Priyanjali Malik, India’s Nuclear Debate: Exceptionalism and the Bomb

Priyanjali Malik’s book titled ‘India’s Nuclear Debate: Exceptionalism and the Bomb’, attempts to examine the public debate which took place among the Indian elite as well as the middle class on India’s nuclear policy. It explains why international pressure on India to sign Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) was viewed by ‘attentive India’ as not only a security threat but also infringement on India’s sovereignty. According to the Dr. Malik, ‘attentive India’ mainly comprised of upper and middle class Indians who keenly participated in the nuclear debate. India’s nuclear tests in May 1998 were regarded by attentive India as political weapon which helped it safeguarding its sovereignty