In fact, in a strange coincidence, the RSS mouthpiece, Organiser has as its cover story ``Nuclear India'' in its May 17 issue which appeared on the stands yesterday evening, hours after the tests were conducted.

The occasion was the 25th anniversary of the first Pokhran explosion, and articles in the issue point to the threat posed by Pakistan and China and argue that India must exercise the nuclear option. A senior scientist at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) has been quoted as saying, ``We can do it (Pokhran) again.''

In another coincidence revealed by same issue of the Organiser, RSS head Rajju Bhaiyya visited BARC recently. Hehas been quoted as saying that ``Pokhran has sent an important message to the world.'' He has also said that a nuclear arsenal is an effective deterrent : ``In the long run, a nuclear weapon is likely to prove more economical than a huge stockpile of Sukhoi aircraft and Bofors guns.''

As it did on the Ayodhya issue, the BJP has adopted a stridently nationalistic stand on the nuclear tests, equating it with patriotism, and is in the process of making it an emotive issue that could serve it well in the future. The Prime Minister's political advisor, Pramod Mahajan, described it today as ``not a nuclear test but a test of nationalism''.

Mahajan said that the tests had removed the feeling of ``national weakness'' among the people. ``National energy has been released, not just energy in Pokhran,'' he remarked.

The effort is to project the BJP government as the one that can restore India's pride, self-confidence and ancient glory.

The tests have also signalled to BJP cadres that Prime Minister Atal BehariVajpayee's actions are not being controlled by allies or other BJP-RSS leaders. The message is that he is in command and assertively calling the shots in the government. The unease of BJP cadres and their need for a sense of direction was evident at the party's National Council meeting in Gandhinagar earlier this month. And the nuclear tests serve both purposes.The BJP has also realised that it cannot continue to alienate Muslims by harping on Ayodhya. The party's experience in Uttar Pradesh has shown that Muslim voters can prevent the BJP from getting a majority during elections. National security, on the other hand, is a more diffused but equally emotive issue.

Party leaders used the tests to dispel the impression that the government was weak and battling to contain its implosions.``Now the impression of the government will be clear : That this is a government that means what it says,'' senior BJP leader K L Sharma said.

Though the issue has not been given prominence by the RSS and BJP so far, it is nowbeing pointed out that the RSS has long held that India should acquire nuclear deterrence capability. This is in keeping with its belief that rather than bowing to pressure from the West, India should adopt a hawkish stand.