As India begins yet another round of talks on nuclear confidence building measures CBMs with Pakistan this weekend, the focus must be on f...
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As India begins yet another round of talks on nuclear confidence building measures CBMs with Pakistan this weekend, the focus must be on finalising agreements already under negotiation and putting new ones on the table. Having unveiled a road map towards civilian nuclear energy cooperation with the US, the government must now focus sharply on expanding the regime of nuclear CBMs with Pakistan.
Historically, two major challenges confronted India8217;s nuclear diplomacy. One was to end its anomalous status vis-a-vis the global nuclear order. And the other was to construct nuclear stability with Pakistan. The first objective is now on track, thanks to the prime minister8217;s successful nuclear negotiations in Washington last month. But the implementation of the nuclear road map with the US also demands an energetic pursuit of the second. The linkage between the two is not formal but political. The fundamental premise of the Indo-US nuclear pact, signed on July 18, was the recognition by the US that India was a 8220;responsible8221; nuclear weapon power. But this responsibility is not limited to having a sensible policy on preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. It also includes a prudent management of the nuclear relationship with Pakistan.
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Although it was India which took the initiative to propose a practical regime of nuclear confidence-building, first during the Lahore summit of February 1999 and then again last year, the government has allowed the CBM talks with Pakistan to flag in recent months. Pakistan must surely be expected to slow down the process as it continues to peddle the so-called 8220;strategic restraint regime8221; that throws everything from nuclear weapons to conventional arms control and the Kashmir question into one propaganda pot. India, instead, must be remain riveted to the goal of clinching simple, yet useful, nuclear CBMs. Finalising the agreement on prior notification of ballistic missiles is one such. While Pakistan has sought to expand the agreement to include the launch of Cruise missiles, India has trapped itself into demanding too many technical details on ballistic missile launches from Pakistan. This approach is unproductive. The political mandate to the Indian nuclear negotiators this week must be simple enough: get on with it.
