Prominent Pakistani nuclear physicist and defence analyst Dr Pervez Hoodbhoy in an exclusive interview with V. Nilesh after a talk on “Rise and fall of Muslims in the field of Science” at MANUU.
You are in Hyderabad to speak on Reimagining Pakistan in the Hyderabad Literary Festival. What do you mean by that?
Although Pakistan was made in the name of Islam and that it was an assertion of Muslim needs of that time, the experience of the last 70 years has shown that religion is not a sufficient reason for the existence of a nation and that there is more to a nation than just religion.
Now it will have to seek a new reason for being together, to the extent that if it is successful it will emerge a stronger nation state. There are many voices that claim they represent true Islam, therefore Pakistan has seen the most horrific forms of violence; now it has to reimagine itself as a secular entity.
India and Pakistan are engaged in a nuclear race. An often-made argument by developing countries is that nuclear weapons will stop them from getting bullied by larger developed nations.
Spending on defence is a waste. You create some industries but they are still wasteful. Those resources need to be put into education, housing and for cleaning up the environment, which India and Pakistan need badly. The world today is probably more dangerous than the Cold War period. The more countries that possess nuclear weapons the worse it will get. India and Pakistan already have more than enough weapons to destroy each other’s cities. Now it will take lot of wisdom to slow down and stop this.
You have been vocal against mixing of religion with science. This year’s Indian Science Congress, which is going on in Mysore and its earlier edition had attracted attention for the same reason…
If you are a Pakistani child then you will be told that all of science has been created by Islamic scholars, and you are not told about science of other civilisations. You see this attempt in India too. Of (Narendra) Modi saying that the trunk of Lord Ganesh is proof that Hindus knew about plastic surgery and jumbo jets flying between planets. All these are not based on facts but myths and these should be blown away by conscientious secular people. It is good to be proud of one’s culture and history but not at the expense of truth.
Your view on the recent terrorist attacks in Pathankot?
The attack was certainly not planned by the Pakistani government or the Army but by Mujahideen on the Indian side, who saw an opportunity to spoil the India-Pak relationship.
North Korea claims to have detonated the Hydrogen bomb (which is based on nuclear fusion technology than fission). Do you believe their claim?
I do not believe they have detonated the Hydrogen bomb. It is a very complex and difficult technology to achieve and I think it is nothing more than propaganda.
Both India and Pakistan have been stressing on the need of nuclear energy for satisfying their energy needs for development. What is your take on it?
Ruling classes in India and Pakistan do not care about their people. Countries who were so much in love with nuclear energy have now turned against it. Japan used to have 55 nuclear reactors. After Fukushima, which is still poisoning the waters of Japan’s coast, all of them were closed down.
In the last 20 years, not one new nuclear reactor has been commissioned in the US. The reason is that dangers of nuclear power are more than that of any other threats.
