Foreign Relations of the United States, 1977–1980, Volume XIX, South Asia

125. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in India¹

Washington, February 5, 1979, 2208Z

30708. Exdis for Ambassador from Miklos. Subject: (S) Vajpayee Interview and NRC Decision.

1. (S) Entire text.

2. NRC has expressed concern over Vajpayee interview and his comments on PNE’s and nuclear option.² Based on our discussion with NRC officials, it clear that interview has had serious adverse impact on NRC attitude toward XSNM–1222. It now seems likely that NRC, which previously appeared to be favorably disposed toward XSNM–1222, will vote against it later this week unless we have authoritative reaffirmation that GOI policy as articulated by Prime Minister remains unchanged. While NRC is aware of your report and clarification from lower level MEA officials,³ it is felt that it falls short of reassuring NRC Commissioners.

3. Accordingly, request you seek appointment with Shankar and/or Vajpayee to obtain clarification Vajpayee’s statement and affirmation that GOI’s policy with respect to PNE’s and nuclear weapons development remains unchanged. You may point out that we regret having to raise these questions once again with GOI, but Foreign Minister’s interview has unfortunately raised questions in Washington and we have no alternative.⁴

4. FYI: You will appreciate that even if reassurances are forthcoming from GOI, we cannot guarantee that a highly skeptical NRC will act favorably on XSNM–1222. Leave it to you how to convey this without GOI getting any more upset than it probably already is.

Vance

1. Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D790055–0637. Secret; Immediate; Exdis; Stadis. Sent for information Immediate to Bombay. Drafted by John R. Malott (NEA/INS); cleared in S/S–O and in substance by Nosenzo and Thornton; approved by Miklos.
2. Telegram 25801 to New Delhi, January 31, relayed to the Embassy the text of an AFP dispatch, reported by FBIS. According to the dispatch, Vajpayee stated during a January 31 interview in Bombay’s weekly magazine Blitz that “India could not foreclose its nuclear options ‛for all time to come.’ He said, ‛We will announce them (explosions) to the world and tell them: well, look, we are going to have these explosions, or implosions, or blasts, for peaceful purposes; and if anybody wants to see them, he will be welcome to do that, that is our position.’” (National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D790047–0580)
3. Telegram 1805 from New Delhi, February 1, reported that, despite Vajpayee’s Blitz (a magazine that the Embassy deemed “anti-US, leftist, and notoriously sensationalist”) interview, a “high-level spokesman for MEA and PM’s Secretariat assure us that there is no change in the govt’s non-proliferation policy.” (National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D790049–0554)
4. In telegram 2139 from New Delhi, February 7, Goheen conveyed Vajpayee’s reaction to the NRC’s concern regarding the Blitz interview, noting that Vajpayee became “somewhat upset when I raised the subject. He said that anyone who had the whole Blitz text should be able to see that he had not enunciated any new policy, and, besides, it should be obvious that a Foreign Minister does not have the authority to make policy contradictory to policy declared by his Prime Minister.” (National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D790058–0487)