Songs of Peace and Nuclear Tests!

There’s an old proverb that no matter how hard you try to hide your true face, it will be revealed one day. The same has happened with US President Donald Trump. Until now, he had been singing the songs of peace as though he was the greatest messiah of peace. But as soon as Russia test-fired a nuclear-powered missile, Trump ordered nuclear tests right away! His songs of peace turned out to be mere pretence. Trump has repeatedly claimed that he wants to end unrest around the world. He has even boasted of having ended several wars. But the truth is quite different. His claim of ending the conflict between India and Pakistan has proven wrong.

The war between Congo and Rwanda has not ended either. There was never even a war between Egypt and Ethiopia -- only a dispute over water. Tensions between Serbia and Kosovo continue. There is calm between Cambodia and Thailand over their border issue, but the war hasn’t truly ended. Israel and Hamas signed a peace agreement, yet Israel has continued to launch several attacks. Just last week, over a hundred people were killed in Gaza. Trump is openly siding with Israel and even threatening Hamas with more attacks if they fail to comply. This makes everyone wonder -- what kind of peace is Trump preaching? In his song of peace, one can clearly hear the notes of unrest!

But it was one Russian move that completely exposed Trump’s so-called song of peace. Russia test-fired a special nuclear-powered missile that remained airborne for about 15 hours, changing its direction multiple times during flight. This missile can carry a nuclear warhead and is so sophisticated that it can dodge all kinds of radar systems which makes it virtually infallible. In fact, Russia had announced the development of such a missile back in 2018, and in 2023, President Vladimir Putin had even claimed a successful test. However, the Western nations had dismissed it as mere Russian propaganda. Now that Russia has tested it again, the US and other Western countries, especially NATO, are in a state of panic. How can the US possibly tolerate Russia overtaking it in the arms race?

Donald Trump immediately swung into action and announced that he had instructed the US department of war to resume nuclear weapons testing. Along with that, he boasted that the US possesses more nuclear weapons than any other country in the world -- an achievement, he claimed, that was accomplished during his first term in office. But this raises an important question: If the US already has the largest stockpile of nuclear weapons, what is the need to resume testing? The truth is, Trump’s claim of having the most nuclear weapons isn’t close to reality. In 2022, the Federation of American Scientists reported that Russia possessed 5,977 nuclear warheads, the US had 5,428, China 350, France 290 and the United Kingdom possessed 225. Apart from that, Pakistan had 165 nuclear warheads, India 160, Israel 90 and North Korea possessed 20. It must be troubling Trump as to how Putin is ahead of him in this nuclear weapons’ number game. That’s likely why he has ordered fresh nuclear tests -- maybe to enable the US to develop even more destructive weapons.

Trump knows that the ‘Ashwamedha horse’ (a symbol of conquest) he has set loose is now being held by Putin, and there is little he can do about it. Despite his ambitions, Trump cannot even supply Ukraine with deadly US missiles, because Putin has issued a stern warning: If the US intervenes in the Russia-Ukraine war, the consequences will be dire. Putin has also revised Russia’s nuclear weapons policy. Under the new nuclear doctrine, if the US provides lethal missiles to Ukraine and they are used to attack Russia, Moscow will consider the US itself a party to the assault. The updated policy further states that if Russia faces missile, drone or aerial attacks, it has the right to retaliate with nuclear weapons. Following these policy changes, Putin has openly declared that Russia is ready for a nuclear strike. That’s why, no matter how brave a face Trump tries to put on, Putin’s stance has left him helpless and cornered. In reality, given the current global situation, no country can realistically even think about initiating a nuclear strike -- because such an act would destroy the entire world. These are merely tactics of fear and intimidation. But this very posturing has completely exposed the hollowness of Trump’s so-called peace rhetoric. The mask has slipped once again, revealing the US’ real face -- that of the world’s arms dealer.

Before I conclude

The latest report from the Central Pollution Control Board may not be shocking, but it is certainly worrying. We all know that rivers across India are suffering from pollution, but this report states that Maharashtra tops the list, with 54 polluted rivers -- the highest in the country. During my tenure as a member of Parliament’s environment committee in the Rajya Sabha, we had conducted extensive visits to assess the condition of rivers and submitted a report to the government, highlighting that the rivers were in bad condition and even the nullahs in the cities were in no better state. Since then, the situation has not changed much. The chief minister Devendra Fadnavis will have to pay special attention to the condition of Maharashtra’s rivers. It is said that when a river dies, the entire region’s life and environment suffer deeply and fatally. Are we, at our individual level, doing anything to save the rivers that still survive? It’s a serious question worth your thought.