Dr Kakodkar’s Book : Fire and Fury : Transforming India’s Strategic Identity’

Fire and Fury : Transforming India’s Strategic Identity’ - by Anil Kakodkar and Suresh Gangotri - the much awaited book released. 

I am one among several in the scientific community, who is aware of the key role played by Dr Anil Kakodkar in the two Nuclear Tests that India conducted (1974 and 1998) in Pokhran.  Kakodkar was also the key architect of the background negotiations for the India - US Civil Nuclear Agreement and a key contributor to India’s strategic Nuclear programme. Therefore, when I received an invitation for his ‘ Fire and Fury : Transforming India’s Strategic Identity’ Book release, I was very excited, more so because Dr Kakodkar was also to deliver his key note address during the book release at the Nehru Centre, on 1st November. My excitement, like many others, was heightened by the catchy and familiar title of the book ‘ Fire and Fury’.  Another book with similar title ‘Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House’, by Michael Wolff, had created an unprecedented hype when it was released in USA. The author of this book claimed that - with his extraordinary access to the White House - he had revealed in his book what happened behind the scenes in the first nine months of Trumps presidency. I was therefore eagerly waiting for the release of Dr Kakodkar’s book, to see if he too had revealed in his book, what happened behind the scenes of the two Pokhran tests and the nuclear deal. 

The Nehru Centre hall, where the book - authored by Dr. Anil Kakodkar, former Chairman of Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) and Dr. Suresh Gangotra, Senior Technical Advisor to the Chairman, AEC - launched by Dr KN Vyas, Chairman, AEC, was packed to capacity and many more extra chairs were ordered to accommodate those who were standing. Having been accustomed to low key book releases of scientists, the overwhelming response with several distinguished professionals and media personnel in attendance came as a surprise to me. Was it because, like me, many had come to listen to Dr Kakodkar unravel those secret moments during the two Pokhran Tests? I thought so. 

But then off late it is observed that there is a sudden new found love by media and Indian society for scientists and scientific institutions and their achievements.  The patriotic fervour that gets played out during major scientific achievements, which was witnessed recently during the Chandrayaan 2, has created an accentuated interest of Indian society in science. Therefore it is no wonder that many people may have turned up to the book launch to be the first to know more about the Pokhran tests directly from the words of one its key architects - Dr Kakodkar. Whatever be the reason, heightened interest in science and scientists is a welcome change for Indian society.

For long Scientists were considered as those ‘who work in closeted ivory towers. Fortunately, such thinking has changed and in the recent past scientists have become the darling of the Indian masses, the evidence of which was played out during the Chandrayaan 2 mission resulting in the high pedestal on which ISRO Chief, Sivan, was placed by the Indian public and the media. For us - the science communicators - it is an extraordinary welcome change. That being the case, Indian Cinema too has realised this new found love of public and very recently two  films; ‘Parmanu : The Story Of Pokhran’ and ‘Mission Mangal’, have been produced, which in cinematic way has used this new found love for Indian scientific patriotism by the masses, to harvest its benefits commercially. Both these films, portray, in typical Bollywood style,  success story of Pokhran and Chandrayaan projects by two of India’s best known scientific institutions, Department of Atomic Energy and ISRO, respectively. I am one of many who has seen both these films. Having seen the Paramanu film and also read a bit about the Pokhran tests here and there,  I was - like most others - curiously waiting to read Dr Anil Kakodkar’s book ‘ Fire and Fury : Transforming India’s Strategic Identity’ and to listen to him first hand on what he had to say on this topic, during the book release. 

He did not talk much about the Pokhran tests in his address. However he did mention that the title of the book ‘Fire and Fury’ was suggested by the Rupa Publisher. One could guess the obvious marketing reasons for this. SK Malhotra, who had worked closely with Dr Kakodkar as the media head of DAE, talked about the ‘600 pound Gorilla’, the name the American journalists gave to Dr Kakodkar for his tough and uncompromising stand that he took during the nuclear deal negotiations. Dr Kakodkar touched briefly on this subject and said that when George Bush met him, he said ‘so you are that Kakodkar? Are you happy? This revealed the stubborn stand that outwardly soft looking Dr Kakodkar had taken during the nuclear deal, which was exclusively in Indian interest. The book talks about the strong position that Dr Kakodkar takes on several issues of his conviction in many chapters and how he would stick to his points of view irrespective of with whom he was dealing. From his initial days in BARC while designing the Dhruv reactor to later days, Dr Kakodkar has always stood by his conviction, often times at the risk of compromising on his career prospects and yet has managed to be successful, the credit of this he gives to the great leaders of DAE. He has very deftly talked about the triumph and tribulations that went into the designing of the Dhruv reactor in the book, which I am is sure will motivate many young minds to stand by their conviction. 

