The Hindu : National : Korean nuclear test unfortunate, says CPI (M)

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Friday, Oct 13, 2006
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Korean nuclear test unfortunate, says CPI (M)

Special Correspondent

`U.S. created deep sense of insecurity'

NEW DELHI: Describing Pyongyang's nuclear test as an "unfortunate act," the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) held the U.S. "singularly responsible" for creating a deep sense of insecurity, resulting in North Korea performing the test.

"While deploring this destabilising act, it is important to understand the context and background which led North Korea to take this step," an editorial in the latest edition of the party organ, People's Democracy, said.

It said the situation worsened after President George Bush assumed office and instead of working to implement the 1994 Agreed Framework Accord to replace the North Korean nuclear graphite reactors with light-water reactors, the Bush administration had annulled it unilaterally in 2001. Also, the "neo-conservatives" in power condemned North Korea as part of the "axis of evil."

To protect sovereignty

The CPI (M) pointed out that the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) Government claimed it was arming itself with a nuclear deterrent to protect its sovereignty and to possess a "powerful self-reliant defence capability."

The editorial claimed the four-decade-old "flawed and iniquitous arrangement" of an unequal world order by the nuclear `haves' led to the collapse of non-proliferation. "Further, the U.S.' aggressiveness, as is being seen in the continued military occupation of Iraq and its declaration of some countries, including Iran and North Korea, as constituting the axis of evil, is forcing many countries to take a position that the only way to protect themselves from unilateral U.S. aggression is by acquiring nuclear weapons... U.S. imperialism is, thus, creating a world of more nuclear weapons and more nuclear powers. The only way to stop this menace is to move to a nuclear weapon-free world. There is no other way."

Referring to India condemning the test on the grounds that it was against nuclear proliferation and creation of another nuclear weapons state, it cited the worldwide condemnation of India's Pokhran tests in 1998. "After declaring itself a nuclear weapons state, India's stand that other countries should not acquire nuclear weapons does not carry much conviction. Likewise, if Israel can stockpile 200-plus nuclear weapons, how can India argue against Iran exercising its legitimate right as the signatory of the NPT to conduct uranium enrichment?"

`Press for disarmament'

"Under these circumstances, it will make more sense if the Indian Government boldly decides to negotiate and press for a nuclear disarmament agenda and commits to roll back its own nuclear weapons programme," the editorial said.

On denuclearising the Korean peninsula, it said it would have to be pursued by means other than sanctions, for which the six-nation forum was the best possible avenue.

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