Silence Of The Lambs

THAT the five nuclear tests at Pokhran have temporarily silenced the Opposition needs no elaboration. In one voice, parties across the board have said they "hail the efforts of our scientists". No party or Opposition grouping has dared to go against the tide of national fervour and question the nature of the security threat that led the BJP government to exercise the nuclear option, kept so long in abeyance. Though in private Opposition leaders point out that the tests may have been hurriedly conducted to give a shot of adrenalin to the BJP, they admit that it is too early to raise questions and run the risk of being dubbed anti-national.

Only the Left parties (see box), after making tentative statements, have finally come out strongly against the tests. But they too kicked off the bomb week by issuing a statement praising the scientific achievement. And all efforts to get the DMK to react proved to be in vain. According to DMK leaders, the party was not keen to invite public wrath.

The TMC, however, chose to question the BJP’s intentions and the timing of the tests. Said party chief G.K. Moopanar: "I apprehend that the BJP government is trying to divert the attention of the people from the disenchantment with its inefficiency. While I congratulate the scientists for the tests, I am also worried about its possible consequences. I appeal to all concerned not to push the country into long-term difficulties for short-term political gains."

The single largest Opposition party, the Congress, has chosen to hold back its fire. Initially it raised questions through Natwar Singh, who heads its external affairs cell, about the haste in conducting the tests; but later it decided to water down its criticism. The CWC, which met on May 14, lauded the achievement and a Sonia Gandhi-backed resolution expressed the party’s support for the tests. Congress spokespersons reiterated they did not view national security in a partisan manner.

Even Arjun Singh seemed confident that the tests were only aimed at enhancing the security preparedness of the country. Said he: "The explosions are not a political issue and the BJP cannot use the nuclear tests to expand its political base." Not every Congressman would agree with this view. There is one school of thought that once the initial enthusiasm dies down then the party would have to raise some questions about the wisdom of conducting the tests.

The dilemma before Congressmen is that successive Congress governments have supported and allocated the funds for nuclear research and it is now impossible to direct the blame on the BJP alone. According to a senior party leader, the CWC meeting had gone into the various aspects of the tests and the conclusion was that the Congress could not immediately question the nuclear programme which it had initiated.

But the party hopes to raise questions in time. Says Salman Khurshid, former minister of state for external affairs: "We don’t want to appear spoilsports who are denying the scientists their moment of glory. But we will be examining whether the decision to conduct the tests was an informed one. Also, the overall impact of the tests on the country’s future and the economy will have to be looked into. But that will come later."

The reaction of the Janata Dal and the Samajwadi Party have been along predictable, cautionary lines. In some quarters, it is even being argued that the BJP made the most of a dynamic opportunity while previous governments failed to reap political capital.

One senior Dal leader pointed out to Outlook that the Opposition parties are failing to react because "everyone is confused". He says there is no doubt in anyone’s mind that the BJP’s decision was political and that the Vajpayee government had gained from it. However, no one seemd to be in a mood to oppose the tests.

A section of Congressmen not only wants the party to hail the tests but would like to go to great lengths to highlight the fact that it was four decades of support to the nuclear programme by the Congress which culminated in the five blasts at Pokhran. Says a senior Congress leader: "The BJP government has completed only two months in office and is claiming the nuclear tests are of its own making. It is time the Congress takes credit for the tests."

 However, Khurshid feels that it is not time for blowing one’s trumpet. Says he: "It is not for the Congress as a party to make the claim. It is for the BJP to recognise the fact that the Congress has had a great contribution in initiating and promoting nuclear research. We will not say it. But can they deny it?"

At the political level, no one seems to be weighing the future ramifications of India joining the nuclear superpower club. Very few leaders talk about the huge budgetary allocations which will be necessary now that India has decided to go in for a nuclear weaponisation programme. The impact of the sanctions on the economy seems to be the last thing on the minds of most politicians.

At the moment, the tests are being evaluated purely in terms of its populist appeal. The fallout of economic sanctions and initiation a nuclear arms race seem to the last thing on politicians’ minds. This is perhaps why some Congress and UF leaders regret their governments did not cash in on the appeal of the bomb.