Nuclear Weapons Proliferation in the Indian Subcontinent

236 Pages·1991·21.46 MB·English

by  Ziba Moshaver (auth.)

NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROLIFERATION IN 1HE INDIAN
SUBCONTINENT
Nuclear Weapons
Proliferation in the
Indian Subcontinent
Ziba Moshaver
Palgrave Macmillan
ISBN 978-0-333-52271-4 ISBN 978-1-349-11471-9 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-1-349-11471-9
© Ziba Moshaver 1991
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 1991
All rights reserved. For information, write:
Scholarly and Reference Division,
St. Martin's Press, Inc., 175 Fifth Avenue,
New York, N.Y. 10010
First published in the United States of America in 1991
ISBN 978-0-312-05781-7
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Nuclear weapons proliferation in the Indian subcontinent /
Ziba Moshaver
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-312-05781-7
1. Nuclear weapons-India. 2. Nuclear weapons-Pakistan.
3. India-Military policy. 4. Pakistan-Military policy.
I. Title.
UA840.M67 1991
355.8'25119'0954-dc20 90-20638
CIP
To my Parents
and
Massoud
Contents
Acknowledgements ix
List of Abbreviations x
Introduction xii
1 Political Background of the Indian Subcontinent 1
The Role of the New States in the International System 2
The Indian Subcontinent: Political-strategic Legacies 4
Freedom and Fragmentation 7
Non-aligned vs. Alliance: Formulation of
Defence and Foreign Policy 13
Subcontinental Wars: the Use of Force as
a Political Alternative 18
Conclusion 25
2 The Politics of Nuclear Weapons in India 28
The Early Years: Nehru's Autocratic Control 28
1964-1968: the Post-Nehru Nuclear Debate 33
The 1974 Nuclear Test: Making the Option Visible 44
The Post-Pokhran Nuclear Issue 53
Conclusion 58
3 Pakistan: The Politics of the Nuclear Issue 59
The Nuclear Weapons Issue before 1971 59
1971-1977: Bhutto's Era 65
The Nuclear Issue under Zia 70
Conclusion 75
4 India's Nuclear Development 77
First Phase: Establishment of a Nuclear Power Industry 78
Second Phase: Progression towards the May 1974 Test 86
Third Phase: Perfecting the Weapons Option 90
Conclusion 94
vii
viii Contents
5 Pakistan's Nuclear Development 96
Nuclear Power: an Energy Alternative 96
Reprocessing and Enrichment: Progression towards
a Weapons Option 103
Conclusion 106
6 India's Changing Views of Arms Control 108
PTBT Diplomacy 108
India and the NPT 113
India and the South Asian Nuclear Weapon Free Zone 118
Conclusion 121
7 Pakistan and Nuclear Arms Control 123
PTBT Diplomacy 123
Pakistan and the NPT 126
Initiative on the South Asian NWFZ 129
Conclusion 133
8 India's Choice: Nuclear Option vs. Nuclear Weapons 134
India's Weapons Force vs. the Superpowers 134
The Effect on Relations with the Regional
and Non-aligned Countries 140
Practical Constraints on the Development of
a Nuclear Force 145
Conclusion 151
9 Pakistan's Choice: Nuclear Option vs. Nuclear Weapons 153
The Politics of the Nuclear Option 153
The Politics of a Pakistani Nuclear Weapons 161
Conclusion 175
Conclusion 176
Appendix (Technical Notes) 180
Notes 184
Select Bibliography 210
Index 218
Acknowledgements
This book is a revised version of my D.Phil thesis presented to the
Social Studies Faculty in the University of Oxford in October 1987.
The completion of this study would not have been possible without the
support and guidance of my supervisor Professor Adam Roberts. To him I
would like to express my deepest appreciation. My special gratitude goes
also to Louis Puiseux of Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales for
his unreserved enthusiasm and inspiration.
Special thanks to Dr Gowher Rizvi for valuable suggestions which have
helped me in revising the research for pUblication. I am greatful to him for
his ceaseless support.
Thanks to Frank Barnaby for informative discussions on technical issues.
My many thanks to S. R. Gupta for his kind assistance in the logistics of
my research in India. I am grateful to A. Kapur for his valuable comments
on the initial draft of this work. Also many thanks to General Vohra and
P. Bidwai for valuable exploratory discussions.
Thanks to all my friends in Oxford, through whose friendship I am once
again reassured that cultural, geographical, and racial diversities constitute
not barriers but stepping stones towards an enriched international culture.
Special thanks are due to Betty Yao, and Huw Morgan who helped to
ensure that the work appeared within the time allowed. My deePest
appreciation goes to Sylvia Platt who competently edited this manuscript.
My ever lasting debt to the late Hamid Enayat whose support and
encouragement was of great value. His teachings were precious but
knowing him was even more precious for he was one of the very few
who has never lost faith in humanity.
Last but not least, I am grateful to Massoud. Without his encouragement,
support, and patience I would have not been able to go through the
strenuous times involved in writing a thesis and a book.
ZIBA MOSHA VER
ix
List of Abbreviations
AEC Atomic Energy Commission (India).
BARC Bhabha Atomic Energy Research Centre (India).
CENTO Central Treaty Organization.
CCD Conference of the Committee on Disarmament.
CHANUPP Chashma Nuclear Power Plant (Pakistan).
CNS Centre for Nuclear Studies (Pakistan).
DAE Department of Atomic Energy (India).
DOS Department of Space (India).
ENDC Eighteen-nation Disarmament Committee.
FBR Fast Breeder Reactor.
FB1R Fast Breeder Test Reactor.
GA General Assembly.
GCC Gulf Cooperation Council.
IAEA International Atomic Energy Agency.
ICBM Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile.
INFCE International Fuel Cycle Evaluation.
IRBM Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile.
LSG London Suppliers Group.
KANUPP Karachi Nuclear Power Plant.
KAPS Kakrapar Atomic Power Station (India).
MAPS Madras Atomic Power Station.
MEA Ministry of External Affairs (India).
MOD Ministry of Defence.
NAM Non-Aligned Movement.
NAPS Narora Atomic Power Station (India).
NNWS Non-nuclear weapon states.
NWFZ Nuclear weapon free zone.
NNPA Nuclear Non-Proliferation Act (USA).
NPT Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
NWS Nuclear weapon states.
PAEC Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission.
PARR Pakistan Atomic Research Reactor.
PINS TECH Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology.
PNA Pakistan National Alliance.
PNE Peaceful nuclear explosion.
x
List of Abbreviations Xl
PPP Pakistan People's Party.
PTBT Partial Test Ban Treaty.
SAARC South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation.
SANWFZ South Asian nuclear weapon free zone.
SEATO South East Asian Treaty Organization.