can be bullied and pushed around." Shravan Pulijala, USA
"This attitude of the U.S. only amounts to apartheid." Viswanathan Sankaran, INDIA
"America's crippling economic attack on India is shameful and utterly unfair. The Indian people have always been very friendly towards Americans and their government has never been hostile to the US." - Michael Baxter, USA
"It is high time the so called developed countries shed the hypocrisy and really start thinking about what kind of world they really want. Just because you have the weapons does not give you the eternal right to hold them with you all your life. Not at least now when the world is changing at a pace that nobody knows what the power equations will be tomorrow. Or is the west so used to power that it is not ready to accept change? Then it should realise that it's only a bully." - Hundia Vikram, United Kingdom
"India is a responsible country and has exercised extreme restraint over the last 24 years but with little result. The world has ignored the regional security concerns of India and Monday's explosions are a direct consequence of that. The blame lies squarely on the Big 5 for their hypocritical and holier-than-thou attitude." - - Vivek Malhar, India
"When France carried out its nuclear tests in the Pacific, destroying complex marine life chains, the world tut tutted, but did - nothing. Obviously India, or any other country who does not belong to the so-called first world imperialist bloc, will be severely rapped on the knuckles - with the imposition of economic sanctions. Easy isn't it, especially when the power balance is so uneven." - Natalia Shunmugan, Italy
"The same countries that have no tears to shed for the millions of Iraqi people they have killed through war and sanctions have the nerve to condemn India?"
"These international thugs and murderers - who have yet to apologize for colonization or slavery in their own nations have the impudence to condemn India?"
"These nations who send their militaries half way around the globe to maim and kill have a right to talk peace to India? "
- Rakshasa, USA
"It goes a long way to show that we are not dependent on 'anyone' for 'anything', be it foreign aid or nuclear power." - Shalabh Mittal, Italy
"I appeal to Bangladeshis and Pakistanis - don't fear India - join with your brothers and sisters in the sub-continent and let's challenge the Euro-American domination of the world." - Suhail Sadiq, India
" I definitely appreciate the apprehension of Pakistan in this situation and their eagerness to prove their technical prowess as well. And although it is not the best thing to happen, such a situation is inevitable when the nuclear powers are relentlessly trying to suppress the countries who are working hard to move ahead in all fields of life. It would do a world of good if the nuclear powers (mainly the USA) shed their hypocrisy and see reason and be more pragmatic in their approach to world peace." - Ajay Chakrapani, India
"If at all any country in this world requires to be condemned for global nuclear danger, it is the United States. Other nuclear nations would take a lesser penalty and the least India. It does not matter if Pakistan also takes the nuclear path. I hope these two similar neighbouring nations sink their differences and suspicions and grow together strong and assertive instead of cowing to either the US or China. These two "superpowers" are particularly interested in curbing the hidden greatness of these two nations." - Padmanabhan Kumar, Singapore
"The world is unable to digest the advances made by India in technology. USA would have liked India to get its nod before going ahead with the tests. If India had, there wouldn't have been such an outcry. This sort of double standards is quite characteristic of USA. One example is the MFN status awarded to China by USA and providing China with a computer-simulated testing procedure before it signed the CTBT." - Geethanjali, Germany
"It is ironic that the only country in the world that detonated nuclear weapons on unarmed civilians now threatens sanctions on India for conducting these tests. What was the reason for the US to develop these weapons in the first place? India has legitimate security concerns..." - Ganesan Srinivasan, USA
"I would unequivocally state that India should not have carried out the tests. But I would also ask the hypocritical West to go jump in the nearest cold pond." - Saumitra SenGupta, USA
"Power to hold nuclear weapons still lie with a handful of nations, who have taken the role of conscience keepers to the world. This is highly undemocratic, and is a definite risk to the countries who don't hold nuclear weapons. " - Sanjoy Das, Thailand
"India is still in favour of world peace and disarmament , but it cannot do it at the cost of its own security. Furthermore, any kind of disarmament agreement can never be one-sided as they are now. It is unfair." - Surbhi, India
"Another important matter is we conducted these tests in our own land, unlike USA which has displaced many islanders in the pacific in the late 60/70's for its test. " - Kavita Vemuri, USA
"India has done the right thing. As usual the UK says "India should have spent that money on welfare!" Now see UK's hypocrisy: In the UK it takes 18 months for a Govt hospital to carry out a simple operation like cataract removal. Why doesn't the UK government spend their military expenses on welfare? The UK media is showing double-standards." - Yogesh, UK
"The monopoly of the five over nuclear power is over and they are in danger of losing the unjust influence and fruits enjoyed by them. Hence the outcry. It will be more sensible if the five decide to destroy their nuclear arsenals and save the world instead of talking of sanctions which has no meaning when a nation is worried about its security. Survival is of more importance than such economic benefits." - Abhay Bhole, India
" India has been adhering to its peaceful policies for the last two dozen years. There was no response from the world community or even an iota of recognition. It's quite a dramatic conclusion for the unyielding hypocrisies of the so called G5." - Richard Milkis, USA
"It is naive to think that the other nuclear powers are not also carrying out nuclear weapons tests, deep in the heart of their supercomputers - machines programmed with the results of their previous live tests both below and above ground. Perhaps these hypocritical politicians should furnish India with the data from all their tests if they really want to stop them from conducting live tests. Or better yet perhaps the human race could try and learn to respect each other regardless of whether or not they have the ability to create death, destruction, and on-going misery on a huge scale." - Brendan Callaghan, New Zealand
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