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MAY 17
Pokharan II: It's not the time for euphoria
The nuclear tests are no doubt a significant progress towards nuclear weaponry -- though not to an extent as hysterically reported in the media. But there are many pressing problems faced by the nuclear establishment. The government, instead of indulging in revelry, should seriously think, if at all it is concerned about taking the country to new heights in the nuclear field. Or else, the temporary resurgence facilitated by Pokhran II may well diffuse into our collective forgetfulness.
India does not rule out more N-tests
Speaking on behalf of the administration, the prime minister's political advisor, Pramod Mahajan, on Saturday said the nation has not foresworn off further nuclear tests. We have said that the planned series is over, nothing beyond that, he said.
US rejects India's 'nuclear nation' claim
India has made it a prestige issue to be named a nuclear state --
the sixth in the world. And the United States seems equally
determined to put its own prestige on the line, to deny
India that 'honour' -- if honour is indeed the right word.
Washington in a ferment over Indian nuke tests
The administration and the public react with shock, anger and disillusionment and growing distrust of all things Indian.
G-8 to condemn, not convict, India
The G-8 summit will criticise India for exploding nuclear devices, but there are no plans to impose joint sanctions.
Vajpayee, Blair discuss nuke tests
The Indian prime minister talked to his British counterpart over telephone, just before the start of the G-8 summit at Birmingham.
Pak keeping its nuclear options open
Pakistan won't rush into a nuclear test to match India, but it is
keeping it's nuclear option open, its foreign secretary said on Saturday.
India ready for dialogue with Pak: Mishra
India is willing to discuss the issue of nuclear weapons with Pakistan 'any time,' Brajesh Mishra, principal secretary to the prime minister, said.
How could you make nuclear plans public, Mulayam asks PM
The defence of the country is top priority, but the prime minister has demeaned it by making the announcement about the nuclear tests at a media conference, charges the former defence minister.
American sanctions never last the course, say Russian analysts
''The US will not like to lose its existing and potential
markets and embarrass its friends,'' noted foreign affairs experts
Alexander Scherbatsky, Andrei Leonov and Ivan Kudratsev have commented.
Nordic countries urge India to sign CTBT
Envoys of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden have urged India to reconsider its nuclear policies and adhere to the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Pak will sign NPT, CTBT if India does
Pakistan's ambassador to Russia on Saturday repeated his country's offer to sign the NPT and CTBT, conditional on India doing so as well.
Sanctions mean trouble but nation should unite, says Pawar
This is the time for all good men to come to the aid of the nation, says Sharad Pawar.
Left parties flay nuclear policy
The left parties on Saturday charged the BJP with pursuing a reckless nuclear policy leading to a harmful nuclear arms race between India and Pakistan, with ''diversion of scarce resources and futile build-up of nuclear weapons''.
Signature campaign blasts India's nuclear tests
Dr Rajni Kothari, Kuldip Nayar and Medha Patkar are signatories to a document which argues that the need today is not to enter the club of five nuclear nations, but to get out of the club of ten least socially developed countries.
Sangma's report foresees snap poll
Realising that its coalition government, riven with dissensions,
might not last long, the Bharatiya Janata Party has demonstably
started preparing for a possible mid-term poll and the series of
nuclear tests conducted is directed at gainining political mileage,
the Congress task force final report has concluded.
No mid-term polls, says BJP chief
BJP president Kushabhau Thakre allayed apprehensions that his party might opt for a mid-term poll following widespread support to the BJP-led government in the wake of the recent nuclear tests.
Indians, Pakis protest in US to bring Vajpayee, Sharief on road to peace
Over 100 Indian and Pakistani academics and professionals have
met at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and protested against India's nuclear explosions and Pakistan's Ghauri
missile test.
India should offer 'no first use', says expert
India now has sufficient deterrence, argues K Subramanyam
It was 'Operation Shakti' on Budh Purnima
The code-name for the country's latest nuclear foray on the apostle of peace's anniversary was Shakti.
The Buddha smiled a cracked smile
For the people in and around Pokharan, national security is proving to be a thirsty business. There are approximately 20,000 people living in that area, spread over the six villages of Khetolai, Lathi, Chacha, Dhaulia, Bhadari and Loharki. And the predominant feeling among the populace is, "Why us?"
THE REDIFF SPECIAL
When the echoes of the blasts have died down, what remains?
'A few survivors, in the far flung corners of the world -- the Eskimo in his igloo perhaps, the tribal in the remote forest, and such. Wiped out, with the rest of 'civilisation' as we know it, are the means we use to perpetuate our own follies -- books, newspapers, computers, television stations... the entire communications infrastructure, in sum.' Prem Panicker's unusual look at Nukes Week.
