Credibility of Indian Nuke Programme

By Zaheerul Hassan

On August 27, 2009 in an interview with Times of India   K Santhanam, senior scientist and DRDO representative at Pokhran II admitted that the only thermonuclear device tested was a "fizzle". In nuclear parlance, a test is described as a fizzle when it fails to meet the desired yield.  Santhanam, was director for 1998 test site preparations in Pokhran test range, has stated hat the thermonuclear explosions conducted at that time were ‘actually of much below expectations and the tests were perhaps more a fizzle rather than a big bang’. This is the first time some Indian senior scientist gave some reservation about the nuke programme.  He was the closely associated with the 1998 tests.

The government officials did not endorsed Santhanam’s point view. In this connection Interior Minister R. Chidambaram was in state of confusion while talking to the journalists after the meeting of Lok Sabha Chidambaram, who was the Chairman of the Department of Atomic Energy in 1998, totally dismissed the scientist statement and said that there is no controversy over the yield of Pokhran-II nuclear tests.  The world’s analysts have number of times raised questions about the security of Indian nuclear programme. British nuke experts have challenged the claims while saying that  the actual combined yield for the fission device and thermonuclear bomb was not more than 20 KT. Santhanam’s view was shared by nuclear scientist Subramaniam, who said “there was something wrong with the seismic signals which seemed pretty weak to me then… so I would tend to agree with Santhanam”.

The Santhanam’s disclosing uncovered the face of Indian leadership. In short the recent revelation of senior nuke scientist put the question mark on the     credibility of Indian nuke prgramme. The exact position of the explosion of 1998 can be judged from the following:-

Indian nuclear controlling authorities yet to formulate elaborate arrangements to control and secure their nuclear programs. But the biggest dilemma is that US and Russia have concluded number of nuclear deals with India   while ignoring all international rules and regulations in relation to the safety features of nuclear programme. In addition to the Russian deal, the French nuclear conglomerate Areva concluded an agreement Dec. 18 to provide India with 300 tons of uranium for reactor fuel.

Currently; India has a total of 17 operating nuclear power reactors and has plans to construct an additional 25-30 by 2030 to meet expected civil and military future needs. At present she has 35 – 45 nuclear arsenals of various yields but security aspects of these weapons always remained concern to the world community and sincere Indian officials too.

According to the Uranium Information Center (UIC), India's program extends from uranium exploration and mining through fuel fabrication, heavy water production, reactor design and construction, to reprocessing and waste management. India, the UIC says, has a small fast breeder reactor and is about to build a much larger one. It is also developing technology to use its abundant resources of thorium as a nuclear fuel. It has 14 small nuclear power reactors in commercial operation, nine under construction - including two large ones, and more planned.
It’s an eye opener and point of concern to US nuke experts that Indian nuke progrramme is one of the most risky programme.

There are 152 financial corruptions and theft cases of uranium have also been reported and registered with the police since 1984. The cases include crimes like abductions and murders of staff, stolen of uranium, transfer of technology to other countries through underworld, smuggling of weapons and electronic equipment being used for preparation of nuke arsenals and disappearance of complete shipment of uranium. The increase in   rate of incidents in is becoming great security hazard to the mankind and threatening regional security too.

According to Fairness.com, a US-based information clearinghouse, radiation emitted from the country's nuclear reactors is three times higher than international norms allow. Of its 14 nuclear power reactors, only three reportedly meet international standards.  Indian governments always tried to hide about leaks and accidents from the reactors. An Indian scientist who prefers not to be named reported, "An estimated 300 incidents of a serious nature have occurred, causing radiation leaks and physical damage to workers."
The reports further reveal those famous politicians, top brass of intelligence agencies and scientists those remained involved in illegal smuggling and transfer of nuclear technologies to other countries and local extremists Hindu organizations.

On June 13, 2009 Indian famous nuke scientist Lokanathan Mahalingam found dead from Kali River. The scientist had been mysteriously disappeared from the Kaiga Atomic Power Station on June 8, 2009. The Kaiga plant is located near one of the biggest naval bases, Project Seabird.  The scientist was working on the atomic plant since last eight years.  Reportedly, he was in possession of highly sensitive information and might be doubted for Indian nuke proliferation. Mahalingam was involved in training apprentices on a replica of the actual reactor. So he had knowledge of working of the reactor. Earlier too on November 11, 2006, Director of Uttaranchal Space Application Centre, Dr Anil Kumar Tiwari, was also shot dead by an unidentified person near his residence. About six weeks ago, another NPC non-technical employee Ravi Mule was found dead in the township. He too had gone for morning walk. Police have not cracked the earlier cases and similarly still is clue less in the current case of scientist.

The contents revealed in above Para confirmed that the world most treacherous nuke proliferation is going on in India which made her nuclear programme unsafe and the most dangerous too. The Hindu extremists with the help of Indian nuke scientists seem to be involved in illegal transfer of nuclear technology to Israel and some western countries through underworld organizations to generate the funds for the completion of “Maha Baharat agenda.

There have been widespread allegations that well-connected manufacturers cut deals with politicians selling defective parts to build reactors. Thus general masses rightly in the state of panic with regard to the safety of nuke programme. The series of incidents at India's nuclear plants has raised fears of a disaster equivalent to or bigger than the American nuclear leak at Three Mile Island in 1975 or the horrendous accident at Chernobyl in what was then the Soviet Union in 1986, which so far is responsible for the deaths of at least 6,000 persons, with many more expected to die later.

According to the South India Tribune, India has ordered two plants shut over the last two years because of safety reasons in the face of plans to generate 20,000 megawatts of nuclear power by 2020. Serious accidents and shortcomings have been reported starting in 1969 at the Tarapur, Rajasthan, Madras, Narora and Kaigba Atomic.

In 2008 Russian President  Medvedev and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh signed nuclear co-operation accord  for construction of the four new plants at Kundankulam stipulated under the Russia. Similarly Washington too has finalized 123 Nuclear Civil deal with New Delhi. However, in this regard only some procedural issues and formalities are left in the way of implementation of the accord.

 French, Russia, America and IAEA are having double standards over the further nuclear proliferations. The revealed countries and UN nuclear watch dog IAEA always tried to put sanctions and criticize over Pakistan peaceful nuclear programme. Iranian nuclear program which was started with the support of US in 1950 has only been targeted after Iranian Islamic revolution.  India had always neglected international laws in relation to its nuclear programme. She has refused to signed CTBT and NPT. But US, Russia and America too have not care about the humanity and went for agreement with India while putting a side security concern of world community. In short the recent statement of K Santhanam, repeated incidents and nuke proliferation have made the India Nuke Progemme world dangerous programme. IAEA should carry out detail inspection of her civil and military nuke plants. US, Russia and French should reconsider their decisions of further continuation of pacts without elaborate security arrangements and command control authority. Indian authorities should devise some system to enhance security arrangements to minimize the incidents at their nuke plants.