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.

From Memory Lane - Scientist at DRDO

10 May 1998

As a scientist at DRDO, I completed our analysis and our lab submitted a report to Dr Kalam's Office who was DRDO chief. My director told me in the evening that Dr Kalam was not in Delhi but we have submitted the report to his office.

The report was on "how much fissile material does India need to take care of nuclear deterrence against adversaries". It also had a corollary "if we conduct a test what will be the economic, political and foreign relations impact". I was working on the problem along with our team for close to a month. It was considered one of those studies that Kalam used to ask our lab to carry out - studies like this one, I have become used to getting involved directly and considered these as "armchair" studies -more whims and fancies of SA, rather than any particular impact. Somehow, I liked these futuristic/ scenario analysis type of studies.

My assessment interview from Scientist C to Scientist D was on 13th May 1998. I asked my director should I present this study as well to my assessment board as it was fresh. He said yes. I prepared my slides (those days physical transparencies were prepared to be presented on OHP for the interview board).

On 11th May 1998 India conducted shakti 1 tests - the second set of peaceful nuclear explosions after a gap of 24 years of the first PNE conducted in 1974.

I saw the news in the evening on TV. One of the most amazing feeling of surprise, pride, elation and above all an unprecedented joy engulfed me. I told everyone in my house, whoever was willing to listen to me, that this is the type of work I have been doing - of course not building the bomb - but analyzing and studying our security and defence needs and helping in creating potential solutions for defence of India.

Evening I got a call from my director, he said, may be I should not present the study to my assessment board on 13th May. I felt little disappointed as I was felling that I have cracked a nice problem for India. I had enough work to show otherwise, but this study was "hot" now. I asked him to let me present the model and not present the results. He agreed.

On 13th May 1998, as India was conducting Shakti 2 (the second set of tests) I was appearing in my assessment from Scientist C to Scientist D. I presented my work and also the model to calculate fissile material needed to take care of potential needs against adversaries. After my interview, one of the member of the board came out and mentioned that Dr Kalam has gone through the report.

I got promoted to Scientist D.

I left DRDO in year 2000 after Dr Kalam left DRDO in 1999.

Before I left DRDO we built another model of coupled differential equations based on No First Use and anti missile missiles system based on Ingrilitor Brito model.


I hope we do have a clear answer to our Nuclear doctrine questions, now.

https://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/india/nuke/shakti-pix1.htm