Dr. Sudershan Kumar
3rd September, 2017 sent tremors across the world and saw North Korea news channels reporting successful testing of Hydrogen bomb thus sending ripples of alarm across the international community especially USA, Japan, South Korea and many other countries. This detonation of hydrogen bomb by North Korea is sixth in the series and first of its kind. The preceding five nuclear tests done were atomic explosions based on nuclear fission (process of splitting unstable nuclei with emission of energy). This sixth test was based on the principle of fusion(a process where two nuclei combined together at 1.2 billion Kelvin with unlimited release of energy) also termed as thermo nuclear process. North Korea have further claimed that hydrogen bomb testing fits into intercontinental ballistic missile and the yield of hydrogen bomb was around 60 kilotons. This was further corroborated by South Korea and USA. Their weather stations recorded the artificial earthquake of the magnitude 5.7 to 6.7. North Korea further professed that their device is multi functional and can be detonated at a very high altitude for generation of super power high altitude electromagnetic pulse. Thus a quantum jump in the development and use of such highly critical technologies in their weapon is evident. The hydrogen bomb falls under the category of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). The other weapons incorporated in this category are Atomic bomb, chemical weapon and biological warfare. These weapons of mass destruction are extremely precarious and a menace for the mankind. The world has already felt their brunt during world war I and world war II. In world war-I (July 1914 – November 1918) nearly 1,44,000 tonnes of chemicals warfare agents varying from teargas to phosgene were used by all warring parties to demoralize, cause injury and killings of rival soldiers. Nearly 60% – 70% of the deaths which occurred during world war I were due to the extensive use of these chemicals. Even in world War II the hazards were colossal and the wreckage caused can still be seen following the dropping of two atomic bombs on cities of Japan that killed nearly one hundred thousand people.The first atom bomb was dropped at Hiroshima on 6th August,1945. This device was enriched with Uranium. Its yield was around 15 kilotons. It caused around 1,40,000 casualties with subsequent manifold increase in cancer and chronic diseases. The second atom bomb was detonated on Nagasaki on 9th August, 1945. The fissile material used in this device was plutonium. It also resulted into all-round annihilation and killed around seventy four thousand people. But the lessons were never learnt. Various countries like USA, erstwhile USSR began to get the ball rolling in establishing supremacy against each other and an arms race thus unfolded. The moment, the Americans came to know about USSR’s successful involvement of the atom bomb, they immediately conjectured to make a bomb with larger calamitous and catastrophic impact. The quest of this resulted in the idea that a weapon based on nuclear emission can be used to trigger nuclear fusion. This was put forward by one of their scientist named Fermi, but was carried forward by Edward Teller. Edward Teller is also known as the father of hydrogen bomb. The concept of triggering fusion of Deuterium and Tritium through fission was used for making hydrogen bomb. The energy released through this process was much more as compared to that of fission. The United State of America tested its first hydrogen bomb on 1 Nov 1952 and subsequently detonated the second on 1 March 1954 with the yield of around 58 Megatons. This was considered as one of the largest test conducted by USA so far. Subsequently Russia, France, UK, China also joined this race and a spurt in becoming nuclear state became conspicuous. Over a span of seventy years, more than 2000 test have been conducted. Out of which majority of tests have been conducted by USA, USSR and around 2%by China. Subsequently India and Pakistan also conducted 6 tests each in the year 1998. Lately,North Korea has joined the gang too.
.Subsequently , increasing acquaintance about their menace led these five countries to initiate ways to curtail them although they were deeply involved in piling stock of nuclear weapons at the same time. The first one was in the form partial test ban treaty (PTBT), signed initially by USA, UK, & USSR on 5th August,1963 at Moscow. As per this treaty, they could impose ban on nations for testing nuclear weapons anywhere in the atmosphere, outer space and under water. About 123 countries signed this treaty. Ten countries signed, but did not ratify. This was considered as a step towards the non proliferation treaty (NPT). In fact, NPT was proposed with the main objective to restrain the spread of nuclear weapon and weapon technology, to promote cooperation for amicable and judicious use of nuclear energy and complete disarmament of nuclear arsenal by the five nuclear states. The treaty was signed by 191 countries, but India Israel, North Korea, Pakistan and South Sudan did not sign this treaty. India always was justifiably skeptical and considered this a bias towards the nuclear states. Evidently very little progress towards disarmament is noted. Subsequently, a multilateral treaty seeking ban on future nuclear explosions for military and civilian purpose was proposed in United Nation General Assembly on 10th September,1996. This treaty was known as the comprehensive test ban treaty (CTBT). Nearly 183 countries signed this treaty but China Egypt, Iran, Israel, North Korea did not ratify it. India neither signed nor ratify the CTBT.
It is worth mentioning here that the proliferation of nuclear materials is still enduring in spite of these treaties and many countries like Pakistan and North Korea countries continue to obstinately claim that they have acquired credible nuclear technology. North Korea detonation of hydrogen bomb yielding around 60 kilo tons is the glaring example of this. To substantiate their self reliance, they claim that the whole technology is home grown including the components which are said to be indigenous and processes are put as per Juche. Juche is North Korea’s home ground ideology, which preach of working in isolation. It is based on maximum Marxism and extreme Nationalism adopted by the State founder Kim II.But the argument that the technology concerning detonation of hydrogen bomb and for the development of ICBM is indigenous hardly has any takers including the two stage thermo nuclear devices in view of the sanctions imposed on it.
Therefore, the question arises, which route North Korea has adopted to acquire this technology . This should certainly be a cause of worry for Indian authorities.
Indian security agencies may feel that China has joined international community for condemning this act of North Korea, but it cannot get away from it’s speculated role of proliferation that enabled North Korea and Pakistan to progressively strengthen their missile and nuclear capability.
Therefore the author is of the view that no amount of sanctions will serve any purpose.The international community must provide some space for negotiation. President Trump’s repeated assertion for possible military action as one of this option will not serve any purpose, may even add fuel to fire and tougher sanctions will make North Korean s more obstinate. Moreover all these tough actions have proved invain as North Korea is adamant in it’s nuclear endeavour and even threatened to sink Japan and destroy U.S.A. It should be made known that if any sane person uses Hydrogen Bomb, it will be a doom’s day for the humanity. So need of the hour is restraint, tranpareny and mutual confidence building.
(The author is former Director General DRDO)
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