Marshall Islands Sues India at ICJ

Why in news?

• A year ago, a tiny island republic in the Pacific Ocean -Marshall Islands -with a population of 70,000, made an impassioned plea to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) seeking initiation of proceedings against India for not pursuing nuclear disarmament, but India is yet to file response to it as India has repeatedly got extension for the same and latest being now September 16, 2015 from June 16, 2015. 

WHERE IS MARSHALL ISLAND AND WHY IS IT OPPOSING INDIA?

Image Source: The Times of India

• The tiny island nation, near the equator and close to the International Date Line, had suffered miserably during World War II and, later, the US used some of its islands as the testing site for its nuclear weaponry , which it nick-named Pacific Proving Grounds. US paid over $700 million in compensation for adverse effects of nuclear weapons testing. 
• Now they are feeling that nuclear arms race between India and Pakistan could pose a huge danger to world peace, both being NPT non-signatories.
• The accusation: “India continues to breach its obligations under customary international law, including specifically its obligation to pursue in good faith negotiations to cease the nuclear arms race at an early date, as well as to pursue in good faith negotiations leading to nuclear disarmament in all its aspects under strict and effective international control“.
• What convinced Marshall Islands to move the ICJ in April last year was the Indian government's 2003 statement that “nuclear weapons will only be used in retaliation against a nuclear attack on Indian territory or on Indian forces anywhere“, and such a “retaliation to a first strike will be massive and designed to inflict unacceptable damage“. The 2003 statement further said: “However, in the event of a major attack against India, or Indian forces anywhere, by biological or chemical weapons, India will retain the option of retaliating with nuclear weapons.“
• The nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT) came into force 45 years ago and the ICJ in its advisory opinion on July 8, 1996 had said: “There exists an obligation to pursue in good faith and bring to a conclusion negotiations leading to nuclear disarmament in all its aspects under strict and effective international control.“