Nuclear politics in south asia, by suresh dhanda, new delhi, regal publications, 2010, 356pp. To reach the targets, scores of missiles flew long distances over pakistan. Thus defined, south asia stands for diversity in every sense and yet constitutes one geopolitical space. By contrast, there is a veritable torrent of writings on the implications of. Government and politics in southeast asia edited by john funston. The volume skillfully opens the black box of domestic politics across asian nations with nuclear energy and nuclear weapons programs, tracking the balance of nationalists, realists, and globalists in each and analyzing how domestic political configurations affect the nuclear policies of these asian nationsstates that comprise the most. The geopolitics of south asian political stability the diplomat. The emergence and consequences of nuclear weapons in south asia can only be understood in the context of a history of hos tility punctuated by war. The geopolitics of south asian political stability the. Despite some attempts at rapprochement in the intervening years, a. The strategic landscape of south asia changed dramatically in 1998.
It highlighted some of the top academic and policyrelevant scholarship on the prospects for peace and proliferation in india and pakistan. For instance, in august 1998 the united states launched a major cruise missile attack against afghanistan from its ships in the arabian sea. What is nuclear learning nuclear learning is an online initiative produced by the stimson center s south asia program to sharpen strategic analysts understanding of nuclear programs, doctrines, and postures in south asia and beyond. Nuclear weapons and indian politics the nuclear tests were influenced by indias domestic politics in at least. There is some evidence that early warning systems in south asia are limited in their scope and capabilities. Reducing the risk of nuclear war in south asia by feroz hassan khan 1. Nuclear politics and the future of global disarmament. Introduction the 1998 nuclear tests by india and pakistan dramatically worsened the security situation for over a billion people in the subcontinent.
The total electrical generation capacity of the nuclear power plants of south korea is 20. After completing nuclear south asia, students can stay connected to the nuclear learning online community and continue learning about evolving nuclear and strategic dynamics in south asia and beyond by subscribing to the nuclear learning youtube channel, following the nuclear learning facebook page, and following nuclear learning on twitter. Nuclear weapons and conflict in south asia stephen p. Nucleararmed adversaries india and pakistan have fought three wars since their creation as sovereign states in 1947. Strategic framework of south asia is comprised of the bipolar equation between indiapakistan, interconnected with regional security complex and other major powers. However, he refused to foreclose indias nuclear option while other nations maintained nuclear arsenals and supported programs designed to bolster indias weapons potential. The appellations south asia and the indian subcontinent are synonymous. The nuclear revolution in south asia is not a single event or even a series of events occurring within. After 50 years of independence, yet impoverished by an unremitting arms race, the people of india.
It analyses regional cooperation and its links to security and political economy in the context of foreign relations and domestic politics. A guide to india, pakistan, and the bomb provides the emerging generation of strategic analysts in india, pakistan, and elsewhere a platform to study nuclear competition and dangers on the subcontinent. The nuclearization of south asia download ebook pdf. The diversity of culture, language, and terrain throughout south asia coupled with its numerous weak states reminds one of the multilingual austro. In south asia, nuclear arsenal is seen as a great equaliser and the ultimate tool to counter adversarys present or future conventional strength. On the nuclear front, no other region of the world has been experiencing developments quite like the south asia region has. Nuclear power is a major power source in south korea, providing 29% of the countrys electricity. Nuclear politics and strategy in south asia south asia journal. Potential consequences of nuclear politics in south asia. The consequences of south asias nuclear revolution. Adding a twist to the existing fissile material buildup process, the indous strategic partnership supplemented it. Government and politics in southeast asia edited by john. Posen the critical barrier to civil war settlement barbara f. They went to the brink of a fourth in 2001 following an attack on the indian parliament, which the indian government blamed on the pakistanbacked lashkaretaiba and jaishemohammed terrorist organizations.
Nuclear strategy and regional stability in southern asia show all authors. Focusing explicitly on the strategic interaction between the potential proliferator and its allies and adversaries, the book accounts for patterns of proliferation that no other approach has been able to explain. Peace then becomes precarious and chances of nuclear employment become high. An important and critical reevaluation of south asias posttests nuclear politics, in contrast to other books, this volume emphasises the political dimension of south asias nuclear weapons, explains how the bombs are used as politicostrategic assets rather than pure battlefield weapons and how india and pakistan utilise them for politicostrategic purposes in an extremely.
