NARAYANAN 2

"The thermonuclear device had a yield of 45 kilotons. I
have chosen my words carefully -- 45 kilotons and nobody,
including Mr Santhanam who has absolutely no idea what he is
talking about, can contest what is proven fact by the data
which is there," Narayanan said.

The NSA claimed that a "very authoritative piece" about
the nature of the tests written by AEC Chairman Anil Kakodkar
and senior scientist S K Sikka was being "examined by
physicists all over the world."

Narayanan said that former AEC chairman P K Iyengar had
admitted that the yield of the thermoculear test "might have
been 45 kilotons and had raised doubts on the fission and
fusion reactions happening at the same time.

"All the atomic scientists are part of the establishment.
Those who are sceptics, the same ones Dr Iyengar, Dr A N
Prasad, the same ones were sceptical about the civil nuclear
initiative," he said.

Narayanan said Santhanam was not privy to the information
on which the test measurements were taken. "As the NSA, I know
what the DRDO is supposed to do and what it knows. I think he
is not merely exaggerating, I think he is talking something
which is horrific," he said.

He said there was no need for a public debate on the
issue as it required to have a clear idea of the explosive
ballistics, neutron physics, material sciences and computer
simulation.

Asked about the doubt former Army Chief V P Malik had
raised about the efficacy of the hydrogen bomb, the NSA said
"I think the person to answer that is the present chief and
not the past chief on this matter." (More) PTI