The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : India should retain its nuclear capability, says expert

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Dec 14, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

India should retain its nuclear capability, says expert

Special Correspondent

"However, the country should not be the first to use it"

CHENNAI: The former Foreign Secretary, A.P.Venkateswaran, said on Tuesday that India should retain its nuclear capability.

However, the country should never be the first to use it. It should be a deterrent to any other nuclear power which threatened India, he said in his keynote address at a two-day symposium on "The regional security order in South Asia: Issues of debate", organised by the Department of International Studies of Stella Maris College here.

He said one of the most important things India did was becoming a nuclear power. However, when it achieved that status, the country was seized with doubts, and they still remained. The country's population had to be protected against any threat by a nuclear power.

China's advantage

Explaining the role of the two biggest countries, India and China, Mr. Venkateswaran, drawing from his own experience as an Indian Foreign Service officer, said China's greatest advantage was that the people there believed in themselves.

"We, unfortunately, believe in others." Also, unlike China, Indians never tried to implement their thoughts. China had got over many of its problems. The country had become economically strong, and it had a huge army compared with India.

"We should at least be the number two power." Annamma Philip, Principal, said the symposium would examine the issues relating to the systemic, functional aspects of conflict and the prospects for cooperation in the region.

Priya Suresh, Head (in charge), Department of International Studies, said the programme would address issues of relevance to South Asian countries.

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