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UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 01 NEW DE 09756 01 OF 02 221541Z 66 ACTION NEA-16 INFO OCT-01 EUR-25 IO-14 ISO-00 CIAE-00 DODE-00 PM-07 H-03 INR-11 L-03 NSAE-00 NSC-07 PA-04 RSC-01 PRS-01 SP-03 SS-20 USIA-15 OMB-01 EB-11 INT-08 ACDA-19 SCI-06 FEA-02 DRC-01 /179 W --------------------- 078283 R 221245Z JUL 74 FM AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI TO SECSTATE WASHDC 2828 INFO US MISSION IAEA VIENNA 0223 AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD AMEMBASSY LONDON AMEMBASSY OTTAWA UNCLAS SECTION 1 OF 2 NEW DELHI 9756 E.O. 11652: N/A TAGS: TECH, IN SUBJECT: MRS. GANDHI REPORTS TO PARLIAMENT ON NUCLEAR EXPLOSION SUMMARY: REVIEWING THE INDIAN NUCLEAR EXPLOSION IN A STATEMENT TO PARLIAMENT JULY 22, MRS. GANDHI FACTUALLY PRESENTED REACTIONS OF MAJOR POWERS (INCLUDING THE US BUT NOT THE UK) AND THEN DWELT AT LENGTH ON THE "SHARP" REACTIONS FROM CANADA AND PAKISTAN. SHE SAID INDIA WAS "UNABLE TO SUBSCRIBE TO " THE CANADIAN VIEW THAT THE EXPLOSION WAS A SETBACK TO EFFORTS TO PREVENT PROLIFERATION. RE PAKISTAN, SHE RECALLED HER LETTER TO BHUTTO EXPLAINING THE PEACEFUL NATURE AND ECONOMIC PURPOSE OF THE EXPLOSION AND OFFERING TO SHARE NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY WITH PAKISTAN UNDER PROPER CONDITIONS. " I ONCE AGAIN REPEAT THIS ASSURANCE," SHE SAID. SHE ALSO REVIEWED AN IAEA REPORT ON POSSIBLE ECONOMIC USES OF PNE'S. THE GOI DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHY INDIA WAS CRITICIZED ON THE GROUND THAT TECHNOLOGY NECESSARY FOR UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 NEW DE 09756 01 OF 02 221541Z PNE'S WAS NO DIFFERENT FROM THAT FOR WEAPONS. " NO TECHNOLOGY IS EVIL IN ITSELF; IT IS THE USE THAT NATIONS MAKE OF TECHNOLOGY WHICH DETERMINES ITS CHARACTER", SHE SAID. THERE WAS NO DEBATE OF HER STATEMENT. END SUMMARY. FOLLOWING IS THE FULL TEXT OF MRS. GANDHI'S STATEMENT: 1. HONORABLE MEMBERS ARE AWARE THAT AT 08:05 HOURS ON MAY 18, 1974 THE ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION SUCCESSFULLY CARRIED OUT AN UNDERGROUND NUCLEAR EXPLOSION EXPERIMENT AT A DEPTH OF MORE THAN 100 METRES IN THE RAJASTHAN DESERT. THIS EXPERIMENT WAS PART OF THE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT WORK WHICH THE ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION HAS BEEN CARRYING ON IN PURSURANCE OF THE NATIONAL OBJECTIVE OF HARNESSING ATOMIC ENERGY FOR PEACEFUL PURPOSES. 2. HONOURABLE MEMBERS MAY RECALL THAT ON NOVEMBER 15, 1972, I STATED IN THE LOK SABHA THAT " THE ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION IS STUDYING CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH PEACEFUL NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS CARRIED OUT UNDERGROUND COULD BE OF ECONOMIC BENEFIT TO INDIA WITHOUT CAUSING ENVIRON- MENTAL HAZARDS." EXACTLY A YEAR LATER, ON NOVEMBER 15, 1973, I INFORMED HONORABLE MEMBERS OF THE RAJYA SABHA OF THE CONTINUING INTEREST OF THE ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION IN THIS FIELD AND ALSO STATED THAT AFTER SATISFACTORY ANSWERS TO THE PROBLEMS OF THE POSSIBLE EFFECTS ON ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECOLOGICAL CONDITIONS ARE AVAILABLE, THE QUESTION OF ACTUAL UNDERGROUND TESTS FOR PEACEFUL PURPOSES COULD BE CONSIDERED. 