Making of the Indian Atomic Bomb: Science, Secrecy and the Postcolonial State

by Itty Abraham

In 1974 India exploded an atomic device. In May 1998 the new BJP Government exploded several more, encountering in the process domestic plaudits but international condemnation and a nuclear arms race in South Asia. This book is the first serious historical account of the development of nuclear power in India and of how the bomb came to be made. The author questions orthodox interpretations implying that it was a product of the Indo-Pakistani conflict. Instead, he suggests that the explosions had nothing to do with national security as conventionally understood. Instead he demonstrates the linkages that existed between the two apparently separate discourses of national security and national development, and explores their common underlying basis in postcolonial states. The result is a remarkable book that breaks new ground in integrating comparative politics, international relations and cultural studies.

Genres: India

180 pages, Hardcover

First published November 15, 1998

About the author

Itty Abraham is Program Director at the Social Science Research Council in New York.

Reviews

[Sriram · Rating 4 out of 5]

For me it was a very compelling read. May be a very complicated analysis nonetheless a very compelling read