Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer has once again brought attention to one of history's most controversial figures, J Robert Oppenheimer, who, according to Nolan, was 'the most important person who ever lived'. The film has been in controversy in India since its release over a scene in which the actors were shown reading Bhagavad Geeta during an intimate moment. However, what many may not know is that Oppenheimer had revealed to former Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru the US's plan to build a weapon 'deadlier' than the atom bomb. He "begged" Nehru not to supply thorium to the US, which planned to use the radioactive metal to build the weapon.
Oppenheimer, burdened with guilt after witnessing the devastation caused by the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, dedicated the rest of his life to advocating for nuclear power regulation. He even refused involvement in the development of the hydrogen bomb, urging caution to his government.
Adding an intriguing Nehru angle to the narrative, writer Nayantara Sahgal sheds light on a communication attempt between Oppenheimer and Nehru. Sahgal, Nehru's niece, reveals in her book "Nehru: Civilizing A Savage World" that Oppenheimer contacted Nehru about the US government's efforts to build a weapon even deadlier than the atomic bomb. Oppenheimer implored Nehru not to trade India's valuable thorium for American wheat, a resource India needed at the time.
Sahgal cites letters exchanged between Nehru and his sister Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit. She writes: "Between 1949 and 1951, Vijaya Lakshmi's letters to her brother describe the war psychosis in America and the extreme intolerance towards India's non-aligned position..." Quoting Pandit's letter to Nehru on February 21, 1951, Sahgal writes: "Oppenheimer wants you to know that work of a most 'horrible and deadly mature' is being done on the atom bomb , that step by step America is 'deliberately' moving towards a war of annihilation. The recent promises given by [Harry] Truman to [Clement] Attlee regarding the atom have resulted in research for a weapon of the same deadly quality which will be kept very secret and used instead of the atom. This research is going on at a furious pace"
In a letter from Oppenheimer to Nehru, conveyed through India's envoy, Amiya Chakravarti, the scientist emphasized the United States' need for India's abundant thorium for their project. He passionately requested that the Government of India refrain from supplying thorium voluntarily or under any pressure. "Oppenheimer 'begs' the Government of India not to sell any thorium to the US voluntarily or through pressure... if India's vast resources of thorium are placed at the disposal of the US, the greatest war ever fought will be made possible," Sahgal wrote in the book.
Nehru, who strongly abhorred nuclear weapons and ardently pursued their complete elimination, adhered to Oppenheimer's plea and declined the offer. Interestingly, Oppenheimer was offered Indian citizenship by Nehru in 1954, as revealed by his co-biographer Kai Bird. However, being a staunch patriot, Oppenheimer likely did not take the offer seriously.
Oppenheimer, portrayed by Cillian Murphy, is portrayed in Nolan's film as facing a witch hunt initiated by his own government after refusing to comply with their demands. The film has resonated well with Indian audiences, grossing over Rs 50 crore in India. The film delves into Oppenheimer's role in leading the Manhattan Project during the 1940s, which resulted in the creation of the world's first atomic bombs.