3. I AM GLAD TO INFORM HONOURABLE MEMBERS THAT THIS SUCCESSFUL EXPERIMENT ON MAY 18 HAS NOT RESULTED IN ANY WAY IN RADIO-ACTIVE CONTAMINATION OF THE ATMOSHPHERE. THE RADIO-ACTIVITY WAS SO WELL CONTAINED THAT A PARTY OF SCIENTISTS WAS ABLE TO FLY 30 METRES ABOVE THE SITE AND REACH UP TO 250 METRES ON THE GROUND WITHIN AN HOUR OF THE EXPERIMENT WITHOUT ENCOUNTERING ANY RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINATION. THE ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION IS AT PRESENT ENGAGED IN STUDYING THE RESULTS OF THE EXPERIMENT. IT IS EXPECTED THAT THIS PROCESS WILL TAKE ABOUT SIX MONTHS. IN UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 NEW DE 09756 01 OF 02 221541Z KEEPING WITH SCIENTIFIC TRADITION, THE ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION PROPOSES TO PUBLISH PAPERS GIVING THE RESULTS OF THE EXPERIMENT FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE SCIENTIFIC WORLD. 4. ALL THE MATERIALS, EQUIPMENT AND THE PERSONNEL IN THIS PROJECT WERE TOTALLY INDIAN. INDIA HAS NOT VIOLATED ANY INTERNATIONAL LAW OR OBLIGATION OR ANY COMMITMENT IN THIS REGARD WITH ANY COUNTRY. 5. THIS EXPERIMENT HAS EVOKED MIXED RESPONSE FROM VARIOUS COUNTRIES. WHILE DEVELOPING NATIONS HAVE, BY AND LARGE, WELCOMED THE EXPERIMENT AS A STEP IN THE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT WORK CARRIED ON BY INDIA IN THE FIELD OF ATOMIC ENERGY FOR PEACEFUL PURPOSES, ADVANCED NATIONS, WITH SOME EXCEPTIONS, HAVE NOT SHOWN EQUAL UNDERSTANDING. THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, WHILE EXPRESSING SATISFACTION THAT THE INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY'S SAFEGUARDS SYSTEM HAS WORKED IN REGARD TO AGREEMENTS WITH INDIA AND THAT THE MATERIAL USED HAS NOT COME FROM THE UNITED STATES, HAVE REITERATED THAT THE POLICY OF THAT GOVERNMENT IS AGAINST NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION. THE USSR HAVE NOTED THAT INDIA HAS CARRIED OUT A RESEARCH PROGRAMME STRIVING TO KEEP LEVEL WITH THE WORLD TECHNOLOGY IN THE PEACEFUL USES OF NUCLEAR EXPLOSION. THE CHAIRMAN OF THE INDIAN ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION HAS RECEIVED CONGRATULATORY MESSAGE FROM THE FRENCH ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION ON THE SUCCESS OF THE EXPERIMENT WHILE CHINA OFFICIALLY REPORTED THE EVENT WITHOUT COMMENTING ON THE EXPLOSION, THE REACTION OF THE GOVERNMENT OF JAPAN HAS BEEN TO EXPRESS REGRET FOR THE EXPERIMENT. 