India Does not Need Nuclear Option

DOES INDIA NEED NUCLEAR OPTION?
Nuclear option is against world peace.
The current debate in India on whether 123 Agreement with the US is national interest has the potential to bring down the UPA Government. The Left parties that are supporting the Government from outside are threatening to withdraw support if the Agreement is operationalized.
The nuclear weapons offered no additional security to nuclear weapon states. They spent billions and billions of dollars for developing nuclear weapons. But they even today depend on conventional weapons only must be kept in mind.

BJP the opposition party, is opposing the Agreement for different reasons. It wants to put the Government on the defensive. It cries foul over the danger to the nuclear option if the Agreement comes into force.

Time has come for the Government to assert that Nuclear Weapon Option for India is useless. When India tested Nuclear weapons, Pakistan followed in quick succession and any advantage to India becoming Nuclear Weapon State stands fully neutralized.
India is a peace loving country and Gandhi gave the guiding principles for the nation by practicing what he preached. It is ironic that Mrs. Indira Gandhi started it all, by making India nuclear capable. The NDA government carried it further and conducted more tests. These tests proved nothing. They assured no additional security to the nation’s defences.

India needs Nuclear power, for peaceful purposes is to be acknowledged. India is a big nation, needing huge power to run its factories, light the homes and meet the ever growing demand. Nuclear Powered Reactors go a long way in producing the Power in a cost effective way. Besides, nuclear power is needed for devising better products in medicine, agriculture and other fields.

Nuclear power for peaceful purposes is in India’s national interest. Nuclear weapons are totally not needed. They don’t afford any additional security to India’s defence.
Let us have the guts to admit that we need no nuclear weapons and never intend to exercise the option of using nuclear weapons. Developing nuclear weapons or considering Nuclear weapons as an option for self defence of the nation are against the national interests.

India must lead by example and sign NPT without hesitation. It is a political decision. No Indian wants nuclear weapons to be used against enemies. If India signs NPT, other nations in the region including Pakistan will sign the same. It is better to live peacefully than live under the principle Mutually Assured Destruction.

India has powerful conventional defence capability to deter any attack on its land by any power.
If India has to emerge as a great and peace loving nation, India has to opt for decisions that assure genuine national interest and not the perceived national interest of the political parties. Let the world learn from India that it is capable of taking decisions that are in true national interests.

The political parties need to debate seriously and learn to work for a future that makes India a great power, than living by history and delaying the nation from developing to the full potential.