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Focusing the debate on the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons: An Indian perspective

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 May 2016

Rajiv Nayan
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Abstract

The participation of nuclear India in the humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons conferences has generated curiosity in the global community. The world is bewildered to know that India simultaneously possesses nuclear weapons and participates in the humanitarian impact initiative. Even observers of the humanitarian impact movement often wonder what contribution India makes to the movement. Some historical insight into India's nuclear policy solves the puzzle. The humanitarian impact aspect of the nuclear debate has been an ingredient in India's policy because of India's strategic culture. The components of the Humanitarian Pledge are echoed in India's nuclear policy, and India maintains that a world without nuclear weapons will be more secure.

Type
Regional perspectives
Information
International Review of the Red Cross , Volume 97 , Issue 899: The human cost of nuclear weapons , September 2015 , pp. 815 - 830
Copyright
Copyright © icrc 2016 

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References

1 India, Israel, Pakistan and South Sudan never signed the treaty, and North Korea withdrew its membership after joining it.

2 The first conference was organized in Norway in March 2013, the second in Mexico in February 2014 and the third in Austria in December 2014. See Alexander Kmentt, “The Development of the International Initiative on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons and its Effect on the Nuclear Weapons Debate”, in this issue of the Review.

3 2010 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, Final Document, Vol. 1, NPT/CONF.2010/50, 2010, available at: www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=NPT/CONF.2010/50(VOL.I) (all internet references were accessed in December 2015).

4 For example, Preparatory Committee for the 2015 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, “Addressing the Humanitarian Consequences of Nuclear Weapons as the Foundation of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons in Oslo, Nayarit, Mexico and Vienna”, Working Paper, NPT/CONF.2015/PC.III/WP.30, 24 April 2014, available at www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=NPT/CONF.2015/PC.III/WP.30.

5 Council of Delegates of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, Resolution 1, 26 November 2011, available at: www.icrc.org/eng/resources/documents/resolution/council-delegates-resolution-1-2011.htm.

6 Global Zero, “Who We Are”, available at: www.globalzero.org/our-movement/who-we-are.

7 Pledge presented at the Vienna Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons by Austrian Deputy Foreign Minister Michael Linhart, 8–9 December 2014, available at: www.bmeia.gv.at/fileadmin/user_upload/Zentrale/Aussenpolitik/Abruestung/HINW14/HINW14_Austrian_Pledge.pdf.

8 Humanitarian Pledge, 9 December 2014, available at: www.bmeia.gv.at/fileadmin/user_upload/Zentrale/Aussenpolitik/Abruestung/HINW14/HINW14vienna_Pledge_Document.pdf.

9 Mahatma Gandhi, “Atom Bomb and Ahimsa”, Harijan, 7 July 1946, available at: http://meaindia.nic.in/cdgeneva/?pdf0604?000.

10 Ibid.

11 Jawaharlal Nehru, “Stand-Still Agreement”, Statement, Lok Sabha, 2 April 1954, available at: http://meaindia.nic.in/cdgeneva/?pdf0601?000.

12 Ibid.

13 Rajendra Prasad, “The Case for Unilateral Disarmament”, inaugural speech at the Anti-Nuclear Arms Convention, New Delhi, 16 June 1962, available at: http://meaindia.nic.in/cdgeneva/?pdf0597?000.

14 Ibid.

15 Ibid.

16 Rajiv Gandhi, “A World Free of Nuclear Weapons: An Action Plan”, address to the Third Special Session on Disarmament at the UN General Assembly, 9 June 1988, p. 3, available at: http://meaindia.nic.in/cdgeneva/?pdf0611?000.

17 Rajiv Gandhi, “Disarmament”, speech at the opening session of the Six-Nation Five-Continent Peace Initiative, 21 January 1988, available at: http://meaindia.nic.in/cdgeneva/?pdf0588?000.

18 Humanitarian Pledge, above note 8.

19 Remarks by Special Envoy of Prime Minister Shri Shyam Saran at the Global Zero Summit, 3 February 2010, available at: http://mea.gov.in/Speeches-Statements.htm?dtl/448/Remarks+by+Special+Envoy+of+Prime+Minister+Shri+Shyam+Saran+at+the+Global+Zero+Summit.

