India conducted its second senies of nuclear tests. this mornmig. This might at first seern a reckless act on the part of the govermnent of India, but I would call attention to a statement in the Associated Press report which reads: "The government said its testing was now complete and it was prepared to consider a ban on such nuclear testing." This could be a statement of transcendent importance

To be sure, India's coalition Government led by the Bharatiya-Janata Party (BJP) made no secret of its intentions in this area. Prior to this year's elections the BJP platform stated: "[We] reject the notion of nuclear apartheid and will actively oppose attempts to impose a hegemonistic nuclear regime. We will not be dictated to by anybody in matters of security and in the exercise of nuclear options." It might help if the American foreign relations community would learn to read.

It would also be useful at this time when tempers are raising in the West to recall the outrage when France carried out a series of underwater tests in the South Pacific on the Mururoa Atoll on September 5. 1995 -- to the indignation of many other nations -- but went on to sign and ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).  The United States has signed that treaty but the Senate has not ratified it. The Peoples' Republic of China followed much the same course as France in completing a series of tests and then agreeing to the CTBT.

After fifty years of independence - there is now a Hindu government in India and its sensibilities need to be attended to. Do we want in India a system of nuclear arms control or don't we? I think we do. And it would do no great harm for the United States to ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.