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India vows to continue all defence plans, including long-range missiles

Rajesh Ramachandran in New Delhi

India today reiterated that it will continue with ''all its defence-related programmes and will not succumb to any international pressure on this issue".

''All defence-related programmes, including the development of long-range ballistic missiles, will continue,'' the prime minister's political advisor, Pramod Mahajan, told newsmen in New Delhi today.

"We are not afraid of anyone. The Western world's reaction was as expected. The Western world should appreciate our security threat perception. But unfortunately, if they are imposing sanctions against us we would tackle it. India has an inherent strength to stand up to any threat," Mahajan said.

Justifying the two more sub-kilotonne underground nuclear tests today, Mahajan said, ''It showed our determination to adhere to the country's nuclear programme. We are not afraid of anybody and are ready to face the consequences, including sanctions by Western countries.''

He said Western countries should appreciate India's security perception but if they imposed sanctions, ''India has the inherent strength to stand up.''

The Bharatiya Janata Party-led government's confidence in facing up to the threat of economic sanctions stems from the fact that it has worked out the actual impact of the Western move before crossing the nuclear Rubicon.

Mahajan said Prime Minister A B Vajpayee held detailed discussions with Defence Minister George Fernandes, Home Minister L K Advani, Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha and senior bureaucrats on the fallout of the sanctions.

But he was not willing to elaborate how the country would tackle the sanctions, apart from saying that if the US took a stand against American investment in ongoing infrastructure projects, it would be its own businessmen who would be worse hit. Asked what the impact of sanctions on the economy would be, Mahajan said, ''I do not see any problem for US projects in India. It will be US investors who will be hit more by the sanctions.''

Meanwhile, BJP economists explain that the stoppage of aid and funding will not make much difference to the country. "The US aid is $100 million, which is peanuts," they say.

Air Commodore Jasjit Singh, director of India's premier defence think-tank, had told Rediff On The NeT immediately after the tests on Monday that "the most important thing is whether we display fear or not. If we say okay fine, we have done it and we are ready to pay the price we would have to fear less."

The government seems to have taken a leaf out of his book. Speaking for the prime minister, Mahajan told the media in unequivocal terms that the country does not live off American aid.

"We knew this was a very important decision and evaluated the fallout. But India stands on its feet. Aid and investment are welcome, but no country exits solely on aid and investment," Mahajan said.

Mahajan, defence minister in the 13-day BJP government in 1996, said his government's stand on the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty remains what the principal secretary to the prime minister, Brajesh Mishra, announced on Monday.

Mishra had offered to adhere to certain provisions of the CTBT after discussions, but the US had asked for unconditional acquiescence to the treaty.

The country now seems to be on the path to sign the treaty. But observers feel the government intends to open a dialogue from a position of strength.

Even the BJP's political opponents, like former prime minister Inder Kumar Gujral, had told Rediff On The NeT that India need sign the treaty only if it has acquired the technology for simulated tests.

Mahajan said the tests was not aimed at accelerating an arms race in the South Asian region.

''Conducting the tests was to provide an assurance to the people that their national security interests are paramount and are being protected,'' he said.

While expressing his government's willingness to adhere to some provisions of the CTBT, he said this could become possible only after holding discussions with a number of countries.

Replying to a volley of questions probing whether the tests were conducted to divert the attention of the people from the political crises being faced by the BJP-led government, he said it was ''absurd.''

''We are here for five years. This government will last its full term,'' he asserted.

Mahajan said no Congress leader had met Vajpayee today. However, they would meet the prime minister tomorrow to convey their views on nuclear tests.

He said the Congress had no justification in questioning the government on the timing of the tests. ''Let the Congress explain why they did it in 1974. Did they consult any Opposition leaders at that time?" he asked.

Additional reportage: UNI

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