India was ready with H-Bomb to counter Pakistan’s nukes Under Rajiv Gandhi

NEW DELHI: Recently released US documents showed , India under Rajiv Gandhi made preparations in 1985 to test a hydrogen bomb in response to Pakistan’s nuclear programmes, .

Alarmed about the option of a nuclear arms race in South Asia, the Ronald Reagan administration wanted to send an emissary to mediate between the two neighbours and help ease tensions.

Sources said almost 930,000 declassified documents, running into more than 12 million pages and recently posted online by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), provide interesting insights into India’s nuclear weapons capabilities during the 1980s and Delhi’s increasing concerns over Pakistan’s nuclear programme at the time.