War and Peace in the Nuclear Age; Carter's New World; Interview with Homi Sethna, 1987

Part of War and Peace in the Nuclear Age.

02/16/1987

Homi Sethna was a leading Indian nuclear scientist who served as Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission of India (1972-1983) during which time he was centrally involved with the test of 1974. In the interview, he recalls developments reaching back to the Geneva Conference of Experts in 1958 and the early days of Indias nuclear program. Included are sketches of key figures such as Homi Bhaba, Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi, and specifically their views on nuclear energy, as well as information about Indias cooperation with Canada and others in developing its program. In the latter regard, Dr. Sethna insists that while India benefited from such things as adopting analytical methods used by foreign experts, the actual process and planning was entirely an Indian effort. He discusses the concept of a peaceful nuclear explosion and how to distinguish it from a bomb, as well as what Indias 1974 test required and what it achieved. Dr. Sethna criticizes the NPT as an unequal treaty, and scores the Carter administration for some of its non-proliferation efforts, for example in connection with the Tarapur reactor and the International Nuclear Fuel Evaluation Group. He explains his concerns about Pakistan but says it is difficult to be sure whether Pakistan has the bomb. In his view, proliferation can be controlled, but the future of the nuclear age will depend largely on the leadership of the United States.

License Clip

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Series

War and Peace in the Nuclear Age

Program

Carter's New World

Program Number

109

Title

Interview with Homi Sethna, 1987

Series Description

The first atomic explosion in the New Mexico desert on July 16, 1945, changed the world forever. This series chronicles these changes and the history of a new era. It traces the development of nuclear weapons, the evolution of nuclear strategy, and the politics of a world with the power to destroy itself.

In thirteen one-hour programs that combine historic footage and recent interviews with key American, Soviet, and European participants, the nuclear age unfolds: the origin and evolution of nuclear weapons; the people of the past who have shaped the events of the present; the ideas and issues that political leaders, scientists, and the public at large must confront, and the prospects for the future. Nuclear Age highlights the profound changes in contemporary thinking imposed by the advent of nuclear weapons. Series release date: 1/1989

Program Description

President Carter comes to office determined to reduce the number of nuclear weapons and to improve relations with the Soviet Union. His frustrations are as grand as his intentions.

Carter had hoped the United States and the Soviet Union would reduce their reliance on nuclear weapons. He stopped production of the B-1 bomber. He believed the SALT II negotiations would be a step toward eliminating nuclear weapons. But his intentions were frustrated by Soviet actions and by a lack of consensus among his own advisors, including Chief SALT II negotiator Paul Warnke and national security advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski (who was dubious about arms control). Carter balanced Soviet aggression in Africa by improving American relations with China. He withdrew SALT II treaty from Senate consideration but its terms continued to serve as general limits on strategic nuclear force levels for both the United States and the Soviet Union.

Duration

00:45:44

Asset Type

Raw video

Media Type

Video

Subjects

Nuclear weapons -- Testing

Treaty on the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (1968)

London Economic Summit (1984)

Gandhi, Indira, 1917-1984

China

Nuclear weapons

Atoms for Peace (U.S.)

United States. Nuclear Nonproliferation Act of 1978

Soviet Union

Chernobyl Nuclear Accident, Chornobyl, Ukraine, 1986

Cockcroft, John, Sir, 1897-1967

Carter, Jimmy, 1924-

Japan

Gray, James Lorne, 1913-1987

Nuclear disarmament

Shastri, Lal Bahadur, 1904-1966

Locations

Genres

Topics

Contributors

Sethna, Homi N. (Interviewee)

Publication Information

WGBH Educational Foundation

Citation

Chicago: “War and Peace in the Nuclear Age; Carter's New World; Interview with Homi Sethna, 1987,” 02/16/1987, GBH Archives, accessed December 3, 2024, http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_71FFC387D24D4678B8C2FF35C2243CFE.

MLA: “War and Peace in the Nuclear Age; Carter's New World; Interview with Homi Sethna, 1987.” 02/16/1987. GBH Archives. Web. December 3, 2024. <http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_71FFC387D24D4678B8C2FF35C2243CFE>.

APA: War and Peace in the Nuclear Age; Carter's New World; Interview with Homi Sethna, 1987. Boston, MA: GBH Archives. Retrieved from http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_71FFC387D24D4678B8C2FF35C2243CFE

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War and Peace in the Nuclear Age; Carter's New World; Interview with Homi Sethna, 1987