49 yrs ago, the Buddha had ‘finally smiled’: A lowdown on India’s first nuke test

Operation Smiling Buddha was touted as a "peaceful nuclear explosion" with "few military implications," possibly in an attempt to allay the uneasiness of the international community.

By: Express Web Desk

New Delhi | May 18, 2023 01:26 PM IST

3 min read

India conducted its first nuclear test on May 18, 1974, under the leadership of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. (Twitter/Congress)

It was 49 years ago from today when the Buddha ‘finally smiled’ in India – a message delivered, ironically, after the country performed its first nuclear test.

Operation Smiling Buddha was touted as a “peaceful nuclear explosion” with “few military implications,” possibly in an attempt to allay the uneasiness of the international community.

What happened in the test?: Operation Smiling Buddha, or Pokhran-I, was conducted at Rajasthan’s Pokhran test site on May 18, 1974, establishing India as a nuclear power. A nuclear device was detonated, with a yield of 12-13 kiloton of TNT. “The Buddha has finally smiled,” Raja Ramanna, the then director of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), had conveyed to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi after the test’s success.

A view of the site at Pokhran, India’s underground nuclear test in Rajasthan. (Express archive photo)

The political context: Under the prime ministership of Indira Gandhi, India became the sixth country in the world to conduct a nuclear test, and the first nation outside of the United Nations Security Council’s permanent members to do so. The test came at a time when the economy was in bad shape and discontent against Gandhi’s government was growing, and helped fortify her strength.

The global fallout: There was near-universal condemnation of India’s nuclear advancement, with Canada imposing significant sanctions on India. The Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), a multi-nation export control body, was formed in reaction to India’s first nuke test.

What came next: After the 1974 tests, India conducted five tests – Pokhran-II – three on May 11 and two on May 13, 1998. The tests attracted the UN’s ire and American sanctions, amongst other international penalties.

49 years on, May 18 is celebrated as the anniversary of India’s ascension as a nuclear leader, while the anniversary of the Pokhran-II tests is celebrated as National Technology Day. Several Congress leaders marked the anniversary on Thursday, with party chief Mallikarjun Kharge hailing it as an example of “immense political courage.”

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