Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday recalled the 1998 Pokhran-II nuclear tests as a defining assertion of India’s strategic independence, saying the operation demonstrated the country’s unshakeable determination in the face of intense international pressure.
Marking the anniversary of the tests in a post on social media platform X, Modi said, “On this very day in 1998, the nuclear tests conducted by India showed the world how unwavering our nation’s resolve is. After the tests on May 11, the entire world was pressuring India, but we demonstrated that no force can make India bow down.”
The Prime Minister’s remarks came as the nation commemorated another anniversary of Pokhran-II, also known as Operation Shakti, which marked India’s formal emergence as a nuclear weapons power and reshaped its strategic standing globally.
The operation involved five underground nuclear tests conducted at the Pokhran Test Range in Rajasthan on May 11 and May 13, 1998, under the leadership of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The tests included both fission and thermonuclear devices and showcased India’s capability to develop sophisticated nuclear weapons systems.
The tests drew widespread international criticism and led to sanctions and diplomatic pressure from several countries, including the United States and Japan. The Vajpayee government, however, defended the move as necessary to secure India’s national interests amid a complex regional security environment.
Pokhran-II is considered a watershed moment in India’s defence and strategic policy, laying the foundation for the country’s emergence as an acknowledged nuclear power. The tests also influenced India’s nuclear doctrine, including the principles of credible minimum deterrence and no-first-use.
Modi has repeatedly invoked the Pokhran tests and Vajpayee’s leadership in public speeches, presenting the operation as a symbol of India’s strategic autonomy, national confidence and self-reliance.