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Nuclear tests are not much of a deterrent, says Chatterjee

Veteran parliamentarian and Communist leader Somnath Chatterjee today said it was doubtful how good a deterrent the recent nuclear tests would be.

Following a meeting arranged by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee between parliamentarians and top nuclear scientists such as A P J Abdul Kalam and Dr R Chidambaram, Chatterjee said there was no doubt that Indian scientists had reached a high level of competence.

''But nuclear testing is much more than a scientific exercise -- we have become a nuclear weapons state and there are consequences to that,'' he said.

There are many grey areas which will have to be discussed in Parliament, and one of them was the question of how serious the sanctions would prove, and what alternative measures India could take.

According to Chatterjee, the pinch of the sanctions would be felt in six to eight months's time when the government will have to consider the possibility of extended sanctions as well as repayment of the mother dues.

Apart from the scientists, deputy chairman of the Planning Commission Jaswant Singh was also present at the meeting, and these concerns were articulated to him as well.

UNI

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