20 Charter of the United Nations, 1 UNTS XVI, 24 October 1945, Preamble, available at: www.un.org/en/sections/un-charter/preamble/index.html.

21 Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, 1037 UNTS 151, 16 November 1972 (entered into force 17 December 1975), available at: http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=13055&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html.

22 United Nations Millennium Declaration, UNGA Res. 55/2, 8 September 2000, available at: www.un.org/millennium/declaration/ares552e.htm.

23 Suhel Ajaz Khan, India's Statement at the Vienna Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons, 8–9 December 2014, available at: http://meaindia.nic.in/cdgeneva/?3815?000.

24 ICJ, Legality of the Threat or Use of Nuclear Weapons, Advisory Opinion, 8 July 1996, ICJ Reports 1996.

25 Ibid., para. 105, sec. 2E.

26 S. A. Khan, above note 23.

27 See Disarmament Resolutions and Decisions Database, available at: https://gafc-vote.un.org/.

28 Ibid.

29 “Reducing Nuclear Danger”, UNGA Res. 70/37, 7 December 2015, available at: https://gafc-vote.un.org/.

30 “Reducing Nuclear Danger: Note by the Secretary-General”, UN Doc. A/56/400, 25 September 2001.

31 See, e.g., Adam Ward, Address by Foreign Secretary at the 3rd MEA-IISS Seminar on Perspectives on Foreign Policy for a 21st Century India, 22 February 2010, available at: www.mea.gov.in/Speeches-Statements.htm?dtl/445/Address+by+Foreign+Secretary+at+the+3rd+MEAIISS+Seminar+on+Perspectives+on+Foreign+Policy+for+a+21st+Century+India.

32 Lok Sabha, “Accidental/Unauthorised Use of Nuclear Weapons”, Unstarred Question No. 2223, 7 December 2005, available at: www.mea.gov.in/lok-sabha.htm?dtl/11327/Q+2223+AccidentalUnauthorised+Use+Of+Nuclear+Weapons.

33 Ministry of External Affairs, Nuclear Security in India, 18 March 2014, available at: www.mea.gov.in/Images/pdf/Brochure.pdf.

34 According to a press release from the government of India:

  1. 3.

    3. The Nuclear Command Authority comprises a Political Council and an Executive Council. The Political Council is chaired by the Prime Minister. It is the sole body which can authorize the use of nuclear weapons.

  2. 4.

    4. The Executive Council is chaired by the National Security Advisor. It provides inputs for decision making by the Nuclear Command Authority and executes the directives given to it by the Political Council.

  3. 5.

    5. The CCS [Cabinet Committee on Security] reviewed the existing command and control structures, the state of readiness, the targetting strategy for a retaliatory attack, and operating procedures for various stages of alert and launch. The Committee expressed satisfaction with the overall preparedness. The CCS approved the appointment of a Commander-in-Chief, Strategic Forces Command, to manage and administer all Strategic Forces.

  4. 6.

    6. The CCS also reviewed and approved the arrangements for alternate chains of command for retaliatory nuclear strikes in all eventualities.

Press Information Bureau, “Cabinet Committee on Security Reviews in Progress in Operationalising India's Nuclear Doctrine”, Prime Minister's Office press release, 4 January 2003, available at: http://pib.nic.in/archieve/lreleng/lyr2003/rjan2003/04012003/r040120033.html.

35 Express News Service, “Revise ‘No-First-Use’ N-Policy: Jaswant”, Indian Express, 16 March 2011, available at: http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/revise--nofirstuse--npolicy-jaswant/763040/.

36 Bharatiya Janata Party, Manifesto 2014, available at: http://www.bjp.org/manifesto2014.

37 Lok Sabha, “A Statement by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Nuclear Tests in Pokhran”, 27 May 1998, available at: http://164.100.47.192/Loksabha/Debates/Result_Archive.aspx?dbsl=1200249.

38 US Department of Defense, Nuclear Posture Review Report, April 2010, available at: www.defense.gov/Portals/1/features/defenseReviews/NPR/2010_Nuclear_Posture_Review_Report.pdf.

39 Dell Higgie, “UNGA 69: First Committee Joint Statement on the Humanitarian Consequences of Nuclear Weapons”, 20 October 2014, available at: www.bmeia.gv.at/fileadmin/user_upload/Zentrale/Aussenpolitik/Abruestung/Joint_Statement_20Oct_NewZealand.pdf.