The containment and prevention of nuclear proliferation, especially in asia, continues to be a grave concern for the international community. Rampant corruption, insurgencies and terrorism remain high on the list of security issues. This book provides a comprehensive overview of the state of nuclear arsenals, nuclear ambitions and nuclear threats across different parts of asia. Jun 28, 2016 peace then becomes precarious and chances of nuclear employment become high. The second scenario is of growing concern in south asia.
In recent years, however, the region has not received the scholarly attention that it deserves. The relentlessness of the confrontations between these two nations makes inside nuclear south asia a must read for anyone wishing to gain a thorough understanding of the spread of nuclear weapons in south asia and the potential consequences of nuclear proliferation on the subcontinent. The economy and development of countries in south asia are not aligned to india. During the gestation period of covert development of their nuclear weapons, india and pakistan underwent a series of military. Subsequently, with a similar vision, the cirus reactor was supplied by canada, where, the heavy water came from the united states. In this age of globalisation the book, nuclear power and politics of south asia new disclosures, unfolds different stages of the growth of nuclear energy and its proliferation in the region south asia with added emphasis on nuclear weapon development in india and pakistan. The various countries in south asia do not have the same kind of political systems. The politics of nuclear weapons in south asia 1st edition. Nuclear energy continues to be a major component of south korean energy policy, despite the nuclear accident in fukushima and several incidents in domestic nuclear power plants in 2011. An important and critical reevaluation of south asias posttests nuclear politics, in contrast to other books, this volume emphasises the political dimension of south asias nuclear weapons, explains how the bombs are used as politicostrategic assets rather than pure battlefield weapons and how india and pakistan utilise them for politicostrategic purposes in an extremely complex and.
Waltz intervention in ethnic and ideological civil wars chaim kaufmann military responses to refugee disasters barry r. Part of the international political economy series book series ipes. Nuclear politics in asia 1st edition marzieh kouhi. The nuclear optimists, as believers in the deterrence capabilities of nuclear arsenal, do not credit the u. Nuclear politics and strategy in south asia south asia. Dec 27, 2014 the diversity of culture, language, and terrain throughout south asia coupled with its numerous weak states reminds one of the multilingual austrohungarian empire that was always a step away.
Sechser on june 4 and 5, 2004, the center for international security and cooperation cisac at stanford university hosted a workshop on the question of nuclear weapons and stability in south asia. There has been an avalanche of publications on southeast asia in recent years, but no one volume provides an accurate and uptodate account of political institutions and practices in the region. Despite many problems and limitations, sri lanka and india have successfully operated a. The twenty years crisis of nuclear south asia, 1998. Pdf asia has the worlds highest concentration of nuclear weapons and the most significant recent. The papers are available in the electronic pdfformat and are designed to be downloaded at no cost to the user. Understanding the arms race in south asia carnegie. It covers the middle east including israel, china, indiapakistan and their confrontation, as well as north korea. This layering of different cultures has given it a unique identity that is unparalleled anywhere else in the world.
Nuclearization of south asia has put forwarded three major challenges that are. This firstrate symposium of scholars and former government officials goes far toward filling the gap by focusing on the international relations and. Established in 1948, indian atomic energy commission turned towards united kingdom for their first help in the making of apsara. The book begins with an analysis of the factors that led to. With the reciprocal testing of nuclear weapons, india and pakistan emerged from the world of threshold status to an overt posture which has yet to be fully defined. Potential consequences of nuclear politics in south asia oped. Although of interest primarily to political scientists and those with a security studies focus in particular, nuclear debates in asia provides a thorough introduction to the region and its nuclear concerns, potentially appealing to the historian, and perhaps even to the historian of science. Nuclear politics marks an important step forward in our understanding of nuclear proliferation. Nuclear deterrence in south asia involves two very different states. There is growing unease among the korean public regarding the safety of nuclear energy, but these grievances do not translate into demands for policy changes.
