Nuclear technology has always brought about heated discussion since it is a powerful source of energy and quite overt threat for the peaceful future. After the World War II, many countries in the world understood the importance of proper use of nuclear power, so numerous debates and summits have been held since then. One of the major results of such international discussions was the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) which came into force in 1970.
However, some countries in South Asia refused to join the treaty and continued developing nuclear technology in military and civilian purposes. Of course, such policy has evoked a lot of criticism and caused various restrictions as for trading with these countries. Apart from this, recent changes in U.S. policy towards India led to emerging of new concerns about the spread of nuclear threat from South Asia.
India and Pakistan were actually those few countries which refused to join the treaty. Indian officials announced that the treaty is quite imperfect since it leads to many violations and unclear policies which presuppose that some countries have the right to possess nuclear weapon, and others, by some quite covert reasons, were deprived from this right.
Moreover, India announced that having nuclear weapon was a strict necessity since its nearest neighbor, China, was in possession of such powerful weapon. Indian officials stressed that the state was going to use the weapon only in response to aggression (nuclear attack) from the side of China or any other country from the club of “nuclear haves”. In its turn, historical rival of India, Pakistan, announced approximately the same and continued developing its nuclear technology.
Of course, the rest of countries criticized such policy and tried to convince the governments of the two countries to join the treaty and since it was impossible India and Pakistan were excluded from the world nuclear market. It goes without saying that it was harmful for the development of nuclear technology which India and Pakistan needed badly for solving energetic issues, but the two countries have led the same policy.
Reportedly, India presumably possesses about 150 nuclear warheads and Pakistan about 100 warheads. Thus, the international community has also been anxious because of numerous conflicts between India and Pakistan, which could lead to nuclear disaster. However, recent changes in U.S. policy have evoked more concerns of other countries.
In 2006 the United States and India started collaborating in terms of civilian nuclear power development. Despite criticism from many countries and overt violation of the Nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty, the US started supplying India with products necessary for the development of nuclear technology.
The USA announced that such cooperation is legal and even indispensable since India has proven its adherence to non-proliferation regime and the state really needs the development of nuclear technology to cope with severe problems of energy lack and increase of population.
The agreement between India and the US has led to two major concerns. First of all, many countries like Russia, France and Australia were also eager to enter the nuclear trade on such a promising market. Of course, financial benefits of such trade can be hardly overestimated.
It becomes clear why these countries criticized the US for violating NPT since they became on the second place in the range for becoming India’ suppliers. Thus, the policy of US caused the rise of economical concerns which outweighed the issues of security and peace in the world. It is necessary to point out the concerns of Australia as for such collaboration.
Initially, this country followed the policy of NPT and did not supply nuclear products to India.
However, after the US initiated such supplies which were potentially highly profitable, Australia, having more than 20% of the nuclear deposits and the second supplier of such products in the world, could not stand aside. In spite of criticism inside the country Australia, eventually, has started working with India. Apart from this Australia has announced its plans to enrich uranium.
However, the rush for the new market was not the only one outcome of the American Indian collaboration. Many countries witnessed that whereas some countries like India could refuse to sign Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and in some time get the necessary supplying, other countries like Iran were oppressed for enriching uranium which cannot be regarded as NPT violation. Of course, such controversy has caused many conflicts and has remained unsolved.
For instance, peaceful nuclear technology development in Iran was often criticized by the USA and the former often had to suspend uranium enrichment. However, India’s example has always been a potent stimulus to continue the development of nuclear technology. Moreover, India often declared that it will not criticize Iran for the development of nuclear technology in both directions, peaceful and military.
As far as the international community is concerned, it is necessary to point that the majority of planet population criticize the initiative of the US in particular and development of nuclear weapon in general. The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty was a kind of a pillar of security in the world and its violation by one of its creators undermines the whole system of world security.
The refusal to join NPT by South Asia countries has led to strict policy from the side of other countries and nuclear isolation, so to speak. However, the change in such policy made any countries see the opportunity to continue some actions without any reaction. Governments of many countries were “inspired” by the development of nuclear power in the South Asia. Nowadays many states which followed all the points of NPT start enriching uranium or even develop their military nuclear technology.
In conclusion, it is possible to point out that the development of nuclear technology in South Asia has brought about two major concerns of the rest of the countries. First of all, the issues of security in the region were unlikely to be solved, and numerous conflicts emerging could lead to nuclear war.
Proliferation policy of one country of the region caused the same policy from its neighbors. However, the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty secured three decades of relative stability, which defined free market opportunities for countries which followed the treaty and complete isolation for countries which violated it. The US policy of collaboration with India has ruined that stability.
Instead of struggling for non-proliferation countries have started rush for best bargains on new nuclear market in India. Moreover, such development of nuclear technology in South Asia can become an evidence of impunity and lead to unpredictable results. Thus, the governments of all countries in the world should work out some program which could regulate the development of nuclear technology in the world since it is impossible to neglect such affluent source of power; however, it is essential to use it properly.