Karnataka: PM cancels Bangalore
visit
TODAY'S WEATHER
Heat wave rages in Rajasthan, one killed
Severe heat wave conditions continued unabated in the entire state
during the past 24 hours. The maximum temperatures recorded
a rise of one to four degrees celsius.
MAY 16
We have a big bomb now: Vajpayee
Prime Minister A B Vajpayee today asserted that India would not sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty or the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in their present form because these were discriminatory in nature.
India formally declares herself a nuclear weapons state
Pramod Mahajan, the prime minister's political advisor, made it very clear that
unlike the 1974 nuclear test, the latest one was a declaration of the country's status as a nuclear weapon state.
We will use N-weapons if threatened, says Vajpayee
In the first categorical statement pointing to the weaponisation programme behind the recent nuclear blasts, Prime Minister A B Vajpayee said on Friday that India will not hesitate to use nuclear weapons if its defences were threatened.
India steps up diplomatic offensive to contain fallout
India on Friday redoubled its efforts to contain
the global fallout of the nuclear tests, by undertaking an exercise
to summon heads of all diplomatic missions, except Pakistan, and
brief them on the reasons which forced it to take the step.
India trashes US's charge
The US doth protest too much, says Pramod Mahajan, political advisor to the prime minister.
India flays Security Council's criticism of blasts
"The Council has never thought it necessary even to take cognisance of the many hundreds of nuclear tests carried out over the last 50 years, including in 1995 and 1996, when the de facto moratorium on testing, was already in place,'' an external affairs ministry spokesman said.
Indian politicians urge Vajpayee to show Clinton the door
Many, like former defence minister Mulayam Singh Yadav and Janata Dal chief Sharad Yadav, urged Vajpayee not to sign the
CTBT.
PM to brief opposition about blasts fallout
The prime minister, who has been meeting opposition groups since the country undertook nuclear tests earlier this week, is reported to have assured a delegation that he will shortly convene a meeting with the entire opposition to tell them the reasons behind and consequences of the tests.
Congress backtracks, praises N-tests
In a remarkable turnaround, the Congress dropped its hostility towards the nuclear tests conducted by the BJP-led government, and placed on record its appreciation of the move at Thursday's CWC meeting.
Clinton hopes jets-for-restraint deal will be struck with Pak
Clinton did not give any details of a possible G-8 package, but
indicated that resolution of a dispute between Pakistan and the US
over the delivery of F-16 fighters could play a role.
Bill introduced to repeal Pressler law
With the tacit support of the Clinton administration, two senators have introduced a bill to repeal the Pressler Amendment which has banned US economic and military assistance to Pakistan since 1990 in protest against its nuclear weapons programme.
All the best, India tells US delegation in Pak
The Indian government on Friday wished success
to the Clinton administration in persuading Pakistan to abandon its
reported plan to conduct nuclear tests.
Gujral calls for early normalisation of situation
Former PM asks Vajpayee not to project the nuclear tests as a BJP victory. ''You will only push the outside world to think of (India) as a chauvinist country.''
India should not sign CTBT in its present form, says Arundhati Ghose
Former Indian representative to the United
Nations, Arundhati Ghose, has said the country should not sign
the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty in its present form and
instead live through the economic crisis arising out of the
international sanctions.
CIA vows not to be caught off guard again
If the Central Intelligence Agency missed advance signs of five nuclear tests in India, it is not about to miss again if Pakistan decides to go the same route, say members of congress briefed by the agency.
Revenge is sweet, sanctions bitter, say Pak nationals
The common man in Pakistan feels his country should retaliate in kind to India's nuclear tests but fears crippling economic sanctions.
Indian government misled us, says US
In effect, what states department spokesman James Rubin is saying is that the new Indian government has deliberately lied to the US about its weaponisation programme.
Ramanna 'elated' over N-tests
Eminent scientist and former Union minister
Raja Ramanna on Friday said the nuclear tests had demonstrated that the country could explode smaller devices that could become weapons grade.
OTHER STORIES OF THE DAY
Court rejects CBI's objections in Ayodhya case
Rejecting the preliminary objection raised by the Central Bureau of Investigation, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court on Friday accepted various criminal revision petitions in the
Ayodhya demolition case and held that the accused stood charged
under different sections of the Indian Penal Code.
Paswan's discretion was 'unjustified' indiscretion, rules HC
Taking strong exception to the 'unjustified' manner in which former railway minister Ram Vilas Paswan and former minister of state for
railways Satpal Maharaj distributed free 'cheque' passes
from their discretionary quota, the Delhi high court has directed
the authorities to fix a maximum limit on the issuance of such
passes within three
months.
Assam sends editors, publisher to jail for article against Mahanta
The Assam assembly on Friday found the editor,
executive editor, publisher and proprietor of the Assamese daily
Ajit Batori guilty of breach of privilege
for publishing a defamatory article against Chief
Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta.
