On Pokhran nuclear test anniversary, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday hailed the “courage” shown by then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee for taking the bold decision. “Greetings to everyone, especially our industrious scientists and those passionate about technology, on National Technology Day,” Modi tweeted. “We remain grateful to our scientists & the then political leadership for the courage shown in Pokhran in 1998,” he said.
Since 1999, May 11 is commemorated as the National Technology Day to mark India’s scientific prowess and technological advancements. It was the same date in 1998 when India successfully conducted the first among the five nuclear tests in Pokhran under the leadership of Vajpayee.
In an article in his website, the Prime Minister said, “The world is well aware of the Pokhran tests. Under Atalji’s leadership, successful tests were carried out and the entire world was witness to India’s might. The scientists made the nation proud.”
Recalling the nearly two-decade-old development, Modi said, “After the first series of tests, the world community placed sanctions on India. On May 13, 1998, Atalji again called for tests, thus showing that he was made of a different mettle. If we had had a weak PM, he or she would have got scared on the same day. But Atal ji was different. He did not get scared.”
lauding the role the people of Pokhran played by keeping silent during the nuclear tests, Modi said, “People of Pokhran must be lauded for maintaining silence during entire duration when the tests were planned and conducted. They placed interest of the nation above everything else.”
After the Pokhran test, a rattled Pakistan also conducted nuclear tests. India first conducted nuclear test was during Indira Gandhi’s tenure on May 18, 1974 in Pokhran. This test was coded as Smiling Budhha.
The Pokhran-2 test was codenamed as Operation Shakti. The India team was headed by then DRDO chief APJ Abdul Kalam and Department of Atomic Energy Chief Dr R Chidambaram. The Pokhran-2 was a highly kept secret and materials like bomb shafts were dug under camouflage netting and the dug-out sand was shaped like shaped dunes. Cables for sensors were covered with sand and concealed using native vegetation.
“Scientists depart to the sites in small batches in pseudonyms. They travelled to destination other than Pokhran under pseudonyms, and were then transported by the Army. Technical staff at the test range wore military uniform, to prevent detection in satellite images,” later Abdul Kalam revealed.