Expectedly, many critics of the India-US nuclear deal asserted that North Korea's defiant act might hit the controversial agreement. The ministry of external affairs is gearing up for a fitting response and is hopeful of "turning the challenge into an opportunity."
The critics believe that the powerful nuclear non-proliferation lobbyists in Washington will once again get active against the Bush administration for giving India "exclusive" status and "accommodating" India as a de facto nuclear power State.
They also believe that by testing, North Korea, a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty has sent the NPT into the dustbin, resulting in an urgent requirement for the world community to evolve a new nuclear non-proliferation regime. Any such new global nuclear non-proliferation movement is fraught with the risk of damaging India's chances of being "accommodated" in the nuclear club and have same rights and privileges as the five Nuclear Weapon States.
However, a highly placed source in the ministry of external affairs who is well-versed with the India-US nuclear deal told rediff.com, on condition that he would not be identified for this report, that "If India plays its cards well and distinguishes itself from a rogue State like North Korea, it has nothing to worry. Everything will depend on how India handles the post-test situation and how it puts its case before the world."
According to the MEA official, India will highlight that the security of Asia, especially East Asia, ought to be strengthened. "Actually, there are now several stronger reasons to get India into the non-proliferation regime than before. Also, it will be better for the security of Asia if India is made stronger," he argued. India and North Korea are as different as black and white, he added.
"India was never a signatory to the NPT, so it did not violate any international law when it tested its nuclear capabilities. Second, India never said it would never make nuclear weapons. It declared appropriately when it made nuclear weapons. India has not cheated the world on the issue of proliferation. Most importantly, India is already following the NPT-Plus guidelines in preventing any type of proliferation, unlike North Korea. India doesn't have a blot on its record of nuclear proliferation, unlike North Korea," he said.
India's response after North Korea's nuclear test showed that India was joining the world in condemning the blasts and it was with "the police" in maintaining a watch on the illegal nuclear proliferation and not with "a thief", said a source speaking on condition of anonymity.
Also, New Delhi highlighted the "dangers of clandestine proliferation", implying Pakistan and North Korea's "dubious" partnership in "nuclear proliferation and missile technology."
The MEA official said New Delhi is keenly watching Japan's reactions. New Delhi believes Tokyo will insist that the United Nations Security Council pass a strong resolution against North Korea, and that Japan -- with its newly elected nationalist Prime Minister Shinzo Abe -- will strengthen its military power, which would be resented by China.
"The question of Pakistan having helped North Korea to conduct today's test will also come under close scrutiny. Again, how and why China failed in containing North Korea also becomes a debatable issue," said a source.
However, a senior MEA official insisted that "the India-US nuclear deal will not be affected by the North Korean test because the delay in the US Senate in passing the deal is not due to any issue related to non-proliferation."
"It is mainly because the domestic political imperatives working against President George Bush are delaying the issue," he argued.
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