ISI still desperate for sand samples of nuclear test area in Pokhran

The Times of India

Sixteen years after India created history by becoming the sixth country to have tested nuclear bombs and joining the elite nuclear club on May 11, 1998, Pak intelligence agency, ISI, is making a lot of efforts to get a sample of the sand in Pokhran. The ISI even today, is reportedly trying to spy this area and get the sand samples of the area in Pokhran where the nuclear tests were conducted.

At the tail end of Pokaran field firing range, the spot where nuclear test was done, is under strict vigil and ISI has not been able to succeed in its efforts. The 3.5km long road is closely guarded and one has to pass four strictly guarded gates to get there. Even till today, the then director of United States' Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), George Tenent feels disappointed at not being able to get the hint of the nuclear test conducted by India in 1998.

According to an intelligence source, "ISI had launched its spies and agents whose objective was to take sand from this place. ISI wants to test the sand and analyze how the testing was done scientifically and technically. But due to the alertness of BSF jawans, their objective so far has not seen the light of the day."

Defence spokesperson SD Goswami said, "Guarding and protecting the defence land is the responsibility of the local military authority. As such, all defence land falls under restricted area zone where permission for civilian freedom of movement is strictly monitored and depends on case to case."

May 11 has been officially declared as the National Technology Day in India to commemorate the first of the five tests that were carried out on the 16th anniversary of Pokhran II. After the nuclear test done on May 11 and 13, 1988, the place is under strict Army vigil even today and no person can enter it for several kilometres without Army's permission.

Just 16 years ago, Buddha smiled at Pokaran area in Jaisalmer. In hind sight, 'Smiling Buddha' a (MEA designation: Pokhran-I) was the code name of India's first nuclear weapon explosion, which took place on May 18, 1974. As a sheer coincidence, after a long silence, on May 11, 1988 in the same Pokaran range, three nuclear explosions were done and that day, too, was Buddha Purnima.

It may be recalled that missile man and former president APJ Abdul Kalam, for the success of the series of nuclear tests, in a confidential manner stayed here for over two months under a pseudo name along with two scientist friends at Khetolai field firing range. For the implementation of these tests secretly, a chess table was laid and even America's chief intelligence agencies could not get a hint of the same.