May 17, 1999

The first year on the nuclear highway was fine. But there are miles to go

This week sees the anniversary of the Shakti nuclear tests carried out in the Pokhran range in Rajasthan in 1998. By all accounts, the Government must be complimented for having handled the international fallout with great aplomb and, indeed, self-confidence. It took on the forces of sanction and coercion by directly engaging their leader, the United States, in a bilateral dialogue. Eight intense rounds later, the sanctions have not been lifted, but no one is talking about turning the clock back. If the muted reaction to the Agni ii test in April was one manifestation of this, another was the decision of the Chinese to accept the Indian hand of friendship and resume the joint working group talks on resolving the Sino-Indian border dispute.

Those who predicted doom and perdition are still around. If they are able to take off their tinted glasses, they will see that instead of isolation India has been able to revitalise its foreign policy and engage its potential friends and adversaries in a policy based on realism rather than hype. Reams have been written about Atal Bihari Vajpayee's Lahore journey. But the visit and its outcome could only have been possible in a situation where the covert nuclear capabilities and suspicions of both sides had come out into the open and allowed them to discuss confidence-building measures to ensure that they are not used through miscalculation or error. As for the economic coercion, it is today more than apparent that it is a failed policy whose end is a matter of time. But there is still work to be done. With its declaration that it will never be the first to use nuclear weapons, India must ensure that it has the wherewithal and the command and control apparatus necessary for sustaining a strike and retaliating. This is what a "credible minimum nuclear deterrent" is all about. Having crossed the nuclear Rubicon, India cannot avoid thinking about the consequences of the unthinkable.

One Man Two Votes

Why not hold this winter's assembly elections with the Lok Sabha poll?

Some years ago psychologists coined the term "electoral fatigue" to describe the predicament of voters in countries like Switzerland, the land with a referendum fetish. The syndrome is rooted in the tiresome nature of a political system that forces its people to vote at the drop of a hat. In recent years, India too has come to acquire such a reputation. Frequent elections don't just leave voters frowning, they disrupt everyday existence. Once the polling dates are notified and the model code of conduct comes into effect, governance comes to a stop. With Atal Bihari Vajpayee set to run a caretaker regime for nearly six months, 1999 is going to be something of a wasted year for India. The effort should now be towards minimising the damage.

In the winter of 1999-2000, assembly elections are due in eight states -- Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Sikkim by the end of December and Maharashtra, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Orissa and Bihar by April. It would be prudent to bring forward these polls and hold them along with the general elections. Such an exercise would not be unprecedented. Till 1967, Lok Sabha and vidhan sabha polls were held concurrently. If the coming elections are similarly clubbed much money will be saved, both by the Election Commission and by parties in terms of campaign budgets. The only people who will complain are those in power in these states, who will not want their five-year terms truncated. Actually if they have ruled wisely they don't need to worry at all and should be looking forward to another innings. If they've made a mess and are apprehensive of popular punishment, then too bad. Elections exist to facilitate democracy, not the other way round. The people of India want to be done with it and get on with their lives. That is the least they deserve.

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