Nuclear revelations

Abstract

More often than not, debates on censorship fall between the supposed opposites of authoritarianism and liberalism, with both polities invoked as ideal types. A focus on nuclear power, particularly as it applies to armament but also in many cases to power stations for civilian use, makes these political dynamics particularly stark. In this chapter, I enquire how debates about censorship of nuclear issues are articulated in public culture along the lines of concealment and calls for more transparency.1 I then examine the politics of secrecy, which hold an allure irrespective of whether there is something important to be revealed or not. In a sense, what is withheld is produced by what is revealed. Describing this process as "measured revelation," I account for the various strands of Indian public culture which illustrate this dynamic complex. © 2009 by Indiana University Press. All rights reserved.