TODAY'S COLUMNS
The Next Step
'Any threats India cares to make are now more valid,
being backed by a demonstrated capability. Unfortunately the ambiguity about Pakistan's nuclear capability still remains which could lead to a miscalculation by India. With our
newly-found self-confidence, India could even go so far as to encourage Pakistan to conduct a nuclear test of its own. Once an unambiguous nuclear deterrence is in place, both sides could get down to the business of bringing about a lasting peace in the subcontinent,' says Admiral J G Nadkarni (retd).
US winking at Chinese arms sales forced India's hand
While the Clinton administration has reportedly imposed some
token sanctions against Pakistan, China is still off the hook. On
the contrary, the US government is making all kinds of
compromises with China to make Clinton's trip to China in June a success. India's missile development programme as well as the nuclear tests should be read against the backdrop of all these developments, says Chintamani Mahapatra.
TODAY'S WEATHER
Heavy rain expected in parts of Kerala
Rain or thundershowers are also likely to occur at many places in
Tamil Nadu, south interior Karnataka and Lakshadweep.
MAY 15
Pakistan may test bomb on Sunday
Available indications are that Pakistan is readying to test its own nuclear devices, and that such a test could happen as early as Sunday. Straws in the wind, to that effect, have been coming from US spy satellites, which have detected unusual activity around the Chagai Hills area in the Baluchistan desert.
Possible Pak N-test leaves govt unfazed
We had our own security perception, they too might have theirs, says prime minister's political advisor Pramod Mahajan.
Halt India's N-programme: China
Calling India's recent tests "nothing but an outrageous contempt for the common will of the international community for the comprehensive ban on nuclear tests, and a hard blow to international efforts to prevent nuclear weapons proliferation", China expressed its "deep shock and strong condemnation" for the two additional tests carried out by India.
Chinese reaction out of character, say analysts
Experts say they expected the Chinese to be conciliatory, particularly since the reaction to Monday's explosions was mild.
India launches diplomatic offensive to woo NAM, developing world
Even as Japan recalled its ambassador to India, finance ministry officials are keenly watching the outcome of the G-8 summit of industralised nations in Birmingham to see if
they take a concerted stand on imposing economic sanctions against
New Delhi.
Tokyo recalls envoy, more Japanese sanctions
Additional measures could include further freezing of economic aid, as also suspension of personnel exchanges between the two governments, it is learnt.
Australia suspends aid, cancels defence deals
Australia will suspend all defence contracts and the delivery of non-humanitarian aid to India in protest against its detonation of nuclear devices, Australian Prime Minister John Howard said.
Russia tightens nuclear export norms
The issue has been a source of friction between Russia and the United States, which has criticised Moscow's nuclear exports to countries like Iran.
Govt to seek opinion of political parties on CTBT
The Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition government
will decide on the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty only
after consulting the country's top political leaders.
Raje to seek NAM backing
Minister of State for External Affairs Vasundhara Raje is being sent to Colombia for the NAM ministerial meeting to explain India's compulsions in undertaking nuclear tests.
US may repeal Pressler law to please Pak
In an attempt to persuade Islamabad not to walk down the nuclear gangplank, American law-makers appear willing to repeal Pressler Amendment, a Pakistan-specific non-proliferation measure.
Mixed reaction to N-tests in Pakistan
People were sombre -- some calling for an explosion of their own, others urging restraint.
'I cannot predict what the Security Council will decide'
United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan has criticised
India's nuclear tests, and said he hoped
the resulting tensions would not lead to an
arms race. "Our world," he said, "is dangerous enough."
Bad boy India won't be allowed in nuclear club, says Uncle Sam
Asked whether the US would include India in the
nuclear club, state department spokesman
James Rubin said, ''At this point, I don't think we are
interested in any kind of nuclear
embrace with India.''
Sanctions won't stall India's atomic power generation
programme
The sanctions imposed on India by certain superpowers will in no way affect India's atomic power generation programme, said
Nuclear Power Corporation of India Chairman and Managing Director Dr Y S R Prasad.
US consulate denies rumours of visa non-issue
There is no truth in the reports that two American consulates are shutting down, or that there has been a freeze on visa issuance, say embassy officials.
OTHER STORIES OF THE DAY
Charges framed against Jaya, 10 others in colour TV scam
The judge said it was crystal clear from records that
Jayalalitha had become a party to criminal conspiracy to commit an illegal act, namely purchase of colour television sets at the rate of Rs 14,500 per piece as against the market rate of Rs 12,000 by violating all norms, causing loss to the state exchequer to the tune of Rs 90 million.
