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Signature campaign blasts N-tests

Eminent Indians have mounted a signature campaign condemning India's nuclear tests.

Dr Rajni Kothari, Kuldip Nayar and Medha Patkar are signatories to a document which argues that the need today is not to enter the club of five nuclear nations, but to get out of the club of ten least socially developed countries.

"We strongly condemn India's recent nuclear tests, the aggressive jingoism unleashed by it, and the insecurity caused by it in the region. Nuclear weapons cause transgenerational and large-scale destruction... it is shameful that we should celebrate an achievement that announces to the world that India is now capable of killing millions of people," the statement reads.

Other signatories include Praful Bidwai, Achin Vinayak, Bittu Sahgal, Ravi Agarwal, and Nityanand Jayaraman.

"We are deeply distressed by the outpourings of bloated national pride from sections of the media and a number of political parties. The claims of having attained super power status is also bogus. In a nuclear war, there are no winners.

"A minority government without a democratic mandate has taken the decision to cross the nuclear Rubicon without a security rationale. This will degrade, not enhance, India's security and trigger a ruinous nuclear arms race in the region, and seek to justify numerous destructive nuclear projects within the country. Once again, the priorites of the common people have been set aside for suprious considerations."

UNI

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