BANGALORE: All nuclear and missile installations in India have been placed under a high-level security alert in view of the reported Pentagon “threat” prevent development of weapons of mass destruction in Indian Pakistan
A senior defence source said the security alert would apply to the major nuclear installations like the Bhabha Atomic: Research Center (BARC), the Tarapur and Kalpakkam nuclear power reactors the Ratnahali rare earth plant and the missile launch facility at Chandipur-on-sea off Orissa and the Bharat Dynamic Limited in Hyderabad.
The full security alert would include intensive checking of employees and visitors, patrolling of airspace around the installation out of bounds to civilian and foreign aircraft.
“The sources said though no immediate threat was perceived to the Indian nuclear and missile installations the intensive security measures were resorted to “just to econ the safe side.”*The full alert status for these installations would continue for an indefinite period.” A direct attack in the form of an air of missile strike would not be possible on any Indian installation given the distance from the nearest foreign launch facility. The possibility of a surprise attack on Indian facilities was also remote as Indian early warning systems would alert the fighter aircraft well in advance.
The state of readiness of counter Kalpakkam and Chandipur is quite high even without the Pentagori threat due to the BARCs proximity to Pakistan and the fear of terrorist attack, In Kalpakkam; the LITTEs activities have put the security there on alert, according to the source.
However, he said one had to be on guard against internal sabotage (or instigation of environmental groups that might suddenly rise against nuclear power or missile capability. The Balasore agitation by the tribals of Orissa against the Agni missile was too recent to be forgotten. The sudden commencement of the agitation in 1989 had given rise to the suspicion that it could have been foreign inspired..
The secret Pentagon plan speaks of “steps that include preempting of an impending attack with nuclear, chemical or biological weapons or punishing the attackers of threatening punishment of aggressors through a variety of means.” “This has been a consistently honest affirmation and not a political rhetoric like some other countries practice,” he said. “In the light of this, it is surprising how the US could club India in the same league as Pakistan as a nuclear weapons producing nation,” he added.
“The secret Pentagon plan witnessed severe opposition in the Lok Sabha last week. Washing: ton watchers in India feel that the plan could be a diplomatic offensive to ensure Indian participation in the five-nation regional conference on nuclear arms control in south Asia and to sign the nuclear nonproliferation treaty (NPT). India has already expressed its opposition to signing the NPT with foreign secretary J.N. Dixit declaring “India continues to view the NPT as discriminatory and remains unwilling to sign it.”
Article extracted from this publication >> March 27, 1992
