Mumbai/ New Delhi, May 11: Former president A P J Abdul Kalam was on Sunday all praise for the “courage” shown by then PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee in deciding to go for Pokhran tests within weeks of assuming office in March 1998. “Vajpayee gave us the permission within a week of assuming the political office, to establish India’s expertise,” Kalam said at a function at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the ‘Shakti’ series of tests at Pokhran in Rajasthan.

Kalam, who had supervised the Pokhran-II explosions as the chief of the Defence Research and Development Organisation, camping in the

Thar desert for over a fortnight, said the testing was a “defining moment” in the country’s history, next only to adopting the path of economic liberalisation in 1991.

Another core member of the team that carried out five tests and then chairman of Atomic Energy Commission R Chidambaram reminisced, saying, “We recall the pleasure and excitement of May 11, 1998. It was just a coincidence that this day too, was Buddha Purnima (just like the day on first test at Pokhran in 1974).” The BARC presented Kalam with a memento of a banyan tree bonsai which had a statue of a smiling Buddha under it. “The Buddha has smiled” was the code used by scientists in 1974 to declare that the nuclear test has been successful.

India’s “landmark decision” to become a nuclear weapon state has given strength to the nation and the sanctions have strengthened the minds of every Indian to become self-reliant in critical technologies, Kalam said, addressing the Technology Day celebrations in New Delhi on Sunday. Kalam went on to list the innovations which made the country proud as Jaipur Foot, low-cost stent, the cost of a heart bypass surgery in India is just US $3,000-5,000, compared to US $50,000 abroad, EVMs and the latest Nano car from Tata.