Popular army official killed in Lanka
Brigadier Larry Wijeratne, commander of the 524 brigade based in
Point Pedro in the Vadamarachchi region, cradle of Tamil militancy
in the peninsula, was killed when a women LTTE suicide bomber flung herself at his vehicle and exploded, the officials said.
THE REDIFF SPECIAL
'I don't see America reversing these sanctions very quickly'
'But they will keep dealing with us through trade. They
are not our enemies. They have a different view of the world and
we have a different view of the world. We are surrounded by nuclear weapon producing states and by the Indian Ocean. Nobody else can look after our security. We have tried to deal with this situation with patience and restraint and it has not worked.' Former foreign secretary S K Singh assesses the fallout of the n-tests.
TODAY'S COLUMNS
The H(indutva) Bomb
'Why was Murli Manohar Joshi moving to and fro from Washington and speaking to Republican think-tanks all the time last year? Why was he then given the science and technology portfolio? Can the
international chess game be so simple as President Clinton
mouthing that which he *must* mouth by US
legislative requirement...?' asks Varsha Bhosle.
The BJP was ready for nuclear tests as far back as May 1996
'Two factors,' says T V R Shenoy, 'prevented India from acquiring
nuclear power status two years earlier. First, it was considered
unethical for a government that lacked a parliamentary majority
to take such a major decision. Second, the scientists asked for a
minimum of three weeks to conduct a test. So Vajpayee and
his ministers left it to the United Front to give the necessary
orders...'
Tamil Nadu: Jaya's charge against Chidambaram, Maran is betrayal of state, says Karunanidhi
TODAY'S WEATHER
Hot day in Assam, Meghalaya
Day temperatures were also appreciably
above normal in parts of coastal
Karnataka, and above normal in sub-Himalayan West
Bengal, Sikkim, coastal Orissa, Haryana, Punjab, East
Rajasthan, Konkan and Goa.
MAY 14
India explodes two more nuke devices
The series of tests, carried out on Monday and today, are believed to have yielded a valuable data base, which is useful in the design of nuclear weapons of different yields for different applications and different delivery systems. Further, they are expected to carry Indian scientists towards a sound computer simulation capability which may be supported by sub-critical experiments, if considered necessary.
Wednesday's tests are of weapons of war
'The tests seem to be in the sub-kiloton range -- less than the equivalent of 1,000 tons of TNT -- and fall in the category of practical or theatre nuclear weapons,' says M R Srinivasan, former chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission.
Clinton imposes tough sanctions
The sanctions include an end to US assistance to India, a
prohibition on the export of certain defence and technology
material, an end to US credit and credit guarantees to India, and
US opposition to lending by international financial institutions
to India, the officials said. While US assistance is to be
halted, there is an exception for food and humanitarian aid.
France, Russia oppose sanctions
France -- which, in 1996, carried out six nuclear tests similar to the ones undertaken by India this week -- has come out strongly against the imposition of sanctions by the United States against India. Simultaneously, Russia -- another member of the P-5 group of nuclear nations -- condemned India's nuclear tests, but said Moscow would not impose any sanctions against its long-time ally.
Japan suspends grants worth $ 30m
Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto announced the move several days before he leaves for Birmingham, England, where he reportedly plans to propose joint actions against India at a summit meeting of the leaders of the Group of Eight industrialised countries this weekend.
India vows to continue all defence plans, including long-range missiles
Political advisor to the prime minister, Pramod Mahajan, today appeared unfazed by the sanctions, and said India will go ahead with all defence-related programmes, including the controversial long-range ballistic missile.
India ready to face any challenge: Vajpayee
The prime minister says he hoped the western powers would not impose sanctions but, since they had, India would face it without difficulty.
Canada calls home high commissioner for 'urgent consultations'
High Commissioner to India Peter Walker will leave for Ottawa on
May 14, for 'urgent consultations' following the second round of nuclear tests carried out by New Delhi.
'Indian leadership has gone berserk'
Pakistan condemned India's explosion of two more nuclear
devices on Wednesday, terming it 'reckless and
highly provocative.'
CIA orders inquiry into intelligence failure
The probe headed by David Jeremiah, former vice chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, is to look into what the intelligence community knew about this and when.
Pakistan feels let down by US spy satellites
The political leadership in Pakistan feels let down by the US failure to give advance information about India's nuclear tests.
US senators, peaceniks flay India
The mood at the US congress is ugly. Senators across the board have demanded tough sanctions against India, saying the country must pay the price. Disarmament institutes are also disappointed and see the blasts as a step towards a nuclear arms stockpile and a further source of anxiety in south Asia.
'US winking at Chinese arms sales forced India's hand'
While the Clinton Administration has reportedly imposed some
token sanctions against Pakistan, China is still off the hook. The US government is making all kinds of compromises with China to make US President Bill Clinton's trip to China in June a success.
