India's Nuclear Policy

This essay presents an outline of the evolution of India's Nuclear Policy with a special reference to the India- US Nuclear Deal.
However, more recent developments such as the passing of the Deal, withdrawal of Left support and the vote of confidence in the Lok Sabha are not included. On April 8th 2008 The Hindu published an article titled “Potential consequences of a regional
nuclear conflict” in which the author convincingly illustrates the dangers a nuclear- armed
South Asia presents.1 The fact that both India and Pakistan, but of course also China,
possess nuclear weapons has been an alarming reality since 1998. The relative progress
that has been achieved in India- Pakistan relations should not lead one to forget that two
conflicts in 1999 and 2001 could easily have escalated into a nuclear confrontation.
India had embarked upon a civilian nuclear program right after her independence but the
“weapon option” has always been present. India’s nuclear policy has been an evolutionary,
sometimes painful process equally shaped by domestic and international factors. This paper
attempts to analyse some of these factors and argues that the development of nuclear
weapons was a logical, albeit not planned, consequence of them. It is interesting that even
those in India fiercely opposed to nuclear weapons subconsciously seemed to have realised
that India’s nuclear program could not be limited to civilian application forever.
A constant in India’s nuclear policy is the strong wish to become and remain as independent
as possible. For this independent nuclear policy India had to pay a high price. Isolated from
international nuclear cooperation, confronted with sharp criticism and even sanctions, India
had to rely on herself. While India’s success has been a great source of national pride India’s
isolation in nuclear issues also contributed to a lack of strategic planning regarding India’s
place in both the region and the world, and the role the nuclear weapons should or should
not play in this. The (possible) India- US nuclear deal has provoked an intense debate
among Indian actors that creates the chance that India will finally come to terms with its
nuclear potential as she prepares for assuming the status of a world power.