Endogenous Nuclear Deterrence: The Bomb and Security in South Asia

Abstract

Discoveries in modern science have contributed immensely to the giant strides taken by humanity in subduing nature. At the same time, it has managed to discover new sinews of power to inflict irreparable damage to opponents, dissenters, and outliers in the realm of politics. The scientific revolution that led to the splitting up of atoms also resulted in the evolution of the atomic bomb. It was the ultimate expression of power maximization which lay latent in human beings. The article attempts to locate the presence of the ‘bomb’ in South Asia which stands in stark contrast to the neorealist logic of capability maximization in response to the anarchy at the ‘structural’ level. In other words, the article will attempt to trace the genealogy of the bomb and try to establish the endogenous origins of the ‘bomb’. Endogenous origins would imply anomalies at the ideational level, psychological scars, and the threat posed by the dominant ‘other’, culminating in the making of the nuclear bomb. Second, the article will seek to explore the debate between nuclear ‘optimists’ and ‘pessimists’ and contextualize it in South Asia. Lastly, the article would make a normative case for ‘human security’ as against ceaseless pursuit of ‘ontological security’ by both India and Pakistan.

Nuclear Terror: The Force Behind Restraint Between Pakistan and India

“…It also happens to be home to India's Nuclear Fuel Complex which might be manufacturing nuclear weapon cores. It is possibly a manufacturing and storage site for India's short-range Prithvi missiles (Sharma, 2017). If the city of Hyderabad bomb with 20 kilotons, then around 436000 immediate fatalities will be produced.…”

“…Either the policy choices will be affected which holding an important question in the region: do the people of both the countries know about the aftermath of the nuclear war? Activists of Anti-nuclear weapons endeavored to disseminate awareness about the consequences of nuclear war but they are thwarted due to, media do not play their role, the political leadership of both the countries do not show their interest towards this critical issue and also due to low literacy rate (Sharma, 2017). An enhanced understanding of the magnitude of the destruction might be given to the public who are asking their leaders to implement the option of the nuclear.…”