Vajpayee, A-team, review sanctions's fallout
Prime Minister Vajpayee and his core group of ministers on Wednesday went over the cost-benefit ratio of the country's nuclear tests.
Congress tells government to explain changed security perceptions, E K Nayanar echoes view
The Congress reiterated that the government owed an explanation to the people about the change in security perceptions by it in the last two months which forced it to go ahead with a series of nuclear blasts. Echoing the view was Kerala Chief Minister E K Nayanar.
Indian leaders welcome nuke explosions
Former Union home minister Indrajit Gupta, Samajwadi Party leader
Mulayam Singh Yadav and Haryana Chief Minister Bansi Lal
have added their own messages to the steady stream
of congratulations at the Vajapayee government's decision.
Britain deeply disturbed at new tests, complains to Indian envoy
Britain's foreign office on Wednesday summoned P K Singh, India's
envoy in London, to complain about the series of nuclear
tests back home.
'Our tests pose no danger to any country which has no inimical intentions towards India'
"I have been deeply concerned at the deteriorating security environment, specially the nuclear environment, faced by India for some years past," Prime Minister A B Vajpayee writes to US President Bill Clinton.
Security Council may appeal to India to sign CTBT, NPT
The five permanent council members met on Tuesday to consider a draft statement, prepared by Sweden, which expressed concern over India's violation of a 'de facto moratorium' on testing.
India can now sign CTBT: defence expert
K Subrahmanyam warns against nuke stockpiling.
What the US will sanction against
Financial, military and technological aid for starters.
OTHER STORIES OF THE DAY
CBI to probe FCRA violations by Kesri, Rao
The ministry of home affairs has asked the Central Bureau of Investigation to inquire into the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act
violation case against former Congress presidents Sitaram Kesri and
P V Narasimha Rao for receiving Rs 37.5 million in foreign donations during 1993-94.
Jaya demands probe into beneficiaries of Chidambaram and Maran's policies
In her continuing salvo, AIADMK chief Jayalalitha alleged that the wrong policies introduced by former ministers P Chidambaram and Murasoli Maran caused losses amounting to billions of rupees to the exchequer.
VHP hurt at Advani's sadness about Babri demolition
Vishwa Hindu Parishad central secretary B L Sharma 'Prem' has expressed surprise and anguish at Home Minister L K Advani's statement that December 6, 1992, the day of the Babri Masjid demolition, was one of the most painful and saddest day of his life.
Congress wants to know why UF bought wheat from Australia
The Congress has demanded a Central Bureau
of Investigation probe into the Rs 10 billion deal wherein
the United Front government purchased
wheat from Australia.
THE REDIFF SPECIAL
'Investors make their calculations according to the Moody's survey rather than by what Clinton says'
We must understand that India is basically a self reliant economy. Such damage is not disastrous for us. No doubt they will hurt us, but it will not cripple the Indian economy. This is because we are not dependent on any foreign country for food; and because of the 28 per cent investment rate, 26 per cent is from domestic sources. V A Panandiker, director, Centre for Policy Research, Delhi, assesses the impact of the sanctions.
TODAY'S COLUMNS
The Zen Of Ganne-Ka-Ras And Nuclear Explosions
'In our fifty years, far more Indians have been killed, maimed,
betrayed, left in misery by our own government and society than Pakistan and China have managed together. Hell, throw in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal,
Burma, Sri Lanka and the Maldives too. From the evidence, the truth is this: the greatest threat to India, to its well-being and prosperity, to the security of its people's lives, is from
Indians themselves,' says Dilip D'Souza.
TODAY'S WEATHER
Heat wave continues in Saurashtra
Day temperatures were also above normal in Assam,
Meghalaya and parts of west Rajasthan, Saurashtra and
madhya Maharashtra.
MAY 13
Heel, Clinton tells India
In a firm tone, US President Bill Clinton on Tuesday called on India ''to announce that it will conduct no further nuclear tests and will sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty without conditions.'' In a public appearance at the White House, he said he was ''deeply disturbed'' by India's three underground nuclear tests and
announced the US decision to impose full sanctions against New
Delhi as envisaged in the US laws dealing with nuclear
proliferation.
Government undecided on CTBT
For now, the rider contained in the statement of Brajesh Mishra, principal secretary to the prime minister, to the effect that the government will try to work out a solution within the framework of that treaty, is all we have to go on with by way of official comment. Adding to the confusion is Pramod Mahajan, the prime minister's political advisor. In macho mode, Mahajan said today, "Ninetyfive per cent of the country's economy is our own. The CTBT will not be signed to escape economic sanctions from the Western world."
US open to accord with India on CTBT
Another hopeful sign, observers point out, is the comparatively mild US reaction to Monday's tests.