Dr Kakodkar was amongst those secretly chosen few, who was involved in the first successful Peaceful Nuclear Explosion Experiment that India conducted on May 18, 1974 at Pokhran. He also played a key role in the Pokhran 2 successful Nuclear Tests, which were conducted during May 1998. In passing remarks, Dr Kakodkar eludes to the highest level of secrecy of the project when he says, Dr Raja Ramanna who was the head of the DAE during the 1974 Pokhran Test asked some strange questions to him, when Kakodkar went to meet him for an urgent discussion. He asked ‘ whether you have the habit of talking in sleep? When Kakodkar answered I could not possibly know that answer, he further asked whether his wife had talked about this to him. Though not explicitly mentioned by Kakodkar, the reason for such questions is certain that even in sleep the secrecy of the project should not be compromised. Such was the secrecy under which the tests were carried out. The chapter ‘ Making of a Nuclear State’ makes a very interesting reading and reveals in brief the utmost motivation of the team for the success of the Pokhran tests and its secrecy. During the course of the project, Dr Kakodkar came to be known as the ‘हों जाएगा’ man by Dr Raja Ramanna. The book also briefly covers the adverse conditions under which the team worked to make the tests successful and how they travelled taking circuitous routes and in different names to maintain secrecy of the project. Kakodkar briefly describes how resolutely Sethna stood against the Americans to enforce the agreed terms for fuel supply for the projects even during the sanctions. Kakodkar, all through the book, talks of his resolute stand on various issues, which he perhaps imbibed from leaders like Sethna. India, post the 1998 test, under the leadership of Kakodkar also demonstrated its nuclear submarine power pack technology to the world.

The book exemplifies the courage of conviction and firm resolve that has defined the remarkable life and times of Dr Kakodkar, one of India’s most respected nuclear scientists. The book recollects  the profound journey of Dr Kakodkar from a very humble beginnings in Madhya Pradesh and passing through testing times,  to attaining the highest office of the Chairman, AEC. It narrates the story of the Indian atomic energy programme by highlighting different events and watershed moments in the history of the DAE. The book also highlights his engineering skills particularly in design areas and how under testing times he could muster courage to chart a new path in designing of the reactors particularly the Dhruv nuclear reactor. It also chronicles the many inflection points of the Indian nuclear programme, which faced the worst of challenges during the sanction regime when even mundane and routine item purchase became a challenge. He highlights this point with a specific case when an Indian company refused to supply plumbing materials under the pretext of sanctions from US. 

The book release function went off very well with an outstanding key note address by Dr Kakodkar and an interesting reminiscence by S K Malhotra, former head of PR of DAE who had worked very closely with Dr Kakodkar. Dr Vyas spoke of the extraordinary debating culture that is part of the DNA of BARC and DAE by narrating the long technical debates and arguments that he had with Dr Kakodkar and how, not withstanding his seniority, Dr Kakodkar never showed his seniority power to silence him. 

One interesting aspect of the book is that it talks about the Science and Innovation Activity Centres, which are projects conceived by Dr Kakodkar to take science to the hinterland of the state and make it unstructured and non coercive. While dealing on this subject, Dr Kakodkar has credited our centre for executing two of these projects in Warna and Pravara Nagar.  He also highlights in his book, how important it is to create an ambience of holistic education and the need for creating wealth in rural areas,  where most Indians continues to live. It is an interesting read, which goes beyond the subject of atomic energy and spells out a vision for the future generations. It sets out a path for India to become a formidable global power, by highlighting that India needs to have educational institutes and innovation incubators shifted beyond the limits of metros into the rural heartland of India. He says that a paradigm shift is warranted to rural centric development  in contrast to logistic proximity of infrastructure rich urban centres. He highlights how important it is for the nation to be self reliant and that obsolescence overtakes even the best copied technologies. He emphasises that to achieve the target of reducing global warming by 1.5 degree Celsius by 2100, India with one of the largest fraction of population whose aspiration of life would need to be raised, would require unprecedentedly accelerated civilian nuclear capability for which the country must be prepared.

I do hope that large number of youngsters read this book and be inspired to contribute to the development of our nation.