India fails to get into nuclear club

Simran Sodhi

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 24

In an embarrassment, both at the diplomatic and political level, India’s bid for membership to the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) was rejected on Friday. At the end of the two-day plenary meeting of the NSG in Seoul, the nuclear club made it amply clear that it was in no mood to make an exception for India.

The NSG declared its “firm support” for the “full, complete and effective” implementation of the NPT as the cornerstone of the international non-proliferation regime. India, in the meantime, pointed a finger at one country in particular which ‘persistently created procedural hurdles’.

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 China had made its opposition to India’s entry into the NSG quite clear publicly. In various statements, it had stressed on the importance of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). India is not a signatory but had hoped that given its clean record in proliferation, the NSG members would make an exception.

Pakistan, on its part, submitted its membership application to the NSG a week after India did. That gave China another case to argue that India and Pakistan’s entry be considered together. But China was not alone in its opposition. Turkey, New Zealand, Austria and even India’s BRICS partner Brazil had reservations on India being let into the NSG. 

Switzerland also made a U-turn. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited the country recently and apparently managed Swiss support for India’s bid. 

“We understand that despite procedural hurdles by one country, a three-hour discussion took place last night on the issue of future participation in the NSG,” MEA official spokesperson Vikas Swarup said.