The 1974 “peaceful nuclear explosion” (codenamed Smiling Buddha) is the book’s first climax. Chengappa details how Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, facing internal political turmoil and a belligerent Pakistan, greenlit the test in Rajasthan’s Pokhran range. Using plutonium from the CIRUS reactor, India detonated a 12-kiloton device. The book describes the intense secrecy: only a handful of scientists and military officials knew. International reaction was swift — Canada and the U.S. cut nuclear cooperation, leading to India’s isolation and what Chengappa calls the “nuclear apartheid” of the 1970s–90s.
Long before the 1998 tests, a secret team of scientists—led by Dr. Raja Ramanna and Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam—operated under the codename Phoebus (Greek for “sun god”). Chengappa reveals how they built the bomb despite a lack of plutonium and under the nose of American spy satellites. weapons of peace raj chengappa pdf
Weapons of Peace (subtitled The Secret Story of India’s Quest to Become a Nuclear Power) is a landmark work of investigative journalism by Raj Chengappa, then editor of India Today. First published in 2000, the book provides a meticulously researched, behind-the-scenes account of India’s nuclear weapons program — from its origins in the 1940s to the Pokhran-II tests of May 1998. Chengappa’s central thesis is that India’s nuclear capability was not an impulsive act but a calculated, decades-long strategic pursuit, driven by national security concerns, geopolitical isolation, and a desire for global recognition. The “weapons of peace” paradox reflects India’s stated policy of using nuclear arms for deterrence, not aggression. The book describes the intense secrecy: only a
Many South Asian universities include Chengappa’s work as a reference text for courses on "India’s Foreign Policy," "Nuclear Strategy," and "Science and Technology in Modern India." A PDF allows for quick citation and keyword searching, which is vital for thesis writing. Long before the 1998 tests, a secret team