India has depicted itself as a non-aggressive and responsible nuclear power for which it needs to get benefit by way of NSG membership, writes NEHA TIWARI
The visit of Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) Chairman Rafael Grossi to discuss possible inclusion of India in the nuclear group has raised questions regarding the future of the non-proliferation regime and the possible impact it could have on its nuclear neighbour Pakistan. The questions are raised again by experts in the strategic community that such a membership will encourage other states to develop nuclear weapons.
It’s often stated that the Indo-US nuclear deal along with India’s membership in NSG would show other countries that a state has been “awarded” for developing its nuclear weapons. This will further fuel proliferation as other states might also look for benefits which are associated with being a nuclear power. Concerns are that it will also reflect the biased attitude of Western countries regarding their proliferation policies as nuclear Pakistan is not given or offered such benefits.
However, India is given benefits for being a responsible nuclear power rather than being a country which has inflicted damage on nuclear non-proliferation accord by developing nuclear weapons. In fact, India has paid the price of being a responsible nuclear power when it comes to its dealings with Pakistan’s strategic calculations.
India had faced nuclear threat from Pakistan in 1999, 2001 and even after 26/11. India refrained from escalating war during the Kargil conflict due to the presence of nuclear weapons in the hands of Pakistan and lost a lot of men in the conflict. Facing terrorism sponsored by Pakistan, India has refrained from taking military action against it whereas Pakistan has always carried out terrorist activities in India and has used its nuclear weapons as a shield.
India always opted for a diplomatic channel in solving disputes rather than taking military action against a state which has sponsored terrorism. In fact, Pakistan clearly stated recently that it has developed tactical nuclear weapons to deal with any conventional conflict with India which it might launch in response to terrorist attacks on its soil. This is the cost which India has paid for depicting itself as a responsible nuclear power.
Secondly, India has carefully drafted its Nuclear Doctrine and has mentioned No First Use (NFU), Second Strike Capability, and a policy of minimum deterrence at the core. This means India will not be the first country to carry out nuclear attacks in any conflict. However, India will use its nuclear weapons only in retaliation.
The development of INS Arihant and India’s Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) clearly shows that it does intend to buttress its retaliatory capability and defensive policies rather than developing first strike options. On the other hand, Pakistan has First Use Policy and has mentioned that it could use nuclear weapons first in case of any conflict. This reflects the differences in the policies of two South Asian nuclear neighbours.
Thirdly, Pakistan has emerged as a country which is a safe haven for terrorist groups and activities. This has raised the question of security of nuclear weapons by the Western countries. This is one of the main reasons why Pakistan has not been offered any kind of benefits related to the nuclear field.
Fourthly, India has a good non-proliferation record compared to Pakistan and also other members of NSG. The world has still not forgotten the proliferation activities of AQ Khan. Also, other countries including France, China and Russia have a history of proliferation activities. India is not involved in any clandestine or dubious activity related to the trade of nuclear weapons.
India has also declared moratorium on the underground nuclear weapons test which is in accordance to the spirit of NPT/CTBT. This shows that India has abided by the non-proliferation rules even without being a member of NPT or CTBT.
Given the above facts, India is a strong contender of being a part of NSG. India has depicted itself as a non-aggressive and responsible nuclear power for which it needs to get the benefit. India also represents a country where many Western nations hold strong economic interests. India’s progress after its membership in NSG will also benefit the West in a big way.
The writer is a Research Scholar, JNU, Delhi