India should go ahead with N-deal: Kalam

IT'S A DEAL: For the first time the former president has spoken out in favour of the nuclear deal.

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New Delhi: Former president APJ Abdul Kalam, one of the principal figures behind the May 1998 nuclear tests that shook the world, has said that India should “go ahead” with the civil nuclear deal with the United States as it does not compromise the country's sovereignty.

In a rare interview, Kalam said that if at any time there was a fear that national security would be compromised by going ahead with the deal, “we can at any time withdraw (from it)”.

This was the first time that Kalam, who was among a handful of scientists who were at the nuclear explosion site at Pokhran on May 11 and 13 a decade ago, has spoken out in favour of the deal that has been the subject of so much debate and political controversy in India.

Kalam, who was then chief of the Defence Research and Development Organisation, was feted as a national hero, though the tests drew widespread censure in the rest of the world then.

Ten years later, Kalam – who was later appointed head of state by the government of prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee – believes the five nuclear tests detonated in the Rajasthan desert was the right decision and said the tests were among the most memorable moments of his career.

Excerpts from the interview:

Question: You once said that “Unless India stands up to the world, no one will respect us. In this world, fear has no place. Only strength respects strength.” Do you still believe in this maxim?

APJ Abdul Kalam: Yes. The philosophy of strength respects strength is valid anytime, as long as Earth orbits around the Sun.

Question: Ten years after, do you think the nuclear tests were a good idea? It did polarise the world and there were economic sanctions against India.

APJ Abdul Kalam: Yes, I think. India had made the right decision in the nuclear area in continuation of economic reforms in 1991. If you look back, you can see though we faced technological and economic sanction after 1998, the confidence in the country increased that “we can do it.”

Our scientists in multiple scientific departments have worked for self-reliance and have succeeded in making the cryogenic engine, flight control system for LCA and carbide fuel processing in the nuclear area.

Similarly, the industry and service sectors have shown marked growth and our economy is in the ascent path right from 2003.

All world leaders converged on India. It has been consistently growing at 8 to 9 per cent every annum, which has never been experienced before. All this clearly shows that our decision was a landmark decision for the country.