Pokharan II and this issue

The month of May has come to mark two anniversaries. The first of these is the third anniversary of the Pokharan-II tests, which mark India's coming of age as a nuclear power. The second anniversary is that of the Kargil conflict. Since the nuclear tests there has been much debate over the yields of the devices tested on the 11th and 13th of May 1998. Analyses published outside India in the immediate aftermath tended to dismiss Indian claims about the performance of the devices as exaggerations. More recent analyses, such as those by the Federation of American Scientists, admit that the initial methodology for evaluating Indian yields may have been flawed. Skepticism regarding the tests has implications for credibility of the Indian deterrent. To this end D.Ramana, Matt Thundyil and V. Sunder offer a rigorous open source analysis  to address the claims and counterclaims from a scientific standpoint in order to evaluate the validity of the various assertions. This seminal analysis goes a long way in (re)establishing the credibility of Pokharan tests. We hope that this article represents the final word on the Pokharan yields, in the light of all the evidence currently available.

Kargil has passed into history and is as much a defining moment in contemporary diplomatic and military history as Pokharan-II. In this issue we carry two articles on Kargil. The capture of Tololing on 12 June 1999 in the Dras sector marked the turning point for the conflict. The historic significance of this operation can not be overstated and L.N.Subramanian's article provides a detailed account of the battle. Ravi Rikhye offers us an insight into operations by Pakistan's Northern Light Infantry during the war. Not only did this force do much of the fighting for the Pakistan Army, it also took serious casualties and was treated very shabbily by the government that it fought for. In our Features section we have two more significant articles. In the context of a 'nuclearized' confrontation over Kargil Sanjay Badri-Maharaj has kindly allowed us to excerpt a section of his recent book. His article discusses the battlefield impact of nuclear weapons in the India-Pakistan context. Laxman Bahroo examines the regional impact of the rise and consolidation of the Taleban movement in Afgahnistan. After our last issue went online, many of our readers were less than satisfied that we didn't carry our usual regimental history as part of the Know Your Army section. Well, they will be happy to know that this issue offers them an excellent and very comprehensive history of Army's most decorated regiments - the Sikhs, courtesy of D.S.Sandhu.

We would like to take this opportunity to welcome J.E. Menon to the editorial team. He will be stepping into the shoes of Matt Thundyil who will be on sabbatical for the next six months. J.E.M. has been with Bharat Rakshak since its very inception has been a regular contributor to the Monitor. We look forward to working with J.E.M. at the Monitor and wish Matt a good sabbatical.

Last, but by no means the least, I would like to invite our readers to take a few minutes and visit our online memorial to those who perished at Kargil defending this country and our way of life.