fizzle detonated a full-scale row on Thursday, with former President A P J Abdul Kalam refuting the statement of his former colleague.

Kalam, who spearheaded India’s nuclear programme then, came out in the open asserting that the test was successful. With Santhanam holding his ground and other scientists weighing in with their versions, a vigorous debate raged through the day on whether Pokharan II was indeed as successful as was claimed.

“There was a detailed review, based on the two experimental results: first, the seismic measurement close to the site and, second, radioactive measurement of the material after post-shot drill on the test site. It has been established by the project team that the design yield of the thermonuclear test has been obtained,” said Kalam, scientific advisor to the defence ministry when the test took place.

R Chidambaram, who led the team of scientists who conducted the tests, also described Santhanam’s claim as absurd.

However, an undeterred Santhanam told TOI on Thursday that the hydrogen bomb test was not more than 50-60% successful in terms of the yield it generated. He was supported by prominent nuclear scientists including P K Iyengar, a player in Pokhran I, who said Santhanam was only stating the truth, but Kalam sought to end the controversy by saying that the desired yield had been obtained.

The dispute is significant from the point of view of whether the country needs to conduct more tests – an option that has become expensive because of the nuclear cooperation deals with the US and other countries and which may disappear altogether if the country acquiesces to the growing pressure for Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). 

Santhanam had said that the test was a fizzle because the actual yield was much lower than what was claimed. He told TOI on Thursday that the thermonuclear device test was only 50-60% successful.

“I can’t recall the exact number but it wasn’t more than that. My assessment is based on the report by the programme coordinator and also the instrumentation data,” said Santhanam, adding that he would take statements about India having enough deterrence, including the one made by Navy chief Sureesh Mehta on Thursday, with a kiloton (KT) of salt. DRDO was responsible for the instrumentation work in the tests and Santhanam was DRDO’s main man in the whole exercise.

While Navy chief Mehta said on Thursday that India had enough nuclear deterrence, Brajesh Mishra, who was NSA in 1998, said that Kalam himself had certified the test result and it “set the record straight”.
Santhanam stood his ground though. “I can’t stop anybody from taking names. It is his perspective. My observation has a scientific and technological basis to it,” he said.