The Provocation, If You Like, Was Our Security

Q: Have you taken all the economic repurcussions into account before taking this step?

A: Yes. We have taken it into account. We have studied the situation. We will not face problems is our assessment of the net impact. We dont think (it will affect the investment climate in the country).

Q: Do you fear trade sanctions from the United States?

A: No. We have taken that into account.

Q: A lot of rating agencies have been watching India closely. Dont you believe that Indias apparent belligerence has queered the pitch for investor sentiment, both within the country and abroad?

A: There are other nuclear weapon states in the world. Is there any problem there with the investment climate there. We have taken the negative effect into account. And, where is the belligerence. You see the last paragraph of the statement. (In our neighbourhood we have many friends with whom relations of fruitful cooperation for mutual benefit have existed and deepened over a long period. We assure them that it will be our sincere endeavour to intensify and diversify those relations further for the benefit of all our peoples. For India, as for others the prime need is for peaceful cooperation and economic development.)

Q: Can we say that India is now a nuclear weapon state?

A: You can say that the people of India have a very credible nuclear deterrent.

Q: Could you spell out what kind of sanctions that you are expecting? We understand that there are some measures that have been announced by the United States.

A: We are hoping that there will be no sanctions. They have not announced anything. I dont think there has been any government announcement to that effect from any country. The information we have is they have said that they are disappointed at these tests. And, we will be in touch with the government of India for further clarifications.

Q: In your statement you have said that the tests will help us put together a database for computer test simulation purposes. This has been one of our principle critiques of the CTBT (Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty). So are you going against the established principles?

A: What we have said is that they carry Indian scientists towards a sound computer simulation possibility.

Q: Is there a quid pro quo deal with the US wherein we will conduct the test and later sign the CTBT? Especially since the foreign secretary has just returned from the US.

A: We did not inform any government about of our intention to perform the nuclear test.

Q: What is Indias stand now on NPT (Non-Proliferation Treaty)?

A: We remain commited to a truly comprehensive arrangement to prohibit all underground testing. We also remain committed to speedy nuclear disarmanament. We are not for horizontal or vertical nuclear proliferation.

Q: What will be the impact on the India-US relations? Especially at is gradually improving.

A: We hope that it will continue to improve. After all, these steps are not directed against the US. These are meant to provide security for the people of India. Just like the US would like to secure its own interests, the people of India too would like to do so. We hope that this will be understood by the US and it will be sensitive to our security needs.

Q: What was the urgent need to do the tests right now? What was the proovation?

A: The provocation, if you want, was our security. We feel that the nuclear environment around India is very dangerous. We are trying to take care of that.