Mahajan talks tough, says life-time mission fulfilled
"The test has nothing to do with the so-called inner contradictions within the coalition. Do you think the prime minister read Hegde's statement in the morning and then decided to explode the nuclear device? I fail to understand the theory that there should be a provocation. Threat perception was the only consideration," insists the PM's feisty political advisor.
Clinton may not cancel India visit
The ministry of external affairs officials pointed out that US Defence Secretary William Cohen's letter to Union Defence Minister George Fernandes last week clearly indicated that the Clinton administration wants to enhance the level of defence policy group dialogue between New Delhi and Washington.
'India cannot escape sanctions'
The New York Times quoted Democratic senator John Glenn as saying 'those sanctions are mandatory'. The only way to delay them is if the President tells congress that their immediate imposition would harm national security --- and that dely can only last 30 days. Congress can remove the sanctions by passing a law or a joint resolution.
Japan is thinking of freezing aid
Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto said that he plans to propose joint actions against India during the Birmingham summit of the leaders of the Group of Seven industrialised countries this weekend.
Australia recalls high commissioner for 'consultation'
...While New Zealand today recalled its ambassador from New Delhi to protest the three underground nuclear tests conducted by India.
Vajpayee writes to world leaders explaining India's compulsions
In the letters sent to US President Bill Clinton, Russian
President Boris Yeltsin and leaders of Japan and other countries, the prime minister is reported to have conveyed his government's serious concern about the 'nuclear environment' in India's neighbourhood.
Yeltsin says India has let down Russia
In a rare criticism of India, Russia has said that the Indian nuclear tests conducted on Monday are a letdown.
Pakistan under increasing domestic pressure to reply in kind
Sentiment is hardening within Pakistan in favour of conducting a nuclear explosion, and if it makes America unhappy, well, that's just too bad.
'We are like a cook waiting for orders'
Pakistan's foremost nuclear scientist, Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan, said after the latest nuclear tests by India, it was time for the Pakistani
government to take a decision.
Security the provocation for N-tests, says govt
The government says India now had a ''very credible'' nuclear deterrent, but did not specify whether or not a decision had been taken to induct nuclear weapons.
China 'seriously concerned' over tests
After resounding silence for a day, China on Tuesday said India's nuclear tests will harm peace and stability in south Asia, and said it was "seriously concerned'' about the tests.
Gujral won't admit he gave nod for the bomb
The former prime minister would only indicate that the preparations were going on while he preached the Gujral doctrine of peace and 'the other cheek' with the neighbours. Instead he asked a few questions, "What did we explode? A nuclear device? What does that mean? Can it be done overnight?''
Rao wanted to conduct nuclear test
Narasimha Rao's government was about to conduct a test after having realised the futility of the disarmament exercise. But last-minute intervention by the US forced the then PM to defer the test, defence ministry officials said.
'India ready for nuke bomb ban if world corrects discrimination'
''India remains committed to a speedy process of nuclear disarmament leading to total and global elimination of nuclear weapons,'' the Indian mission to the United Nations said in a statement.
N-device without policy blueprint is adventurism, Swamy tells PM
Political parties in India have finally calibrated their reactions to the nuclear tests conducted on Monday, and their responses are coloured by their stance vis-à-vis the ruling BJP.
Experts call for diplomatic offensive to defang sanctions
The analysts said the government should counter the
possible Pakistani diplomatic offensive to impose sanctions on
India. In fact, Pakistan may not retaliate by conducting a nuclear
test but may go on internationally as a 'hurt boy' and seek
sanctions against India, they felt.
Tests took US by surprise
India has managed to keep under wraps its decision to undertake nuclear tests -- a fact grudgingly acknowledged by US officials.
Sanctions won't hurt India, feels analyst
According to Sreedhar of the IDSA, a number of studies have shown that India's dependence
on international financial institutions for multilateral aid is
insignificant and, therefore, this really has no leverage. He underscored
that with US $ 20 billion of foreign exchange reserves,
India is in a comfortable position to withstand any pressure on
this count.
N-tests an expected result
News of India's three nuclear tests on Monday has not come as a surprise to some. But not to the country's scientific establishment.
For Indian nuke scientists, spring comes in the month of May
Lord Buddha, the month of May and nuclear
devices -- is there any
connection between the three?
It was essential for India to demonstrate its defence capabilities: Farooq
The tests will serve as a deterrent to Pakistan. We have to show our enemy that we do not lag behind, the Jammu and
Kashmir chief minister said.
OTHER STORIES OF THE DAY
Central employees' retirement age raised to 60
The Union Cabinet on Tuesday decided to raise the retirement age of Central government employees to 60. At present the retirement age is 58.
1 killed, 35 hurt as Punjab bandh turns violent
A 60-year-old woman was killed and about 35 people, including two policemen, injured as a bandh, called by
dalit leaders, to protest against a teleserial, turned violent.
