Reaction to Pervez Hoodbhoy's article on North Korean Nuclear and Missile tests

The Article by Pakistan's nuclear physicist and a regular commentator on state of Pakistan's education has factual discrepancies in terms of Indian Nuclear Programme - especially the way it has developed.

Pervez Hoodbhoy's article can be read Here

He states, " Nuclear nationalism has worked well to stoke patriotic fires in all three countries. Remember those heady days of 1998 when India proclaimed its arrival on the world stage as a nuclear power? And when Pakistan strutted about excitedly as the first nuclear power in the Muslim world? Bomb-makers in both countries thumped their chests, and people showered rose petals on the ‘great’ nuclear scientists. There could be no greater nonsense.

My response to his equating India's nuclear programme that started with the peaceful nuclear explosion in 1974 and not in 1998, is below.

India is perhaps the only country that did the peaceful nuclear explosion in 1974 ... yes a good 24 years before it was forced to conduct 1998 shakti explosion to show the double standards of 5 nuclear states including USA, USSR and China, in letting Pakistan have the nuclear bomb. 

It's really a pity that the author decided to club India with Pakistan and North Korea (NK). Pakistani and NK nuclear and missile projects and capabilities clearly have Chinese components - it's well established. 

India despite developing its own nuclear bomb capability and missile capability opted, yes opted, to wait and show to the world it's good intentions for a nuclear weapons free world, which alas the existing powers never gave any ears.

India has been a reluctant and forced nuclear power, which she built completely on its own, unlike the borrowed means by Pakistan and North Korea. Even after the tests in 1998 we have been fighting the asymmetrical CTBT and NPT and have clearly told to the world about our Nuclear Doctrine which is NO FIRST USE ! 

Neither Pak nor NK has NFU . In fact it's a matter of deeper concerns that Pakistan is in fact proposing to use tactical nuclear weapons in case of war which clearly indicates the level of irresponsibility that is extremely dangerous for the world at large. 

With greatest infestation of terrorists organization along with the continuous spiral of making large number of nuclear bombs .. perhaps for KSA as well ... we are facing the nuclear jehad factory of the world along with the NK. So please spare us the comparison... India has been the most responsible actor in nuclear dimensions ... much more than the 5 nuclear haves and other possessors of nuclear weapons.