Nuclear Proliferation in South Asia – Towards World War III

Abstract

South Asian subcontinent, which was governed as a one unit from Khyber to Burma since almost last one thousand years, partitioned by the ruling British Empire resulting into two states namely India and Pakistan. The major reason behind partition of the subcontinent was the religious and cultural differences between the Hindus and Muslims.

India compelled Pakistan to become a security state due to its expansionist policies and to expand its superiority over the whole region, the Indian nuclear program was initiated, forcing Pakistan to also develop its nuclear program. Both nations became official nuclear powers in May 1998 when India first tested its nuclear devices and Pakistan doing the same after merely two weeks. The lives of over a billion people are at mercy of the two nuclear powers state heads, especially India having an extremist government poses a serious threat to the peace of subcontinent needing urgent arbitrary measures.

Keywords: Subcontinent, Nuclear Deterrence, Nuclear Program, Armageddon