The Hindu : 'India, Pakistan should reduce nuclear arsenal'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jan 14, 2004

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'India, Pakistan should reduce nuclear arsenal'

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, JAN. 13 . India and Pakistan should start efforts to bring down their nuclear arsenal. By demonstrating this as part of their peace efforts, the two countries can make huge contributions towards reduction of nuclear arms worldwide, according to a well-known Australian peace activist, John Hallam, campaigner for Friends of the Earth.

Addressing an interaction session organised at the Chennai Press Club, Mr. Hallam regretted that in the current talks between India and Pakistan, there was no mention about nuclear weapons, especially in the context that these were two nuclear power States living closest to each other.

Although he welcomed the rapprochement, Mr. Hallam said he was doubtful over the sustainability of the efforts.

"I would rather see (Indian Prime Minister) Atal Bihari Vajpayee hugging (the Pakistan President) Musharraf than the two countries confronting and sabre rattling each other, or one threatening the other. But at the same time, how many times have we seen such peace efforts being followed by a round of confrontation, again peace and again confrontation and so on ... " he added.

In 2000-01, the two countries were on the brink of war as a million troops stood confronting each other for several months. If the situation had continued, there was certainly a possibility of border crossing by one side.

"Any such entry by the troops would first have attempted at seizing the other's nuclear arsenal. And that could precisely have led to a nuclear exchange."

He hoped that India and Pakistan start talking about nuclear de-weaponisation and this would be a huge contribution to reduce nuclear arsenal worldwide.

Asked about the debate over citizens' right to information about nuclear installations and their safety, Mr. Hallam said that in every country, aspects about details of the nuclear power stations, their safety measures ought to be compulsorily in the public domain. But in case of nuclear weapons, he was not sure if the safety aspects could be made public, as it could lead to providing information to the other side.

He felt that fears the world over about non-state players, including terrorist organisations laying their hands upon nuclear weapons, were real.

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