Give India N-Weapon Power Status: Jaswant

External affairs minister Jaswant Singh yesterday said "India is a nuclear weapon state" and called upon the Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT) nations not to expect India to sign the NPT unless it is recognised as a nuclear weapon state..

In a suo motu statement in the Lok Sabha on the NPT Review Conference in New York, Singh stated that even though not a signatory, India, which is "a nuclear weapon state" now, has been religiously adhering to all the provisions of the NPT, whereas major powers have fallen short of the expectations of non-nuclear power states.

"The nuclear weapon states parties to the NPT and their allies have not diminished the role of nuclear weapons in their respective or collective security calculus; on the contrary, new doctrines and justifications have been developed", Singh said.

 

Incidentally, the minister was yesterday praised by his party for his deft handling of foreign affairs.

"NATO's new strategic concept, announced last year, ten years after the end of the cold war, goes to re-emphasising a need for the continued retention of nuclear weapons.

The nuclear weapon sharing arrangements within NATO also pose serious questions about compliance. Such developments are clear and continuing violations of the provisions of the NPT", Singh said and added: "This the NPT community has unable to discuss, let alone deal with."

After more than three decades, the nuclear weapon state NPT members have failed to be persuaded on any meaningful negotiations on global nuclear disarmament. They appear to claim a permanent special right to possess nuclear weapons and only for their exclusive security, Singh said.

"India is a nuclear weapon state. Though not a party to the NPT, India's policies have been consistent with the key provisions of NPT that apply to nuclear weapon states", he said. Refering to India's "impeccable" record on non-proliferation, Singh said India's exports of nuclear material and related equipment have always been under safeguards. As far as comitment to global nuclear disarmament was concerned, India is the only nuclear weapon state that remains committed to commencing negotiations for a Nuclear Weapon Convention, in order to bring about a nuclear-weapon-free-world.

After the Pokharan tests in May 1998, India has declared to have only a minimum credible nuclear deterrance and not to engage in an arms race. The role of India's nuclear weapons is defensive; accordingly, India has announced a policy of no-first-use and non-use against non-nuclear-weapon states.

"In fact, this meets the demand of unqualified negative secuirty assurances, raised by the large majority of non-nuclear weapon states to ensure their security", he said.

Calling upon the NPT community to understand that India could not join NPT as a non-nuclear state, Singh said that statements by NPT states parties about India rolling back its nuclear programme "are mere diversions to prevent focussed attention on the basic goals of the NPT".

The minister called upon the nuclear weapon states to commit themselves, like India, for not using nuclear weapons against non-nuclear weapon states.

They should also make a comitment not to deploy nuclear weapons outside their own national territories, lower the alert status and eliminate tactical weapons that lend themselves to war fighting roles.

Singh declared that India "will continue continue to take initiatives and work with like-minded countries to bring about stable, genuine and lasting non-proliferation, thus leading to a nuclear-weapon-free world".