The South Asia Center has the pleasure of hosting: Nuclear South Asia at 20: The Strategic and Societal Impacts of the 1998 Nuclear Tests.
In May 1998 India tested five nuclear warheads. Within days, Pakistan responded with six tests of its own, to balance the overall number of nuclear tests in South Asia. Although the international community condemned these tests, the popular response in both states was jubilant. Since then, the two states have expanded their nuclear arsenals and incorporated nuclear strategy into their defense plans. Policy-makers and scholars disagree about the effects this nuclear standoff has had on stability and security in the region.
This round table will explore how politics and society have been affected in Pakistan, India, and the region as a result of the nuclear tests. We will also consider the military and strategic consequences of a nuclear South Asia.