Nuclear Weapons and

Indias security

Structural Proliferation Incentives in the South Asian region

 Pakistan Nuclear threat:

Post 1998, after the Pokharan nuclear tests conducted by India where it
openly announced its nuclear weapons and range, Pakistan started to
concentrate more on their nuclear power to comparable range risking the
vast population and territory of India.
However the 1999 Kargil war didnt see the use of Nuclear Weapons.

Chinese Nuclear Threat:

The major concern for Indian is the Chinese missile sites in Tibet, which
target the major north Indian population with inter range ballistic missiles.
Although these sites remain unconfirmed at present, few experts believe
that China is in a position to attack India from other sites of Sichuan,
Qinghai and Yunan province.
It is a strategic imperative for India to acquire a nuclear power capability
to equal that of China, as suggested by Balance of Power theory, thereby
creating an equitable Asian and global balance of power system.

No other major threat from any other countries.

Russia is a strategic ally and supportive with technology. Nuclear Arsenal
of France and Britain are mainly irrelevant for India.

The diabolic enemy: elite

perception
of
IndoPakistani
relations
The origins of IndoPakistani antagonism

The clash between strong irredentist pressures in Pakistan and anti-irredentism in India towards the
territory of Kashmir and its geostrategic importance

Redefining IndoPakistani nuclear relations post Pokharan

Indias Pokharan test was a counter attack over Pakistans test flight of MRBS Ghauri. However Indias
triumph ended when Pakistan conducted five back to back nuclear tests signifying its nuclear
potential.

From Pokharan to Kargil

Unlike China with less conflicting interests Pakistan has intensions clearly defined against India
posing significant threat. The strategic circumstances were brought to the attention of Indias
strategic elite, suspecting Pakistand nuclear effectiveness.

Period of Consolidation
Although not physical war the blame game still continues. Indian President confirmed no-first-use
policy.
Experts believe India still strategically superior to Pakistan mainly because of large number of
armours and its vast size that parts of India will survive such attacks.

The China factor in Indias strategic

thinking
Indias foreign policy elite perceived IndoChinese relations as a natural
partnership of two major Third World countries. Despite several unresolved
questions on the exact border demarcation and sympathetic feelings among
Indian elites towards the Tibetian liberation movement, Nehru followed a
course of reconciliation with China that came to be known as HindiChini
Bhai Bhai.
The close cooperation between China and Pakistan, confirmed in 1963,
further increased Indias threat perception towards China and its feeling of
being surrounded by a hostile neighbourhood.
A nuclear dimension was added to SinoIndian hostilities when China
conducted its first nuclear test. The Chinese nuclear programme had been
initiated in 1955 and made rapid progress due to a large-scale Soviet
technology transfer, including a blueprint of a nuclear explosion device.