| There has been a most serious development that | | | | management of radiological substances. |
| the Indian National Security Adviser (NSA) Shiv | | | | Radiological waste is any material which releases |
| Shankar Menon falsely stated at the Asian | | | | radiation that has been or will be discarded as |
| security conference currently being held in | | | | being of no further use. While it may have lost its |
| Singapore, that it is evident that sections of the | | | | utility for its authorized purpose, it can become a |
| community of analysts in other countries have | | | | deadly weapon in the hands of anti-social |
| started questioning the security of India's nuclear | | | | elements, including terrorists, who can use the |
| arsenal should India be unable to reverse the | | | | material to make a ‘radiological dispersal |
| successes of the Maoists. The NSA has explained | | | | device' or RDD. A RDD is referred to in common |
| why the Maoists do not pose a threat to India's | | | | parlance as a ‘dirty bomb', a bomb which can |
| nuclear arsenal. It is a purely rural-based | | | | disperse radiological material over an area and |
| insurgency with very little support in the urban | | | | cause death, injury and widespread panic, |
| areas. It is purely an Indian movement with an | | | | depending on the lethality of the explosive device. |
| Indian agenda and not a global movement with a | | | | It is established that terrorist groups like al Qaeda |
| global agenda. He further stated that since | | | | have persistently attempted to acquire radiological |
| Maoists' movement recruits mainly from the | | | | materials for making a nuclear device, or a far |
| semi-literate or illiterate tribal communities, the | | | | more easily manufactured RDD. The incident in |
| Internet holds no attraction for them. It has not | | | | Delhi is not the first example of radiological |
| shown much interest in typical terrorist operations | | | | material making its way into unauthorized hands. |
| like aviation or maritime terrorism. It is old | | | | Unfortunately, while the Indian Prime Minister has |
| insurgency still inspired and influenced by Mao's | | | | repeatedly maintained that India has an |
| Yenan model and not new insurgency. Though Mr. | | | | ‘impeccable' record in nuclear security and |
| Menon's speech sounds "no real threat" from the | | | | safety, there have been many documented |
| Maoists but the reality speaks otherwise. It has | | | | instances of such incidents that should be of |
| been repeatedly brought to the limelight the issue | | | | concern to the security establishment. One of the |
| of global threat posed by Maoists. This threat | | | | earliest such incidents involving accidental radiation |
| maximized specially due to the ability of these | | | | occurred on 27 July 1991 when a number of |
| forces to exploit their current power to grab | | | | labourers were affected by radiation poisoning at |
| Nukes, Uranium and lot more from the potential | | | | the heavy water plant in Rawatbhata in |
| Nuclear Installations located in the areas under the | | | | Rajasthan. In November 2009, over 50 workers |
| control of these insurgents. The recent incidents | | | | at the Kaiga Nuclear plant were hospitalized after |
| of Uranium theft in India are not hidden from the | | | | they showed symptoms of radiation poisoning. |
| eyes of the world community. Recent radioactive | | | | Investigations into this incident showed that the |
| contamination in Delhi due to exposure to Cobalt | | | | workers had ingested Tritium, which was |
| also raised huge alarms and caught UN's attention | | | | maliciously mixed in a water cooler at the plant. In |
| that has formed a commission to probe this | | | | another incident, workers at the Waste |
| matter. These facts are enough to prove the | | | | Immobilization Plant (WIP) at Tarapur were |
| lethality of Maoists/Naxals as during the first five | | | | affected by radiation when a co-worker had |
| months of 2010, six States have suffered | | | | deliberately placed a few drops of radiological |
| fatalities in the security forces at the hands of | | | | waste in the working premises. The incident came |
| Maoists-Chattisgarh (103 ), West Bengal | | | | to light when instruments kept in the laboratory |
| (32),Orissa (17), Jharkand (10), Bihar (6), and | | | | for measuring radiation registered abnormal |
| Maharashtra(2). The same six States suffered | | | | radioactivity. The absence of simple security |
| fatalities in 2009 too----- Chattisgarh ( 121), | | | | measures has frustrated investigations into these |
| Jharkand (67), Maharashtra ( 52), Orissa (32), | | | | incidents of radiological poisoning. The Minister of |
| Bihar (25 ), and West Bengal (15). While the | | | | State in the PMO, Prithviraj Chavan, admitted in |
| ground situation has remained as serious in | | | | the Indian Parliament that the government had |
| Chattisgarh as it was in 2009, it has deteriorated | | | | not installed CCTV cameras in the nuclear facility. |
| in West Bengal. There has been a downward | | | | According to him "the government would install |
| trend in Jharkand, Bihar, Orissa and Maharashtra. | | | | cameras and CCTVs in all such areas." However, |
| Indian NSA Mr. Menon also tried to trick the minds | | | | in facilities at Kalpakkam, security norms were not |
