Nuclear Technology Should be Viewed as Neutral, Says Arundhati Ghose

August 13, 2013

New Delhi: Delivering a lecture to commemorate the Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima/Nagasaki on August 13, 2012, Ambassador Arundhati Ghose today said that “Hiroshima and Nagasaki has come to symbolize the fear of death and destruction on one end and resurrection of hope and life on the other.” Based on the theme of ‘Significance of 1945’, the lecture was organised by the Indian Pugwash Society at the Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA). Ambassador Dr Sheel Kant Sharma moderated the session.

Ambassador Ghose said that the ”direct impact of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was to introduce the ethical and moral element into the use of WMDs.” She stated that nuclear weapon was not just a weapon of war. It was aimed “not only at achieving mass destruction, but to do so in a single attempt, thus inducing fear in the minds of the enemy.” She further said that ”nuclear technology should be viewed as neutral and the decision to use a nuclear weapon was political, taken in the time of war.

She emphasised that morality should be part of the public decision making and the complex lessons of Hiroshima and Nagasaki needs to be remembered to eliminate fear from the battleground of minds.

Referring to the dilemmas of policymakers in handling weapons of such power, Ambassador Ghose said, “the significance of August 1945 lies in making us see the neutrality of technology as a weapon. It causes destruction, though it also temporarily gives protection against the coercive power of those weapon requiring, logically their complete elimination. It is also a source of energy and as such it gives the people the hope of a better life. The balance between the interest of the public and the emotional reactions of the individuals or groups has to be to be maintained during policy formulation. Morality can only be a part of decision making. The lessons of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are complex and need to be remembered.”

The Chair Ambassador Sharma mentioned that some of the scientists involved in the Manhattan project became skeptical about the project as the WWII was turning in favour of the allied powers. He emphasized that the fear of use of nuclear weapons drove the entire Cold War nuclear policy. However the cold war concepts of nucler strategy and deterrence must be scrutinized today.