Initial reports of popular support in India and Pakistan for nuclear testing did not consider the opinions of the great majority living outside the major cities or without telephones. But the opposition was vocal and in some cases repressed.

Indian police prevented 200 people from assembling a small anti-nuclear demonstration in Bombay on June 10th. Organizers from the Anubam Virodhi Andolan (Movement Against Nuclear Weapons) write:

"Applying Section 144 (more than 5 people cannot assemble) in a draconian manner, the police dispersed whoever came into the area over a period of two hours and arrested 12 people selectively. Although there were minor scuffles in the process no one was injured. Slogans of "Down with Nuclear Bombs", "Vajpayee, Nawas Sharif, Hai, Hai (Shame, Shame)" were shouted. The police quickly pounced on all the materials we had carefully created in the last week. This included two sets of cardboard skull and crossbone cut-outs of Vajpayee and Sharif holding three-dimensional missiles bombs. Another 5 skull and crossbones held "bombs" with the flags of USA, Russia, UK, France and China. We were to have set fire to all the bombs but the police reached and destroyed them first in the name of 'security'. If only they would do the same to the real thing the world would indeed become secure."

By Hiroshima Day, however, the national chauvinism was evaporating, and Indians marched against the Bomb in several cities. Over 250,000 people jammed the streets of Calcutta, the largest Hiroshima Day demonstration in the world this year.