Dec 03 2014 : The Economic Times (Mumbai)
REASSESSING `NO-FIRST USE' POLICY - RSS Body Wants Govt to Revisit Nuke Doctrine
Ajmer Singh |
New Delhi: |
"The Narendra Modi government is working on a plan to revisit India's nuclear doctrine, and we are appreciative of our political leadership that is sensitized to this reality and heading in that direction," Indresh Kumar, RSS leader and chief patron of a Sangh-affiliated think-tank, has told ET.Last Saturday , Kumar was the chief speaker at a National Executive meeting of the Forum for Integrated Security (FINS) held in Chhattisgarh where it was proposed that India revisit its nuclear doctrine -essentially reassess its "no-first use" policy -besides adopting a `pro-active' approach on Chinese incursions.
When asked if he had any discussions with the PM and National Security Advisor on this subject, Indresh Kumar refused to comment, but he said nuclear power has to be used for welfare and world peace, it cannot be the sole prerogative of any superpower.
ET has accessed a booklet, meant for in-house circulation among FINS office-bearers. The preface by FINS President Lt Gen DB Shekatkar says that "the new government at the Centre needs to revisit the Nuclear Doctrine as has been mandated by the Doctrine itself, reconsider probable changes if necessary and strengthen the strategic and security infrastructure of the country ."
"Should we still remain captive to No First Use (NFU) commitment, what should be our response to our hostile neighbor, who possesses tactical nuclear weapons and whose declared philosophy and doctrine is that the nuclear bombsMissiles in possession of this neighbor is only against India? Should we wait for the first strike against us or do we need to formulate a doctrine and policy to prevent such strike at all costs?..We must remember that in 21st century philosophy of survival of fittest must be replaced by survival of fastest, unless we can preempt, we cannot survive," Lt Gen Shekatkar says in the preface.
In April, BJP in its manifesto had stated that it will "study in detail nuclear doctrine, and revise and update it, to make it relevant to challenges of current times...Maintain a credible minimum deterrent that is in tune with changing geostatic realities."
One of the participants at National Executive meeting, Pravesh Khanna, who is also general secretary of FINS (Delhi), confirmed the developments. "We have shortlisted eight issues and made special cells, which will be taken up with the government.These include a need to revisit nuclear doctrine, Indian defence programme, India-China relations, Naxal problem, ISIS, terror groups and its spread, maritime security , neighboring countries and foreign relations, we shall have inputs from scholars and defence experts and present it to the government," he told ET.
When asked if he had any discussions with the PM and National Security Advisor on this subject, Indresh Kumar refused to comment, but he said nuclear power has to be used for welfare and world peace, it cannot be the sole prerogative of any superpower.
ET has accessed a booklet, meant for in-house circulation among FINS office-bearers. The preface by FINS President Lt Gen DB Shekatkar says that "the new government at the Centre needs to revisit the Nuclear Doctrine as has been mandated by the Doctrine itself, reconsider probable changes if necessary and strengthen the strategic and security infrastructure of the country ."
"Should we still remain captive to No First Use (NFU) commitment, what should be our response to our hostile neighbor, who possesses tactical nuclear weapons and whose declared philosophy and doctrine is that the nuclear bombsMissiles in possession of this neighbor is only against India? Should we wait for the first strike against us or do we need to formulate a doctrine and policy to prevent such strike at all costs?..We must remember that in 21st century philosophy of survival of fittest must be replaced by survival of fastest, unless we can preempt, we cannot survive," Lt Gen Shekatkar says in the preface.
In April, BJP in its manifesto had stated that it will "study in detail nuclear doctrine, and revise and update it, to make it relevant to challenges of current times...Maintain a credible minimum deterrent that is in tune with changing geostatic realities."
One of the participants at National Executive meeting, Pravesh Khanna, who is also general secretary of FINS (Delhi), confirmed the developments. "We have shortlisted eight issues and made special cells, which will be taken up with the government.These include a need to revisit nuclear doctrine, Indian defence programme, India-China relations, Naxal problem, ISIS, terror groups and its spread, maritime security , neighboring countries and foreign relations, we shall have inputs from scholars and defence experts and present it to the government," he told ET.
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