[sacw] MIND statement on Missile tests

[Harsh Kapoor]

April 16, 1999
FYI
(South Asians Against Nukes)
================================
MIND Statement on the Agni-II Missile Test

The Movement in India for Nuclear Disarmament (MIND) condemns the decision
of the BJP-led Coalition government to test fire the Agni-II missile. This
has clearly signalled this government's determination to go ahead with the
building of a full-fledged and deployed nuclear weapons delivery system.
Far from enhancing Indian security this is another step in the path of
creating greater insecurity, nuclear and otherwise. As is obvious from the
Pakistan reaction, it will only spur Islamabad to carry out retaliatory
preparations and tests of its own delivery systems thus pushing both
countries into an escalating race of nuclear arms preparations and activity.

The path that India is determined to follow is not only politically
detrimental but will exact terrible economic and social costs due to the
diversion of scarce material resources from meeting the more fundamental
problems of both countries such as maldevelopment, poverty, illiteracy,
communalism and other authoritarian threats.
Indeed, it should be obvious that the timing of the Agni-II tests shows
that this BJP-led government, currently faced with a serious governmental
crisis, is seeking both to divert attention from this crisis and to obtain
much needed `credibility' for itself.

Furthermore, the aim of the Agni-II test which currently has a range of
2000 kilometers is obviously to extend the range of Indian missiles so that
these can eventually hit Chinese population centres. Indeed, government
supporters have called for more such tests with precisely the aim of
developing missiles with a range of 3000 to 5000 kilometres. This can only
be seen as a statement of obvious intent vis-a-vis China. Engaging in
nuclear rivalry with China and making it more likely that Pakistan and
China will see value in closer military collaboration to confront India is
not the way to enhance the country's security. On the contrary, it greatly
worsens it.

The Lahore Declaration enjoins India and Pakistan to inform the other of
further missile tests. This, however, only legitimises the actual carrying
out of such tests by both countries. Far from improving the regional
political climate, it sanctions the process of mutual threat escalation and
war-mongering embodied in the very fact of such tests and preparations.

We demand that India (followed by Pakistan) take the initiative to end all
such missile tests. India and Pakistan should also move towards an
agreement not to ever deploy or target each other with such missiles
regardless of whether they are conventionally or nuclearly armed. We
further demand that the two countries stop all efforts regarding further
nuclear weaponisation and development of the various components of a
deployable nuclear weapons system. Again, India as the prime mover in this
regional arms race must take the lead.

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