What are Weapons of Mass Destruction?

Weapons of Mass Destruction: The Lok Sabha on April 6 unanimously passed the Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities), Amendment Bill, 2022 to prohibit the financing of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems to fulfil India's international obligations. The original Act banned the manufacturing, transport, and transfer of weapons of mass destruction, and their means of delivery. 

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‘We believe that no solution can be arrived at by shedding blood.’#LokSabha passes The Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Amendment Bill, 2022 #BudgetSession2022 @DrSJaishankar @MEAIndia pic.twitter.com/4bpu5INjZV

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What are Weapons of Mass Destruction?

The term Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) is used for nuclear, biological and chemical weapons that can bring significant harm to mankind. "Atomic explosive weapons, radioactive material weapons, lethal chemical and biological weapons, and any weapons developed in the future which might have characteristics comparable in destructive effect to those of the atomic bomb or other weapons mentioned above,” the definition of WMD according to the United Nations. 

The first large scale use of chemical weapons began during WW1 when Germans used mustard gases in 1915 at the village of Langemarck. The Japanese in WW2 used biological weapons on China. The US, during WW2, used nuclear weapons when it bombed the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. 

At present, nine countries possess nuclear weapons. These are the US, Russia, France, the UK, China, India, Pakistan, North Korea, and Israel.

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Origin of the expression

The leader of the Church of England, the Archbishop of Canterbury, first used the expression weapon of mass destruction in 1937 to refer to the aerial bombings of civilians in the Basque town by German and Italian fascists during the Spanish Civil War. However, the expression became popular during the Iraq war when the US and UK justified the invasion by stating that Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussain was hiding WMDs in the country.

International Rules on Weapons of Mass Destruction

Several international agreements have discouraged the use of Weapons of Mass Destruction. In 1925, Geneva Protocol banned the use of chemical and biological weapons. The Biological Weapons Convention in 1972, and Chemical Weapons Convention in 1992 placed bans on biological and chemical weapons respectively. India inked and ratified both the aforementioned treaties.

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