India’s close neighbors, China and Pakistan, would see this move as a provocation: Experts say they might respond by ratcheting up their own nuclear firepower. India, according to former Australian nonproliferation chief John Carlson, is one of the country that continue to produce fissile materials for nuclear weapons. The enlargement of India’s thermonuclear program would position the country alongside the United Kingdom, the United States, Russia, Israel, France, and China, which already have significant stockpiles of such weapons.
This article is based on wrong premises. Are Indian nukes only against Pakistan? No. Indian nukes are mainly against China. But we are no match for China. Hence, India needs more nukes to match with China. As regards nuclear doctrine, NFU or otherwise, it is the context that will decide its interpretation. NFU does not imply that we first suffer blows and then retaliate. It could be in anticipation of an imminent strike as well. Is the quantum of nuclear material relevant, as in case of Nasr? Certainly not, as nuclear strike is a nuclear strike deserving fight to finish response. The burden of scaling up nuclear rivalry with India is on Pakistan, which threatens use them against India time and again. Nuclear assets are strategic assets and there should ideally be no occasion to use them, given their destructive power. Hence it is for Pakistan to observe restraint, behave responsibly and not provoke India. The other way to view the scenario from Indian angle is to treat China and Pak as eventually a single threat, as both countries are closely tied to each other with all the nuclear technology given to Pakistan by China. In this scenario, India needs to have a very flexible nuclear doctrine. Interestingly, one hardly sees any such articles on nuclear doctrines of China and India.
This article has totally overlooked the threat from China that may soon be more powerful than even U.S.Nuclear arsenal is the most cost effective way of defense.
I was never a fan of RM Manohar Parrikar but was genuinely shocked when he made an irresponsible remark about NFU no longer being sacrosanct. Later said it was his “ personal opinion “. China, compared to the US and Russia, the original MAD warriors, has a tiny nuclear arsenal. That is the way to go for Indis as well. 2. This column strengthens a fear one has long entertained. Kashmir, the only Muslim majority state to accede to India, is something we have been unable to deal with in optimal fashion, especially since about 1990. It has poisoned our relationship with Pakistan, blighted all of South Asia. Disturbing our responsible nuclear doctrine would acknowledge that we really do not know how to deal with Pakistan, which has the GDP of Maharashtra, and take us into very dangerous territory.
India’s close neighbors, China and Pakistan, would see this move as a provocation: Experts say they might respond by ratcheting up their own nuclear firepower. India, according to former Australian nonproliferation chief John Carlson, is one of the country that continue to produce fissile materials for nuclear weapons. The enlargement of India’s thermonuclear program would position the country alongside the United Kingdom, the United States, Russia, Israel, France, and China, which already have significant stockpiles of such weapons.
Have we all become mentally sick bcos only in that case we can say or do whatever we like, like using N weapon or even talking about using it.
This article is based on wrong premises. Are Indian nukes only against Pakistan? No. Indian nukes are mainly against China. But we are no match for China. Hence, India needs more nukes to match with China. As regards nuclear doctrine, NFU or otherwise, it is the context that will decide its interpretation. NFU does not imply that we first suffer blows and then retaliate. It could be in anticipation of an imminent strike as well. Is the quantum of nuclear material relevant, as in case of Nasr? Certainly not, as nuclear strike is a nuclear strike deserving fight to finish response. The burden of scaling up nuclear rivalry with India is on Pakistan, which threatens use them against India time and again. Nuclear assets are strategic assets and there should ideally be no occasion to use them, given their destructive power. Hence it is for Pakistan to observe restraint, behave responsibly and not provoke India. The other way to view the scenario from Indian angle is to treat China and Pak as eventually a single threat, as both countries are closely tied to each other with all the nuclear technology given to Pakistan by China. In this scenario, India needs to have a very flexible nuclear doctrine. Interestingly, one hardly sees any such articles on nuclear doctrines of China and India.
What an absurd article!
This article has totally overlooked the threat from China that may soon be more powerful than even U.S.Nuclear arsenal is the most cost effective way of defense.
I was never a fan of RM Manohar Parrikar but was genuinely shocked when he made an irresponsible remark about NFU no longer being sacrosanct. Later said it was his “ personal opinion “. China, compared to the US and Russia, the original MAD warriors, has a tiny nuclear arsenal. That is the way to go for Indis as well. 2. This column strengthens a fear one has long entertained. Kashmir, the only Muslim majority state to accede to India, is something we have been unable to deal with in optimal fashion, especially since about 1990. It has poisoned our relationship with Pakistan, blighted all of South Asia. Disturbing our responsible nuclear doctrine would acknowledge that we really do not know how to deal with Pakistan, which has the GDP of Maharashtra, and take us into very dangerous territory.