ISSSP Reflections No. 22, October 14, 2014
Author: Dr. Arun Vishwanathan
The
workshop is probably the only of its kind as it brings together young
scholars from India, Pakistan and China for a decent length of time. The
fact that the organisers house participants from different countries in
a room on twin-sharing basis and provide opportunities for joint
activities and presentations, leads to fostering of friendships and
understanding of the others’ point of view. Given the intertwined
histories and security challenges the region faces, one cannot but
emphasise the importance of such endeavours and lament at the fact that
occasions for such interactions – especially for young researchers – are
too few and far between.
A few words about the participants
Given the
fact that Indian and Pakistani strategic communities are largely centred
in their capital cities, most of the Indian and Pakistani participants
hailed from either Delhi or Islamabad. It was also interesting to note
that a majority of the Indian participants were either studying or
alumni of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). On the Pakistani side, many participants had studied at the Monterey Institute for International Studies
(MIIS). This led to one of the participants noting jocularly that there
were two Mafias in operation at the Summer Workshop; the JNU Mafia and
the MIIS Mafia..
In
contrast, the small Chinese contingent of four scholars was distributed
in geographical terms. The participants hailed from Fudan University and
Chomgqing CPC Party School (Shanghai), Sichuan University (Sichuan) and
Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (Beijing). One hopes that future
editions of the Workshop witnesses larger Chinese participation. It
would definitely add to the value of the Workshop and make the overall
experience more interesting. However, one does understand that this
would be a function of the applications received by the RCSS. Another
step the RCSS could take is to spread the word of the future editions of
the Summer Workshop wider (in a geographical sense) so as to attract
applications from prospective participants beyond New Delhi and
Islamabad. I feel that this would add to the participants’ gaining a
more rounded understanding of the diversity of views in the two
countries.
Workshop Plan
The Summer
Workshop was divided into four clusters by the organisers. The first
set of lectures introduced the participants to the physics of nuclear
reactors and nuclear weapons. This was followed up with analyses of the
drivers of nuclear weapons pursuit and the nuclear doctrine and policies
of India, Pakistan and China. This was followed by a second set of
lectures which dealt with the security narrative in the context of
nuclear weapons. This included lectures on the Theory of Limited War,
Lectures on the Kargil and the 2001-02 Border Standoff, Nuclear
Confidence Building Measures in South Asia, Nuclear Safety and Security
in the region and the Limitations and Possibility of Nuclear Deterrence.
These lectures were possibly the most interesting set of lectures which
was attested by the fact that the discussions following these lectures
were lengthy and animated.
However,
it is important to point out that the Chinese participants were quite
silent during these discussions and were happy to sit back and observe
the discussions between the Indian and Pakistani participants. The only
time they would animatedly join the discussions was when anything
remotely related to maritime issues or the South China Sea was mentioned
either by the Workshop faculty or participants. Among the most
important takeaways would definitely be the intensive exposure to such a
wide range of ideas, readings and concepts in a brief period of time.
As a group I feel the participants learnt – from the faculty and each
other – is the art of thinking through our questions and not launching
into a shorter lecture disguised as a question.
However,
the Workshop did not boil down only to listening to lectures. It was
much more interactive with all the participants being allocated specific
sessions to make presentations on current affairs issues ranging from
Chinese Nuclear Doctrine, Nuclear Learning, Islamic State and Syria,
Afghanistan among others. The Indian and Pakistani High Commissioners to
Sri Lanka were invited to give Dinner Talks and interact with the
participants. On other days, there were post dinner film screenings and
discussions. The participants got to see two films depicting the dangers
involving nuclear weapons in the George Clooney starrer Fail Safe and one of the all time great movies on the issue, Dr. Strangelove: Or How I learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.
The best
is often saved for the end and this was true for the Summer Workshop as
well. The final two days of the workshop involved a simulation
game-exercise facilitated by a team from the US-Sandia National
Laboratories. The computer based simulation exercise involved planning,
negotiation and execution of managed access arms control inspections.
Two sets of exercise were planned one each in the pre-dismantlement and
post-dismantlement phases involving retirement of ballistic missile
systems. The participants were divided into two groups representing two
fictional countries and in turn donned the role of host and visitor.
The software designed by the Sandia team provided a 360° panoramic view of the hypothetical facility thereby ensuring that the participants’ experience almost mirrored reality. As teams began planning, the managed access intra-group differences emerged with hardline elements in the national delegations opposing any attempts to accommodate proposals from the other party. Similarly, during the negotiation phase, while either party initially was reluctant to concede any quarters, it soon became apparent to all involved that there are no winners and losers in such an exercise. One of the most important personal takeaways was the importance of balancing the extent of verification so as to build confidence in the inspection team vis-à-vis the need to maintain the secrecy and security of one’s national security assets.
With so
much packed into ten days, the RCSS team in sum, planned to keep the
participants engaged in the Conference Hall and as far away from the
beach and the pool as possible; the participants on the other hand
wanted to make the most of the splendid beach. However, the excellent
quality of the lectures, the interesting discussions and participant-led
sessions ensured that the interest of the participants in the
proceedings never waned. Strategically timed coffee breaks ensured that
any simmering revolution in the ranks was nipped in the bud with timely
caffeine – or for some, nicotine – fix.
More Will Be Better…
Given the
enormous visa, logistic and other challenges in putting together the
Workshop, one cannot but amaze at the courage of team RCSS in stepping
up to the task of bringing together a group of thirty-odd young
researchers from across the globe. It wouldn’t have been an easy task,
but I hope playing a formative role in fostering friendships and better
understanding across borders makes all the effort worth its while.
The
success of the Workshop lies in the fact that all the participants’
hunger for knowledge on nuclear issues had been piqued at the end of ten
days. Though the RCSS Summer Workshop will remain the trailblazer or
sorts, there is definitely space for having more such endeavours that
bring together younger researchers from India, Pakistan and China. This
is one area where more will definitely be better…
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