6. REACTIONS FROM CANADA AND OUR NEIGHBOUR, PAKISTAN, HAVE BEEN SHARP. WHILE CANADA IS SATISFIED THAT INDIA HAS NOT VIOLATED ANY AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES, THE CANADIAN SECRETARY OF STATE FOR EXTERNAL AFFAIRS HAS STATED THAT THE EXPERIMENT REPRESENTED A SEVERE SET- BACK TO EFFORTS BEING MADE IN THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO PREVENT ALL NUCLEAR TESTING AND TO INHIBIT THE PROLIFERATION OF NUCLEAR EXPLOSION TECHNOLOGY. UNCLASSIFIED NNN UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 01 NEW DE 09756 02 OF 02 221929Z 66 ACTION NEA-16 INFO OCT-01 EUR-25 IO-14 ISO-00 CIAE-00 DODE-00 PM-07 H-03 INR-11 L-03 NSAE-00 NSC-07 PA-04 RSC-01 PRS-01 SP-03 SS-20 USIA-15 OMB-01 EB-11 INT-08 ACDA-19 SCI-06 FEA-02 DRC-01 /179 W --------------------- 080933 R 221245Z JUL 74 FM AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI TO SECSTATE WASHDC 2829 INFO US MISSION IAEA VIENNA 0224 AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD AMEMBASSY LONDON AMEMBASSY OTTAWA UNCLAS SECTION 2 OF 2 NEW DELHI 9756 7. THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA IS UNABLE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE VIEW EXPRESSED BY THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT IN THIS REGARD. I HAVE REPEATEDLY REAFFIRMED OUR POLICY OF USING NUCLEAR ENERGY FOR PEACEFUL PURPOSES AND HAVE SPECIFICALLY STATED THAT WE HAVE NO INTENTION OF DEVELOPING NUCLEAR WEAPONS. THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA SINCERELY HOPES THAT THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA WILL APPRECIATE AND UNDERSTAND THE BACKGROUND OF THIS EXPERIMENT. I HAVE ALREADY MENTIONED IN THE EARLIER PART OF THIS STATEMENT THE FACT THAT OUR ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION HAS BEEN REVIEWING THE PROGRESS IN THIS TECHNOLOGY FROM THE THEORETICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL ANGLES. THIS INTENTION WAS NOT KEPT SECRET AND WAS MADE KNOWN TO THE WORLD. IF DIFFERENCES OF INTERPRETATION HAVE ARISEN BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA AND THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA, IT IS THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA'S HOPE THAT THEY WILL BE SATISFACTORILY RESOLVED IN THE DISCUSSIONS WHICH ARE UNDER WAY BETWEEN THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE TWO COUNTIRES. UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 NEW DE 09756 02 OF 02 221929Z 8. THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA IS UNABLE TO UNDERSTAND THE REPEATED TALK OF NUCLEAR BLACKMAIL INDULGED IN BY THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN. I HAVE EXPLAINED IN MY LETTER TO PRIME MINISTER BHUTTO THE PEACEFUL NATURE AND THE ECONOMIC PURPOSES OF THIS EXPERIMENT AND HAVE ALSO STATED THAT INDIA IS WILLING TO SHARE HER NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY WITH PAKISTAN IN THE SAME WAY SHE IS WILLING TO SHARE IT WITH OTHER COUNTRIES, PROVIDED PROPER CONDITIONS FOR UNDERSTANDING AND TRUST ARE CREATED. I ONCE AGAIN REPEAT THIS ASSURANCE AND HOPE THAT THE GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN WILL ACCEPT INDIA'S POSITION IN THIS REGARD. 