Pakistans nuclear deterrence and strategic stability. The politics of nuclear weapons in south asia by bhumitra chakma. An important and critical reevaluation of south asia s posttests nuclear politics, in contrast to other books, this volume emphasises the political dimension of south asia s nuclear weapons, explains. The politics of south asias nuclear crisis program on science and. The seminar focused on prospects for nuclear rollback in south asia and the middle east. Nuclear learning pursues this mission by making diverse viewpoints accessible via open online courses, nurturing vibrant communities of nuclear learners. This book is an exhaustive historical account of the nuclear security of india and pakistan which has brought the south asian region at the peril of a nuclear holocaust. In 1954 the indian nuclear program began to move in a direction that would. South korean nuclear energy policies and the public agenda. An important and critical reevaluation of south asia s posttests nuclear politics, in contrast to other books, this volume emphasises the political dimension of south asia s nuclear weapons, explains how the bombs are used as politicostrategic assets rather than pure battlefield weapons and how india and pakistan utilise them for politicostrategic purposes in an extremely complex and. This collection of essays explores conflict and cooperation in south asia in the postcold war, especially the post1998 period, within the framework of international relations theory and other relevant social science theories. Jun 15, 2015 the nuclear optimists, as believers in the deterrence capabilities of nuclear arsenal, do not credit the u. Indian policy is based on the cumulative ghandian and nehruvian philosophy of greater india abbasi 2015. When india and pakistan joined the club of nuclear powers, this region suddenly became the focus of global attention.
The future of nuclear south asia is inextricably linked to power and politics in pakistan and india and to the global. Nuclear arms race in south asia institute of strategic studies. Nuclear power and politics of south asia by rajkumar singh. Eclipsed by these debates is the use of radioactive isotopes in agriculture, food preservation, water management, healthcare and industrial processes. An important and critical reevaluation of south asia s posttests nuclear politics, in contrast to other books, this volume emphasises the political dimension of south asia s nuclear weapons, explains how the bombs are used as politicostrategic assets rather than pure battlefield weapons and how india and pakistan utilise them for politicostrategic purposes in an extremely. Southern asias nuclear powers council on foreign relations. South asia and the nuclear future rethinking the causes and consequences of nuclear proliferation conference report by todd s. When colonialism collapsed in the wake of world war ii, south asia was seen as the leader in the development of what was called the third world. White is a nonresident fellow in the foreign policy program at brookings, and associate professor of the practice of south asia studies at the johns hopkins university school of advanced. The conference on south asia and the nuclear future was cosponsored by cisac and the u. The recent nuclear deal between india and the us is also indicative of how energy and power politics are linked and how these new interlinkages underlie relations between states. Under this dangerous bargain, it would continue to not only allow india to increase its fissile material but also the capacity to increase the buildup of nuclear weapon material hence, the strategic stability in south asia has been negatively impacted since the initial stages. It covers the middle east including israel, china, india pakistan and their confrontation, as well as north korea. Environmental and radiation safety issues have come into sharp focus since fukushima nuclear accident in japan in 2011 and some new plants in south asia have drawn sustained public protests.
The region includes six of the nine nucleararmed states and is a key site for extended nuclear deterrence guarantees. India, over the years, has built a nuclear program that has led to the. Main pair of concept the us ussr model for india and pakistan. Nuclear politics in south asia pdf the politics of south asias. This book aims to give a south asian perspective on the geopolitics of energy, with a central focus on india. South asia geopolitics outh asia remains a volatile region with security problems scattered across the length and breadth of the sub continent. An important and critical reevaluation of south asia s posttests nuclear politics. Chari, pervaiz iqbal cheema, and stephen cohen, four crises and a peace process. South asia is a realm of one of the oldest civilizations in the world where people from all races and religions have coexisted over a long period of time.
The politics of nuclear weapons in south asia by bhumitra chakma ed. Thus defined, south asia stands for diversity in every sense and yet constitutes one geo political space. Nuclear strategy and regional stability in southern asia. Numerous nuclear threats and challenges play out in the asiapacific region. Towards world war iii article pdf available in ssrn electronic journal 562. India decided to take the nuclear weapons route, pakistan followed. Extraregional linkages and consequences 6 the china factor in south asian nuclear politics 93 binoda kumar mishra 7 south asias nuclear deterrence and the usa 1 bhumitra chakma. Heidelberg papers in south asian and comparative politics. South korean nuclear energy policies and the public agenda in. Nuclear politics in south asia by suresh dhanda, 2010 isbn. The consequences of south asias nuclear revolution springerlink.
Unlike other books, this volume emphasises the political dimension of south asia s nuclear weapons, explains how the bombs are used as politicostrategic assets rather than pure battlefield weapons and how they are employed by india and pakistan in an extremely complex and competitive south asian strategic. Each claims the status of a nuclear weapon state, yet the contours of that status are unclear. The nuclear revolution in south asia is not a single event or even a series of events occurring within a short time frame, such as the french revolution or the russian revolution, but rather a longer term process that is comparable with the industrial revolution. Nuclear relations in south asia unt digital library. Project muse the geopolitics of energy in south asia. A number of important strategic issues have been raised by these. Nuclear politics and south asia criterion quarterly.
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