Threat of dismissal from parallel government, says Karunanidhi
The Tamil Nadu chief minister said there was no threat to his government from the Centre, "but from a parallel government being run by some persons in the city". In an obvious reference to AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalitha's demand for the dismissal of the DMK government, he said, "The parallel government here has been making such threats."
THE REDIFF SPECIAL
'Pakistan is neither a nuclear nor a missile initiator'
'For Pakistan, the predicament is circumscribed by what India does
to bolster its image. Facing three wars, experiencing the trauma
of losing one half of the country in 1971 and subsequently waking
up to India's nuclear explosion of 1974, Pakistan quite rightly
felt objectively threatened,' says former Pakistani chief of army staff General (retd) Mirza Aslam Beg
TODAY'S COLUMNS
The end of Nuclear Virginity
'Any American action will be temporary and muted, I believe, because at bottom, Americans respect strength of purpose,' says Rajeev Srinivasan. 'Furthermore, India poses little threat to American security interests, and might be a counterbalance to the growing Chinese menace.'
TODAY'S WEATHER
Wet weather over parts of southern India
Rain or thundershowers are likely to occur at a
few places in south interior Karnataka, Kerala and
Lakshadweep.
MAY 12
India explodes nuclear bombs
'Today, at 1545 hours, India conducted three underground nuclear
tests in the Pokhran range. The tests conducted today were with a
fission device, a low yield device and a thermonuclear device. The
measured yields are in line with expected values. Measurements have
also confirmed that there was no release of radioactivity into the
atmosphere,' the prime minister said.
N-deterrent at last, says government
The government has announced that India
now had a ''very credible'' nuclear deterrent, but did not specify
whether or not a decision had been taken to induct nuclear weapons.
''The people of India now have a very credible nuclear
deterrent but I will not comment on whether or not a decision has
been taken to induct nuclear weapons,'' principal secretary to the
prime minister, Brajesh Mishra, told a news conference on Monday night.
'Tests show India has proven capability for weaponised N-programme'
But India is still for a truly comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty, says official statement.
Analysts believe decision will not lead to arms race
Most defence analysts agree upon one thing: the nuclear test will not escalate tension in the Indian subcontinent. They feel India's action has put Pakistan in a difficult situation, since it has earlier committed that it would test a nuclear device if India did so.
"We have known all along that Pakistan has the capability. Now let them declare it. I feel it would defuse the tension between us as it did between the Soviet Union and US when both declared their capabilities," says Dr K Subrahmanyam.
Pakistan cries foul, calls for sanctions
Pakistan has condemned the three nuclear
implosions conducted by India in Pokhran, and called for
international sanctions against the country. Foreign Minister Gohar Ayub Khan said: ''We condemn it. We want
other countries to condemn it also and impose restrictions on
India.''
America disappointed, no word of sanctions as yet
The Clinton administration on Monday expressed
''deep disappointment'' at India's three nuclear tests, and said the
United States would raise its concerns directly with the Vajpayee
government on this ''regrettable turn of events''.
Hosannas all over, but Pakistan demurs
Even as Indian defence experts expressed satisfaction over the country testing N-devices today, Pakistan naturally struck a discordant note over the move.
Parties welcome N-tests
Barring some fringe groups like the AIFB, political parties by and large have welcomed the government's decision to conduct the N-tests.
'There is dictum in strategic defence planning, Imagine the worst case scenario and prepare yourself for it. Which is exactly what we have done'
Mohan Guruswamy of the BJP defends the government's stand on the nuclear tests.
'We have not mentioned the word peaceful so far'
Dr P K Iyengar, former chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission and one of the pillars of the country's nuclear establishment, welcomes today's nuclear explosions by India.
'Why should we wait? Didn't we wait for 24 years?'
'I am sure the Western democracies are going to be very critical. There can be sanctions imposed against us. They can be in the form of restrictions on trade, transfer of technology, withholding investment etc. As far as ramifications are concerned, I'm sure the government had weighed the pros and cons of all the reactions before going ahead with the tests.' Former foreign secretary J N Dixit on Monday's explosions.
'It was a militaristic, chauvinistic, jingoistic move'
Praful Bidwai, a critic of India's nuclear establishment, feels the current tests were shortsighted at best.
'It's the BJP way of showing the world that India is great'
'Now we can figure out what George Fernandes's stance on China was all about. The purpose was to create a build up, without using Pakistan as an excuse. That was the purpose behind the position taken on China. Pakistan would have not retaliated. It did not retaliate in 1974 either.' Achin Vanaik on Monday's explosion.
'India risks international isolation'
'Monday's explosions are a huge setback to the peace process. They are an absolute setback to the promotion of nuclear non-proliferation in the region. With India moving inexorably towards weaponisation, we have crossed the nuclear threshold in the region.' Former Pakistan Maleeha Lodhi on the events at Pokharan.
