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China, adopted the doctrine of No First Use in 1964, after it tested at Lop Nor, a commitment it has retained till today. However, BJP feels the need to change the doctrine of No First Use within 11 years of its declaration. Reasons are understandable as BJP leaders’ obsession with Pakistan reminds them that Pakistan has not made any such commitment and has been regularly adding tactical nuclear weapons and miniaturised nuclear-capable warheads, and it has targeted its nuclear deterrence solely against India. BJP wants to keep India at par with Pakistan, not China. employing nuclear weapons. This pledge was reiterated in the draft nuclear doctrine issued for public discussion in August 1999, and later incorporated into the decisions of the Cabinet Committee on Security promulgated in January 2003. However, according to analysts, what India has is actually a ‘draft nuclear doctrine’ and not one that is ‘cast in stone.’ The voluntary moratorium on testing and ‘No First Use’ pledge were offered to overcome the condemnation and sanctions imposed by the international community, so the doctrine remains a ‘work in progress.’ ‘It is a much better idea to keep the opponent guessing than to reveal all our cards,’ a senior official said, while commenting on the BJP’s manifesto.
India’s draft doctrine says: • While committed to the goal of a nuclear weapon free world, India, till the realisation of this goal, will possess nuclear weapons. • India will build and maintain a credible minimum deterrent. • India will not use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear weapon states. • India will not be the first to use nuclear weapons.
• But if it is attacked through nuclear weapons in its territory or on Indian forces anywhere, then its nuclear retaliation to a first strike will be massive and designed to inflict unacceptable damage to the aggressor. The No First Use pledge has gone through a lot of changes since it was first enunciated. The current version of ‘No First Use’ was outlined in April 2010 by National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon, who said that India's ‘No First Use’ pledge is only valid against non-nuclear weapon states. Therefore, Pakistan and China, and the other six nuclear weapons states, are excluded from what was originally a global Indian pledge. As Menon told the NDC, ‘The Indian nuclear doctrine also reflects the strategic culture, with its emphasis on minimal deterrence, no first use against non-nuclear weapon states and its direct linkage to nuclear disarmament.’ The allegations against the No First Use are that it is a pacifist, idealist, Gandhian strategy that has no role to play in the modern context. Since Pakistan has been regularly adding to its component of tactical nuclear weapons and
miniaturised nuclear-capable warheads, and since it has targeted its nuclear deterrence solely against India, the ‘practical’ argument for the more ‘muscular’ foreign policy is to amend the No First Use doctrine. After all, Pakistan has made no such commitment. The BJP’s emphasis, outlined in the manifesto, is on projecting a ‘muscular’ or ‘tough’ regional policy: ‘where required we will not hesitate from taking strong stand and steps’. Bravado is not a substitute for a comprehensive neighbourhood strategy. A year ago, the convener of the National Security Advisory Board, Shyam Saran, responding to questions on the development of small tactical nuclear weapons by Pakistan, said that India would not be the first to use nuclear weapons, but regardless of the size of the attack, Indian retaliation ‘will be massive and designed to inflict
Fearing the fallout of the aggressive nuclear stand the BJP spokespersons were quick to dispel misgiving generated after release of party manifesto so much so even Narendra Modi clarified in an interview that the nuclear doctrine would not be altered. unacceptable damage on the adversary.’ It would be prudent to recall that one of the reasons the Kargil conflict could not escalate was specifically because of India’s ‘no first use’ commitment. Also, China, which was the stated reason for India testing its nuclear arsenal in 1998, adopted the doctrine of No First Use in 1964, after it tested at Lop Nor, a commitment it has retained till today. But, any suggestions by the BJP for discarding the NFU must also, perforce, take into account the fact that abandoning the doctrine would place India on a par with Pakistan and not China.<
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