Pokhran-II not full success: top scientist, Govt puzzled

New Delhi, Aug 27 (PTI) A top scientist involved in 1998
atomic tests fuelled a controversy when he suggested Pokhran-
II was not a full success but his claim had few takers in the
Government and the nuclear establishment which dismissed it as
absurd and puzzling.

After he dropped the bombshell, K Santhanam, the Defence
Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) representative
for the tests conducted when Atal Behari Vajpayee was the
prime minister, said there was no question about backing away
from his assertion that the 1998 atomic tests did not achieve
the desired results.
"Somebody has made a statement. I was puzzled by the
statement. If you are not puzzled, you are a genius," Home
Minister of India P Chidambaram told reporters when asked to
comment on Santhanam's claim.
"The government will find out (the statement's veracity),"
he said indicating he found little merit in the claim.

But R Chidambaram, who was the Chairman of the Department
of Atomic Energy in 1998, was quick to dub the suggestion as
"absurd".

"There is no controversy over the yield of Pokhran-II
nuclear tests. The claims are absurd," Chidambaram, the
current Principal Scientific Adviser to the Union Government,
told PTI.

Santhanam's version was also contested by Brajesh
Mishra, National Security Advisor in the Vajpayee government,
who said Chidambaram had reported to him on May 13, 1998 that
all parameters had been met in the five tests carried out and
there was no need to undertake a sixth one.
"It was clear to us that the thermonuclear as also the
nuclear tests have been successful," Mishra said.

Navy Chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta said India's nuclear
deterrence capabilities were "proven and capable enough".
(MORE) PTI TEAM

According to Santhanam , the first and most powerful of
the three tests conducted on May 11 in 1998--thermonuclear or
hydrogen bomb--was a 'fizzle' and of low yield and not the one
that would meet the country's strategic objectives. Vajpayee
had acknowledged that India has tested a "big" bomb.

In Santhanam's view, India needed to conduct more atomic
tests and should not rush to sign the controversial Nuclear
test ban treaty (CTBT).

Santhanam stuck to his position that the yield of the
atomic tests was "lower" than what was claimed indicating
certainly the need to refine the designs in order that the
country has "assured performance" from the thermonuclear
designs.

Admiral Sureesh Mehta said, "As far we are concerned, we
go by the views of the scientists. They have given us certain
capability and that is capable enough to provide deterrence
and they are proven."

Santhanam has contended that the international
seismological community had made measurements and come to the
conclusion that the yield from the device was below what was
claimed by India.

He said no country in the world has ever managed to get
its thermonuclear weapon right in just one test.

"I believe in the option that if the opportunity comes
we should conduct another test. That has been my stand...I
have made it very clear for years," he said.

Santhanam got some support from fellow nuclear scientist
Subramaniam who said "there was something wrong with the
seismic signals which seemed pretty weak to me then...so I
would tend to agree with Santhanam".

Gopalakrishnan, another senior nuclear scientist, claimed
that it was P K Iyengar, a key player in developing the
nuclear device, who had first raised doubts. PTI TEAM
SDE


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Meanwhile, one of the persons who was to host Singh in
Pakistan for a visit scheduled for this week on Thursday
claimed the former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader was
unable to make the trip as he had been denied security
clearance by the Indian government.
Muhammad Yusuf, who was coordinating with Singh on behalf
of a leading book store, said he had spoken yesterday to the
former External Affairs Minister, who told him that he would
be unable to come to Pakistan this week.
"He was denied security clearance by the Indian
government. He will visit Pakistan at a later date," Yusuf
said, adding that Singh had even been issued a visa by
Pakistan for the proposed visit.
Other persons involved in organising Singh's visit too
claimed the Indian government had blocked his trip by refusing
to issue a "no-objection certificate." They insisted that all
preparations had been completed for Singh's visit. PTI RHL
SDE


The information contained in this electronic message and any attachments to this
message are intended for the exclusive
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