STORY OF NUCLEAR TEST AND KARGIL WAR
This chapter
deals with the happenings related to the first ever nuclear test in India and
the war of Kargil war. It was 11th May 1998, when prime minister
Atal Bihari Vajpayee reached seven race course road prime minister’s residence
and on that day a huge blast happened. On 13th May 1998 two more
nuclear test conducted by India. In total five nuclear explosion conducted
undergrounded. After that it was announced that the explosion of all the
nuclear tests were successful. A press conference was organised where the
member of the nuclear scientist addressed the media regarding the tests and the
power of explosions. Indian was going to test atomic bomb; it was not in
knowledge of any country throughout the globe. America was not in support that
India should test nuclear bomb. America, Great Britain, Russ, China, France
expect these countries America and its supporters were not allowing other
countries to go for nuclear test. If any country was going for atomic bomb
test, then America and its supporters were taking strict action against the
country which was going for nuclear test. But Atal Bihari Vajpayee Led NDA
government successfully tested the atomic bombs and announced India as a
nuclear weapon nation like other before. Who benefited the most? Was it the
nation India or the government of Atal Bihari Vajpayee? To understand the
thing, we need to go back to the days of Jawaharlal Nehru government. India
step to the field of nuclear science under the leadership of Jawaharlal Nehru.
Just after eight months of independence India passed atomic energy act and with
that act Indian Atomic Energy Commission was formed. According to the writer of
the book titled Weapons of Peace, Raj Chengappa that Jawaharlal Nehru wanted
India should develop the knowledge of making Nuclear bomb. Dr. Homi Jahangir
Bhaba for the first time stepped in the field of nuclear energy in the year
1945. Under the active leadership of Dr. Homi Jahangir Bhaba Tata Institute of
Fundamental Research was established in the year 1945. Next step was taken in
the year 1954, when the government stepped into Nuclear energy, in that same
year department of atomic energy was formed and Dr. Homi Jahangir Bhaba became
the secretary of that department. Then process of developing the capability of
making an atomic bomb was started under the supervision of Dr. Homi Jahangir
Bhaba. In the year 1962 the war against Chin happened and in which India lost
to Chin in a very miserable manner. And after two year to that war, Chin
declared before the whole world that it as a nuclear nation. After that
announcement of Chin all the party in India demanded before the government that
India should also make atomic bomb. After the demise of Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal
Bahadur Shastri became the next prime minister and he was not interested to
make atomic bomb. So there was bitter relationship between Dr. Homi Jahangir
Bhaba and Lal Bahadur Shastri. At that time Dr. Homi Jahangir Bhaba declared that India can make the atomic bomb
within just 18 months and he had delivered a speech to the public of India
through AIR. All the opposition leaders were in favour of nuclear test and
finally, prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri agreed to develop the capability
making an atomic bomb. After the war against Pakistan in the year 1965 Lal
Bahadur Shastri left his last Breath and in the same year Dr. Homi Jahangir
Bhaba also died due to a plane accident. Then Smt. Indira Gandhi became the
next prime minister of India and Dr. Vikram Sarabhai Became the next secretary
of department of atomic energy. He was not in favour of making the atomic bomb.
At initial phases of Indira Gandhi government, she was influenced by Dr. Vikram
Sarabhai but after the war against Pakistan in the year 1971, she realised that
India should become a nuclear nation. So on 7th September 1972 India
Gandhi visited Bhava Atomic Research Centre and where she was shown a wood
replica of an atomic bomb. And after two years, India tested its first ever
nuclear test at Pokhran in Rajasthan. 18th May 1974, Indira Gandhi
led government conducted the first nuclear test and her government gave a
peaceful message to the world that India just conducted this nuclear test just
for test purpose, it has nothing to do with atomic bomb. Then next big step in
terms of nuclear energy taken by PV Narasimha Rao government. he wanted to test
the nuclear bomb and he instructed the scientists to be ready for the test but
not go for test without the supervision of government. when the preparation
came to an end, the dates of the general election have already been declared,
so it was on the next government to go for the nuclear test or to postpone it.
Then Atal Bihari Vajpayee came into power but only for thirteen days. And more
strangely his government took the decision of testing atomic bomb within just
two days but just after 12 days his government lost its majority and dissolved.
For the second time on 18th March 1998 Atal Bihari Vajpayee became
the prime minister yet again. before his oath he visited APJ Abdul Kalam and
secretary of department of atomic energy to discuss over the status of nuclear
test. Then 11th May of 1998 was final as the date of test and this
operation was named as Operation Shakti. It was happening to be one such
decision which could change the position of India at the international arena.
APJ Abdul Kalam and R Chidambaram were the coordinators of the operation
Shakti. The decision of nuclear test was taken by Atal Bihari Vajpayee when he
was the prime minister of India through NDA and which was a government of
coalition of 13 different parties. There were other senior leaders from the NDA
government, who were aware of the decision of nuclear test and they were like
LK Advani, Yashwant Sinha, George Fernandez, Yashwant Singh, Pramod Mahajan
etc. Dr. Santanam was made the chief of site preparation at Pokhran. Everything
was done during night to stay away from the satellites of America. After
getting the green signal everything was started in a very careful and
responsible manner. It was totally a secret plan and everything was kept secret
from everyone’s eyes. The scientists were coming to the field in army dress and
everyone was associated with the code words. With the active help from the 58th
regiment of Indian army by 10th of May 1998 all the preparation came to an end
and everyone was looking forward for the tests. Finally, on 11th May
1998 the nuclear test has been conducted and two more also conducted on 13th
May 1998 as well. and most importantly each test was successfully conducted.