40 Humanitarian Pledge, above note 8.

41 D. B. Venkatesh Varma, Statement, Geneva Thematic Debate on Nuclear Weapons at the First Committee of the 70th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, New York, 20 October 2015, available at: http://meaindia.nic.in/cdgeneva/?pdf4420?000.

42 Ibid.

43 Ray Acheson, “ICAN Closing Statement to the Second Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons”, 14 February 2014, available at: www.icanw.org/campaign-news/ican-closing-statement-to-the-second-conference-on-the-humanitarian-impact-of-nuclear-weapons/.

44 D. B. V. Varma, above note 41.

45 For example, France, which has always maintained the need for nuclear deterrence. See Josselin de Rohan, “France and Nuclear Disarmament”, speech, All-Party Group on Global Security and Non-Proliferation, 10 February 2011, available at: www.europeanleadershipnetwork.org/france-and-nuclear-disarmament-speech-by-president-josselin-de-rohan_145.html.

46 White House, Office of the Press Secretary, Remarks by President Barack Obama in Prague (As Delivered), 5 April 2009, available at: www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-barack-obama-prague-delivered.

47 France Diplomatie, “Nuclear Disarmament”, available at: www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/french-foreign-policy/disarmament-and-non-proliferation/france-and-disarmament/article/nuclear-disarmament.

48 Susanne Rumohr Haekkerup, “Denmark: National Statement”, 3rd International Conference on the Humanitarian Consequences of Nuclear Weapons, Vienna, 8–9 December 2014, available at: www.bmeia.gv.at/fileadmin/user_upload/Zentrale/Aussenpolitik/Abruestung/HINW14/Statements/HINW14_Statement_Denmark.pdf.

49 India, “Nuclear Disarmament”, Working Paper, Conference on Disarmament, CD/1816, 20 February 2007, available at: http://meaindia.nic.in/cdgeneva/?pdf0610?000.

50 Ibid.

51 Sujata Mehta, “Taking Forward Multilateral Nuclear Disarmament Negotiations”, Statement, Open Ended Working Group, Geneva, 15 May 2013, available at: http://meaindia.nic.in/cdgeneva/?pdf1352?000.

52 Shri Shyam Saran, Remarks, Global Zero Summit, 3 February 2010, available at: http://mea.gov.in/Speeches-Statements.htm?dtl/448/Remarks+by+Special+Envoy+of+Prime+Minister+Shri+Shyam+Saran+at+the+Global+Zero+Summit.

53 See United Nations Office at Geneva, “Conference on Disarmament Discusses Humanitarian Impact on Nuclear Weapons, Model Convention on Nuclear Weapons and the Fissile Materials Cut-Off Treaty”, 28 January 2015, available at: www.unog.ch/80256EDD006B9C2E/(httpNewsByYear_en)/9537F14884EA5920C1257DDB0061BBE2?OpenDocument.

54 Comprehensive Test-Ban-Treaty Organization, “The Treaty: The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty”, available at: www.ctbto.org/the-treaty/.

55 Minister of State in the Ministry of External Affairs, Parliament of India, House of the People, “Regarding Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference”, available at: http://164.100.47.192/Loksabha/Debates/Result_Archive.aspx?dbsl=1300258.

56 See, e.g., Ramesh Thakur and Gareth Evans (eds), Nuclear Weapons: The State of Play, Centre for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament, Canberra, 2013.

57 US Department of State, “New START”, available at: http://www.state.gov/t/avc/newstart/index.htm.

58 Rebecca Johnson, “ICAN Intervention in Final Session of the Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons”, Oslo, 4–5 March 2013, available at: www.icanw.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/ICAN-final-statement5.3.13.pdf.

59 Doyle, James E., “Why Eliminate Nuclear Weapons?”, Survival, Vol. 55, No. 1, 2013, p. 26CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

60 Yasuyoshi Komizo, “Remarks on Behalf of Mayors for Peace”, Vienna Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons, 9 December 2014, available at: www.bmeia.gv.at/fileadmin/user_upload/Zentrale/Aussenpolitik/Abruestung/HINW14/Statements/HINW14_Statement_Mayors_for_Peace.pdf.