| of the participants of the Asian security | | | | in place when a leak led to the mixing of two |
| conference by declaring that Maoists insurgency is | | | | kinds of radioactive wastes leading to increased |
| supported by illiterate and semi illiterate masses of | | | | radioactivity in the area. Six workers were |
| India. Unfortunately he was unable to assess that | | | | affected, and investigations showed that there |
| the areas where Maoists are infesting are densely | | | | were no monitors to detect the radiation level in |
| populated and have healthy literacy rate as | | | | the area, and that the workers were not wearing |
| compared to other parts of India. The map linked | | | | personal thermo luminescent dosimeters, which |
| below clearly shows that the states like | | | | registers the radiation received. Safety and |
| Chattisgarh, West Bengal and Orissa have quite | | | | security at nuclear mining sites and facilities are |
| impressive literacy rate which clearly nullifies the | | | | also repeatedly belied by reports of thefts and |
| baseless claim by Mr. Menon that the insurgency is | | | | uranium smuggling rings operating in the states of |
| triggered and controlled by the illiterates. Under | | | | Jharkhand and Meghalaya. In a shocking admission, |
| recent reports that Maoists are intensifying new | | | | former Jharkand Chief Minister Madhu Koda |
| recruitments drive that has attracted many poor | | | | admitted that a ‘uranium-filled analyzer' was |
| youths. It is possible that in the coming months | | | | reportedly stolen from a federal atomic facility |
| India would see the worst and the most | | | | near the densely-populated town of Rajrappa. In |
| dangerous insurgency in the history of the world. | | | | addition, facilities at cargo entry points and scrap |
| Another possibility is gaining strength that Al | | | | yards warrant attention by the security agencies |
| Qaeda or any anti American terrorist group may | | | | regarding the import of radiological waste |
| find Maoists as potential recruits to capture either | | | | materials from abroad. The Indian customs |
| Uranium or even can reach Nukes of India with | | | | authorities have not yet installed radiation |
| ultimate ease. The reports of pathetic security | | | | detection equipment at ports of entry making it |
| arrangements at Indian Nuclear sites gives | | | | very easy to smuggle dangerous nuclear material |
| possibility to such notion because as stated earlier | | | | into the country. Repeated incidents involving |
| the incidents of Uranium theft are increasing | | | | radiological waste from abroad have failed to jolt |
| enormously in India since last few months. The | | | | any national consideration of this issue. Even more |
| following report is an eye opener for many | | | | telling is that the National Disaster Management |
| NUCLEAR SECURITY REVIEW: A MUST FOR | | | | Authority has not been able to move ahead on |
| INDIA Siddharth Ramana Research Officer, IPCS | | | | the subject of radiation terrorism as plainly |
| (Institute of Peace & Conflict Studies) The | | | | evident in the slow pace with which the |
| recent incident in New Delhi which resulted in the | | | | investigations on the Delhi incident is being handled. |
| radiation poisoning of five scrap metal workers | | | | A major review of the preparedness in India to |
| has highlighted concerns about the country's | | | | face the threat of nuclear terrorism and these |
| nuclear safety and security. The incident coincided | | | | radiological incidents is strongly warranted, |
| with the Nuclear Security Summit which would | | | | especially due to the proposed increase of nuclear |
| focus on these issues in the context of | | | | facilities in the country. The above report raises |
| preventing terrorists from gaining access to | | | | serious concerns over the issue of Indian Nuclear |
| nuclear materials. In addition, a Nuclear Safety and | | | | Assets and the most fragile security |
| Liability Bill is under consideration by India to fix | | | | arrangements. If the world would not focus |
| liability for nuclear incidents in the country. | | | | clearly on this issue God forbid, we may see or |
| According to the Department of Atomic Energy, | | | | experience any loss of huge magnitude. It can be |
| the Board of Radiation and Isotope Technology is | | | | strongly stated that Maoist together with Indian |
| the principal supplier of the radiological substances | | | | Mujahideen can create a huge threat for the |
| to licensed authorities, and follows a strict supply, | | | | world if any kind of Raw Nuclear Bomb is made |
| monitoring and retrieving mechanism to ensure | | | | by the terrorist organizations only because of |
| the safe use and disposal of radioactive waste. | | | | India's weakness to handle its nuclear might. It is |
| How radioactive substance managed to find its | | | | also the responsibility of International community, |
| way into a crowded market in Delhi, and it took | | | | specially that of United States of America to take |
| five days for the authorities to deal with this | | | | the matter of fragility of Indian Nuclear Assets in |
| problem reflects poorly on India's radiation | | | | the light of recent attempts of terrorism in New |
| detection arrangements but also on its | | | | York. |