Was Dr Bhabha keen on India becoming a Nuclear Weapons State?
Dr Bhabha had in his mind from the very beginning that India should become a Nuclear Weapons State. His emphasis on self-reliance is essentially due to the fact he wanted India to be a nuclear weapons country. What about his relationship with J R D Tata [ Images ]? The Tatas always encouraged Dr Bhabha, and helped him in every way that they could. Given his stress on self reliance, would Dr Bhabha have been happy with the nuclear deal we are negotiating with the US? In my view, had Dr Bhabha been alive, we would not have been in this position (to begin with). With respect to India-US relations, he was always for an independent way of thinking and acting, commanding equal respect from the partner. If you look at the agreement with Canada (Canada sold and installed for India two heavy water reactors in Rajasthan [ Images ] as well as a small Cirus research reactor at BARC, Mumbai. The plutonium for India’s first peaceful nuclear explosion in Pokhran in 1974, it is believed, came from Cir
