Nehru and India’s Nuclear Weapons Policy, 1947–1964
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Abstract
On September 15, 2013, the Indian government announced that it successfully tested ‘Agni 5’ for a second time. What are the motives behind ‘Agni 5,’ India’s most advanced nuclear-capable missile since India first tested ‘Prithvi’ in 1988? Though the official statement of India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation does not mention China even once, analysts hastily concluded that ‘Agni 5’ was needed to match India’s military capability to that of China in line with the deterrence theory. This conclusion is not entirely correct. India has been intent on developing nuclear weapons even before the Chinese revolution in 1949 or the China–India war in 1962. The principal factor underlying India’s nuclear policy is its aspiration to be a great power. Indian leaders saw nuclear technology as a source of both energy and armaments that would rebuild India’s dignity on the world stage after the damage done by British colonialism for nearly two centuries. Therefore, the China factor serves only as additional ‘legitimacy’ for India to possess nuclear weapons. This article explains the development of nuclear weapons policy from 1947 when India gained independence and Jawaharlal Nehru became the first Prime Minister until 1964 when Nehru died. During these nearly two decades, India had no nuclear weapons and its nuclear weapons policy remained obscure, yet the period is vital for comprehending not only the birth of India’s nuclear weapons policy but also its nuclear behavior in the future. This article situates Nehru’s policy decisions on this issue within the context of domestic and international politics during the period.
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