Foreign Relations, 1969-1976, Volume E-8, Documents on South Asia, 1973-1976
Released by the Office of the Historian
161. Telegram 6591 From the Embassy in India to the Department of State and the Embassy in the United Kingdom, May 18, 1974, 0600Z.
161. Telegram 6591 From the Embassy in India to the Department of State and the Embassy in the United Kingdom, May 18, 1974, 0600Z.
PAGE 01 NEW DE 06591 180641Z 11 ACTION SS-30 INFO OCT-01 ISO-00 SSO-00 CCO-00 NSCE-00 /031 W
--------------------- 075002Z O 180600Z MAY 74 ZFF 4 FM AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI TO SECSTATE WASHDC FLASH 1529 USINT DAMASCUS NIACT IMMEDIATE AMEMBASSY LONDON FLASH
C O R R E C T E D C O P Y (PARA. 2.) DAMASCUS FOR THE SECRETARY LONDON - DELIVERY IMMEDIATELY TO AMBASSADOR MOYNIHAN SUBJECT: INDIAN NUCLEAR TEST FOREIGN SECRETARY KEWAL SINGH CALLED IN THE CHARGE AT 10 AM MAY 18 TO INFORM HIM THAT INDIA HAS AT 8 AM ON MAY 18 CARRIED OUT A PEACEFUL NUCLEAR EXPLOSION. SAYING THAT HE WAS INFORMING THE US CHARGE BEFORE OTHER DEPLOMATIC REPRESENTATIVES AND THAT HE WAS CARRYING OUT THE INSTRUCTIONS OF THE FOREIGN MINISTER, SINGH SAID THAT THE EXPLOSION HAD BEEN OF AN IMPLOSION DEVICE AT A DEPTH OF OVER ONE HUNDRED METERS BELOW GROUND. HE EXPLAINED THAT THE EXPERIMENT HAD BEEN CARRIED OUT BY THE INDIAN ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION IN ORDER TO KEEP INDIA ABREST OF THE TECHN- NOLOGY CONCERNING PEACEFUL USES OF NUCLEAR ENERGY FOR SUCH PURPOSES AS MINING AND EARTH MOVING. SINGH ASKED THAT THERE BE NO MISUNDERSTANDING THAT INDIA REMAINS ABSOLUTELY COMMITTED AGAINST THE USE OF NUCLEAR ENERGY FOR MILITARY PURPOSES. 2. THE CHARGE REPLIED THAT HE BELIEVED THAT THIS NEWS WOULD BE RECEIVED WITH CONSIDERABLE SHOCK IN WASHINGTON. EXPLAINED THAT AS KEWAL SINGH KNEW, THE US DID NOT BELIEVE IT POSSIBLE TO DIS- TINGUISH BETWEEN EXPLOSIONS FOR PEACEFUL AND MILITARY PURPOSES. SINGH REPEATED THAT INDIA WAS ABSOLUTELY OPPOSED TO MILITARY
PAGE 02 NEW DE 06591 180641Z USES. THERE WERE LARGE SCALE POSSIBILITIES FOR USE IN MINERAL EXPLOITATION. INDIA DID NOT SIGN NPT BECAUSE IT WAS OPPOSED TO DESCRIMINATION AGAINST NON-NUCLEAR POWERS. IT WAS NEVERTHELESS FIRMLY COMMITED NOT TO USE NUCLEAR ENERGY FOR OTHER THAN PEACE- FUL PURPOSES. INDIA DID NOT HAVE THE ECONOMIC CAPABILITY TO DEVOTE TO MILITARY USE. SIGNH CONCLUDED BY STATING HIS DEVOUT HOPE THAT THIS EVENT WILL NOT INTERFERE WITH IMPROVING US- INDIA RELATIONS. SCHNEIDER
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