9. THE GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN HAS ALSO MADE ALLEGATIONS ABOUT RADIO-ACTIVITY HAVING BEEN CARRIED TO THAT COUNTRY. I WOULD TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY OF STATING THAT THIS WAS IMPOSSIBLE AS THERE WAS NO VENTING OF RADIOACTIVITY TO THE ATMOSPHERE AND NO FORMATION OF A RADIOACTIVE CLOUD. MORE- OVER, THE WIND WAS BLOWING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION AS IT NORMALLY DOES AT THIS TIME OF THE YEAR AND EVEN IN THEORY, ANY HYPOTHETICAL RADIOACTIVITY COULD NEVER HAVE GONE TO PAKISTAN. THE WIND PATTERN ON MAY 18, 1974 WAS FROM, REPEAT FROM, THE SOUTH-WEST. 10. THERE ARE SEVERAL PUBLISHED REPORTS BY SCIENTISTS FROM ADVANCED COUNTRIES ON POTENTIAL UTILISATIONAL OF PEACEFUL NUCLEAR EXPERIMENTS. THE INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY ORGANISED IN 1970, 1971 AND 1972 PANEL MEETINGS ON THE PEACEFUL USES OF NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS AND INDIA ATTENDED ALL THESE MEETINGS AS A PANEL MEMBER. IN THE FOREWORD TO THE PEACEFUL NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS PHENOMENOLOGY AND STATUS REPORT, 1970, AN INDICATIONS HAS BEEN GIVING OF THE PROJECTS FOR WHICH PEACEFUL NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS COULD BE USED. THE FOLLOWING QUOTATION WILL BE ADEQUATE IN THIS REGARD;- "FULLY CONTAINED NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS (THOSE NOT BREAKING THROUGH TO THE GROUND SURFACE) COULD BE USED FOR MANY PROJECTS. ON AN INDUSTRIAL LEVEL PILOT-SCALE EXPERIMENTS HAVE ALREADY BEEN MADE ON GAS AND OIL STIMULATION, WITH ENCOURAGING UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 NEW DE 09756 02 OF 02 221929Z RESULTS. IN ADDITION, THE USE OF CAVITIES CREATED BY SUCH EXPLOSIONS APPEARED TO HAVE AN ECONOMICALLY ATTRACTIVE FUTURE FOR PROJECTS SUCH AS UNDERGOUND GAS AND OIL STORAGE, AND THE STORAGE OF RADIOACTIVE WASTAGES FROM NUCLEAR POWER STATIONS AND CHEMICAL PLANT, FOR IN SITU RETORTING OF OIL FROM SHALE OIL DEPOSITS, AND FOR IN SITU LEACHING OF LOW-GRADE ORES BROKEN UP BY THE EXPLOSION. THE LATTER APPLICATION IS OF PARTICULAR INTEREST TO ONE MEMBER STATES, INDIA, WHO COULD BY THIS MEANS USE HER VERY LARGE LOW-GRADE NON-FERROUS METAL ORE DEPOSITS, THUS MAKING HER MORE INDEPENDENT OF IMPORTS OF THESE METALS AND FURTHERING THE NATIONAL ECONOMY". 11. IN VIEW OF THE FACT THAT WE HAVE JUST NOW CARRIED OUT THE EXPERIMENT AND THE RESULTS WILL BE AVAILABLE TO US AFTER SIX MONTHS, IT IS CONSIDERED PREMATURE TO TALK OF ANY PARTICULAR TECHNOLOGICAL APPLICATION AT A SELECTED SITE. FOR ANY PROJECT OF THIS NATURE TO BE CONSIDDRED ECONOMICAL AND FEASIBLE, MORE EXPERIMENTAL DATA MUST BE AVAILABLE. 12. HONOURABLE MEMBERS WILL NOTICE THAT IN THE PANEL DISCUSSIONS TO WHICH I HAVE REFERRED AND IN WHICH MOST OF THE ADVANCED COUNTRIES HAVE PARTICIPATED, IT WAS EMPHASISED THAT ACTIVITIES IN THE FIELD OF PEACEFUL NUCLEAR EXPLOSION ARE ESSENTIALLY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES. AGAINST THIS BACKGROUND, THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA FAILS TO UNDERSTAND WHY INDIA IS BEING CRITISED ON THE GROUND THAT THE TECHNOLOGY NECESSARY FOR THE PEACEFUL NUCLEAR EXPLOSION IS NO DIFFERENT FROM THAT NECESSARY FOR A WEAPONS PROGRAMME. 13. NO TECHNOLOGY IS EVIL IN ITSELF: IT IS THE USE THAT NATIONS MAKE OF TECHNOLOGY WHICH DETERMINES ITS CHARACTER. INDIA DOES NOT ACCEPT THE PRINCIPLE OF APARTHEID IN ANY MATTER AND TECHNOLOGY IS NO EXCEPTION. KREISBERG UNCLASSIFIED NNN