After that government of India declared no to test any more nuclear test and
pass no first use policy that India will never use the nuclear bomb firstly on
any enemy nation. But America took this nuclear test of India as big challenge.
During that Bill Clinton was president of America and he was quite angry on
India’s move towards nuclear test and he imposed few restrictions on India. On
the other side Pakistan also conducted six nuclear test as well on 28th
May 1998. On the eyes of America and other European countries India started a
race of nuclear test, so America and China passed a resolution against India in
UNO, where the issues of Kashmir also got placed. That means the internationalisation
of Kashmir, which India was in against, during that time that issues were on
the international platform. During that time the relations between India and
Pakistan was under ambiguous. but suddenly situation changed 15th
September 1998 both the prime minister of India and Pakistan met each other in
New York. And in that meeting the proposal of bus service from Delhi to Lahore
was passed. Next year in February Atal
Bihari Vajpayee visited to Pakistan through the Delhi-Lahore bus service. He
got warm welcome from his counterpart of Pakistan of that time Nawaz Sarif,
both leaders were in favour of new start in the Indo-Pak relations. But in near
future the things are going to change and it was unknown to both the leaders of
the states. And an expected thing happened to India from Pakistan side that 200
army soldiers of Pakistan captured 140 stations of Indian army in Kashmir. The
army depot of India in Kashmiri which was captured by Pakistan army, India use
vacant during the winter season and use to regain it during summer. The plan
was made by four army personnel of Pakistan to enter and capture the army depot
of India in Kashmiri. Their plan was to capture the Kargil of Kashmir. Pervez
Musharraf was one of the most important conspirator of that plan. When Pervez
Musharraf became the army chief of Pakistan by that time both countries have
successfully tested their nuclear bombs. The plan was very much clear for
Pakistan that to send their army troops to Indian boarder and when will open
their second front to fight with Pakistan, then Pakistan will challenge India
through nuclear power. India firstly became aware of all this plan by 3rd
May 1999. Kargil war was going to be the fourth war between India and Pakistan
for Kashmir. But strange thing is that till 19th May 1999Indian army
was unaware of that thing. At first Indian army was assuming that there would
be infiltrators in Kargil but they were unaware of the fact that they are going
to fight with the Pakistan Army. On the other side Pakistan was claiming they
have nothing to do with the infiltrators, but the situation was getting more
sensitive day by day. So finally, on 24th May 1999, a meeting was
held among the members of Cabinet Committee on Security(CCS) and in that meeting
a serious and important decision was taken that India should anyway boycott
Pakistan army from Kargil. If India would open a new front towards Pakistan,
then it would have been an open war between two nuclear nation. Then it was
decided from the meeting amongst the member of CCS that Indian army will take
action against the Pakistan army but not by crossing LOC and international
border. Indian government also gave the order to Indian air force that not to
cross LOC. Then the operation stated away and it is named after Safed Sagar. It
was for the first time after 1972 that fighter jet were used for the war. Then
Indian air force changed their approached and they did one of the most
difficult task has ever done by any air force that Indian air force were targeting
Pakistani jets from the heights approximately of 13000 to 18000 ft. then
situation for Pakistan army became very much hard and India showcased the prove
to the international media that Pakistan army is directly involved in this war.
The people of India were getting pictures and videos of Kargil war through
television and every day the seniors officials of Indian army were briefing the
media about the status of the Kargil war. In between the Kargil war, it was for
the first in the history that the dead bodies of the martyrs were taken to
their native and that is why the war of Kargil reached to every nook and corner
of India and it was great decision of the government. then Pakistan was totally
in trouble with the reaction of India and then they gave a proposal to go for
peace talk. Prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee gave reply in form of an
address to the nation that we are ready to go for talk but there must be a definite
and specific purpose. During that time on 11th June 1999 a big announcement
was made that the ministry of external affairs of India called a press
conference, where the minister Yashwant Singh played a radio tape in which
Pervez Mushraff was talking to Mohd. Ajij from Beijing, Chin. Then it was clear
that first Musharraf and then Nawaz Sarif went to Chin to get help. After Nawaz
Sarif’s visit to Chin, Pakistan was seeking help from America and in return
America suggested to focus on Lahore peace talk and then Bill Clinton called
Atal Bihari Vajpayee to discuss about the current status of the Kargil war.
While Pakistan was not willing to avoid the defeat of Kargil war and they were
need of America’s help but America made the things clear that until and unless
Pakistan to step back to their land there will no help from America’s side. But
suddenly on 4th June 1999
Nawaz Sarif went to America to meet president Bill Clinton and at the initial
phase the meeting president Bill Clinton presented few images to Sarif and
which was of Pakistani army moving the nuclear weapons from one place to another
without the permission from Sarif. The meeting went on for some hours and then
it was finalised that Pakistan will stepped down to their soil without any
condition and it was in favour of India. In the year 2010 Pakistan admitted
that they have lost the lives of 453 Pakistani soldiers, whereas Nawaz Sarif
claimed that the number was more than 4000 but by that time he had lost the
post of prime minister of Pakistan.
No comments:
Post a Comment