Against Sanjeev Sirohi No person in right senses will ever argue that total nuclear disarmaSanjeev Sirohi ment

is a realistic possibility. The plain simple truth is that total nuclear disarmament can never occur because all those countries which possess nuclear weapons will never agree to destroy them. Moreover, we all are well aware that United Nations which is a globally recognised international body which can take such decisions is itself dominated by the Big Five namely America, Russia, China, England and France. No big decision can ever be taken without their concurrence. Will they ever concur to it ? It does not require satellite imagery to answer this. They all are armed with nuclear

weapons and are permanent members of the Security Council which is the final decision taking body. If even one permanent member puts its foot down, there can be no progress ahead. Who does not know that these Big Five countries especially the US, the UK, China and to certain extent Russia and France also have themselves been the biggest violators in spreading nuclear technology to other countries in lure of gaining quick heavy money of which we cannot be oblivious. Moreover, who does not know that China has most blatantly violated all norms in equipping Pakistan, Iran, North Korea and many other countries with nuclear weapons ? The irony further is that these very countries keep preaching about disarmament to gain accolades only to forget everything when it comes to action. So how can they be taken seriously ? They cannot be trusted anymore. Personally, I too favour total nuclear disarmament. But practically I know that this can never be feasible.

Are we not aware that global treaties like Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) and others openly discriminate between Big 5 who are permanent members of the Security Council and others ? While it enjoins the nonnuclear countries and countries other than Big 5 to disarm, it casts no obligation on the Big 5 to disarm which clearly depicts the double standards. India, our nation too is the biggest votary of total disarmament and has been forthright enough to take the proper stand that as long as all countries don't disarm, one cannot expect from India to disarm by showing magnanimity. India is surrounded by hostile neighbours like Pakistan and China who are both having nuclear weapons and have fought wars with us in the past. We all ever since 1945 when the UN came first into existence have been aware of its track record. Big 5 have always followed double standards. While they themselves kept on piling more and more nuclear weapons by testing them time and

again but simultaneously always took great pains to emphasise the urgency of disarmament in the world. The USA and the UK always pressurise India to engage in talks with Pakistan despite being fully aware that several dreaded terror outfits are receiving open patronage there who have been involved in umpteen number of terror attacks on India not sparing even Parliament. But they themselves have no qualms in openly attacking sovereign countries like Iraq and Afghanistan and butchering millions of people. So right is might has become the international norm to which India obviously should never be oblivious of. Fortunately it is not. Those who advocate total nuclear disarmament ignore the ground reality and speak like pious saints expecting that this is possible. We all know that the Big 5 nations have thousands of nuclear bombs and even if they agree for a moment to destroy

all of them, do you think it is so easy and practically possible. Certainly not. So let's not run away from the ground reality and stay firm on our present stated position that under no circumstances will India ever agree to disarm as long as all the nations agree unitedly to do so on a uniform basis. India has also rightly declared its stated position of no first use which is exemplary and which all other nations of the world must emulate instead of wasting precious time in fruitless and senseless gossip of total nuclear disarmament which can never be possible in future. This we say with firm conviction but we do pray that we may prove to be wrong and good sense prevail on all nations to go in for total nuclear disarmament without any exception anywhere in world. A cumbersome task indeed given the trackrecord of Big 5 which have themselves been the worst violators in spreading nuclear weapons to other countries.

We too are most concerned by the growing craze among many countries to acquire nuclear weapons somehow to display brazen strength to those countries with whom they are not on good terms. This only further increases the chance of nuclear bombs falling in the hands of terrorists and if it actually happens, it is humanity which will be worst hit. Most unfortunately, not much is being done to check this dangerous menace which has only served in magnifying the danger further and obviously its implications will be detrimental to human lives cutting across boundaries of nations. India has here also voiced its genuine concerns time and again but scant attention has been paid to it.