OTHER STORIES OF THE DAY
Al Umma and PDP targeted Advani on Feb 14, says Karunanidhi
The outlawed Al Umma and the People's Democratic Party headed by Abdul Nasser Madani had hatched a conspiracy to assassinate BJP leader L K Advani when he visited Coimbatore on February 14 to address an election rally, Chief Minister M Karunanidhi disclosed in the Tamil Nadu assembly on Monday.
Governance so far has been an 'unpleasant experience', says Hegde
Commerce Minister Ramakrishna Hegde has said he was not fully satisfied with the performance of the Vajpayee government, and called it 'a period of unpleasantness'. Hegde is the first member of the Vajpayee Cabinet to air his views on the government's performance.
Jethmalani seconds Hegde
Urban Development Minister Ram Jethmalani on Monday expressed himself in agreement with his Cabinet colleague Ramakrishna Hegde's reported remark that the prime minister needed to be decisive and strong against unreasonable demands from some of the BJP's allies.
Ayodhya probe panel dismayed at govt inaction
The Liberhan Commission, probing the conspiracy aspect of the
Babri mosque demolition, has expressed dismay at the failure of the Centre and the Uttar Pradesh government to get the stay order on its summons against 17 Hindutva leaders vacated.
Muslims ready to give okay for Ayodhya temple: Shahabuddin
The Babri Masjid Movement Coordination Committee convener said this will be a gesture of respect for the Hindu sentiments.
Pawar quashes rumours about Madras visit
Sharad Pawar on Sunday denied that he would meet AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalitha during his three-day visit to Madras. Pawar also denied that his visit had anything to do with the proposed merger of the Tamil Maanila Congress with the Congress party.
Fernandes claims media misquoted him on China
Defence Minister George Fernandes retracted his earlier statement that India faced greater threat from China among its neighbouring countries.
Pawar's advice to Fernandes: work more, talk less
Sharad Pawar said that a person handling the sensitive portfolio of defence should 'talk less and work more'.
Sonia allots work to party secretaries, Aiyar to organise her trips
Of the 10 party secretaries, Kumari Selja, Ramesh Chennithala, Anil Shastri, V Narayanaswamy and Mukul Wasnik have been attached to the five AICC general secretaries, while Major Sudhir Sawant,
Imran Kidwai, Mani Shankar Aiyar, Usha Meena and Dr Suresh Chand Vats have been given independent charge.
Moopanar rules out TMC's merger with Congress
Tamil Maanila Congress president G K Moopanar ruled out the TMC's merger with the Congress, but favoured closer coordination between the two parties at both national and state levels. He said he would convey this view of the TMC cadre to Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
108 icons of Lord Siva for Hawaii
These icons, in rare postures of Bharata Natyam, have been crafted by eminent sthapathy Devasenapathya Siva at Swamimalai near Thanjavur.
In-laws held after beating up Zeenat Aman
The police have arrested the in-laws of former actress Zeenat Aman on charges of rioting, intimidation and molestation after they barged into her residence and allegedly assaulted her.
Madonna has pandits preaching her on Sanskrit
Pop diva Madonna's quest for
spiritualism by weaving in Sanskrit mantras into her latest album Ray of Light, has
impressed the pandits of Benares but they want her to learn a
little more of the language before reciting the hymns.
THE REDIFF SPECIAL
'We would not have proceeded with the ISRO case if the high court had prevented us'
The Supreme Court ruling clearing the six accused in the ISRO
spy case, says Venu Menon, caught the Left Democratic Front government in Kerala on the wrong foot. Stung, Chief Minister E K Nayanar sought to pass the buck to the Kerala high court.
TODAY'S COLUMNS
Where is the prime minister?
'The tragedy about this government is that in the brief time
that it has spent in office, it has belied not just a mandate
but the expectations that went with it. And none more so,
than the man India awaited,' argues Saisuresh Sivaswamy.
Defending Thackeray
'Art cannot pretend to be superior to life,' says Pritish Nandy, 'It is not
possible to allow a gaggle of city socialites to sit back and enjoy a ghazal night by Ghulam Ali or a rock concert by Junoon while thousands of innocent people in Kashmir remain terrorised by Pakistan. We can afford to do without these luxuries for a while just to show support and sympathy for those who have suffered in the hands of Pakistani inspired terrorism and crime'.
Tamil Nadu:Charges framed against another of Jaya's ex-cabinet colleague
Tamil Nadu:Defamation case against Jaya quashed
TODAY'S WEATHER
Rain brings respite in Andhra
Downpour in parts of Rayalseema and Telangana
brought relief to the people from the heat wave prevailing there for
the past few weeks.
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