NEW DELHI: A defiant India said Aug 12 it would not bow to international pressure to remove its threat to block a global nuclear test ban treaty, saying the government had 900 million citizens supporting it. “Noone can bring India down to its knees when there is a national consensus to oppose the treaty,” reports quoted Foreign Minister LK. Gujral as telling reporters during a visit to neighboring Bhutan. Gujral was commenting on a letter recently from U.S. Secretary of State Warren Christopher urging India to refrain from vetoing the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) even if New Delhi decided it could not ratify the pact. The foreign minister said he would write to Christopher soon, reiterating India’s decision to block the treaty unless the five declared nuclear powers committed themselves to a nuclear disarmament timetable. The five powers are Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States, India also objects to a provision that would require New Delhi to sign the pact before it became international law, saying that would impinge on the nation’s sovereignty.
But supporters of the provision say India, along with the five de scared nuclear nations and the two other “threshold” powers, Israel and Pakistan, must ratify the accord for it to be meaningful. In his letter to Gujral recently, Christopher said India would not be punished with sanctions if it refused to Sign the treaty. The U.S. assurance was aimed at persuading New Delhi to drop its threat to block the test ban pact. Gujral said New Delhi and Washington agreed their differences at the nuclear test ban talks in Geneva would not affect bilateral ties.
Article extracted from this publication >> August 21, 1996
