Fw: IN-FOCUS: Indo US Nuclear Deal: Why this hurry and at what cost?
Ajay Chandak
Indo US Nuclear Deal: Why this hurry and
at what cost?
Dr Sandeep
Pandey
[To
read a related article in Hindi language,
click here]
-------------------------------------------------
Amidst protests against price rises of
essential items throughout the country, the PM Manmohan Singh has again started
harping on the issue of the Indo-US Nuclear Deal. The Deal has been pushed
forward in India in an anti-democratic manner without approval of the Parliament
- in fact in the teeth of opposition by a large majority of parliamentarians.
The Deal has the potential of disturbing regional stability and further
distorting India 's relationships with important neighbours like China ,
Pakistan and Iran.
This cannot also but severely undermine the prospects
for both vertical and horizontal non-proliferation and thereby the prospects for
global nuclear disarmament. This allurement also has the danger of further
propelling India towards becoming a junior military ally of the US and a market
to mint profits for its MNCs and also the nuclear industry of other advanced
countries -- Russia and Fra
Most
importantly it will be a set back to the environmentally friendly sustainable
ways of meeting our energy requirements. Power from nuclear energy is a failed
project in developed countries and the eagerness of the Prime Minister to clinch
the Deal fails to generate any enthusiasm among the common people of India .
Neither is nuclear energy a solution to global warming as some experts make it
out to be. On the contrary the entire nuclear fuel cycle is fraught with danger
and exposes human beings to hazardous radiation. The world is yet to find a safe
way for disposal of radioactive waste, a factor which is constraining the growth
of nuclear power programmes in the developed countries.
The US,
UK, Canada, Germany, France, Japan all seem to be reviewing their nuclear energy
programmes and commissioning of new nuclear power plants in all these countries
has almost come to a stand still. Australia , the biggest supplier of Uranium in
the world, is yet to initiate a nuclear power programme. Everybody has realized
there is no future in nuclear energy. Advanced countries are looking for
alternatives. But because of the parochial vision of our government the ruling
class of this country has become obsessed with the nuclear option without any
clear understanding of its implications. There seems to be a superficial feeling
that this Deal is somehow going to enhance the stature of India in the community
of nations. Hence it is matter of vanity and false sense of pride with possibly
no concrete benefits for the people of this country.
A Planning Commission study shows that even with
the best possible estimates of capacity addition in power generation after the
Deal is through, the country is not going to increase its share of electricity
from nuclear energy from the present 3% to more than 7-9%. And this would come
at a huge cost -- financially and politically. We would be required to bring our
foreign policy in line with the US policy as has been already exhibited by India
being forced to vote against Iran in the IAEA meeting.
The
Indo-US Nuclear Deal is meant to serve the interests of the global nuclear power
industry and is a ploy to keep India away from staking claims to shrinking
fossil fuel reserves in proportion to its large population so that these
reserves may last for some more time for the rich countries.
The undue importance given to the Indo-US Nuclear
Deal as opposed to the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline, even though gas is
predicted to be the major source of power globally for the next two to three
decades, raises questions about the motives of the Indian
government.
The most diabolical aspect of the Deal is the
increasing military proximity between the US and India . Joint Indo-US military
exercises have already been going on for the last seven years with the aim of
building interoperability.
A Counter-Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School
has been established at Vairengte in Mizoram. The US Congress has been briefed
that in a war that is being predicted with China in about fifteen years from
now, the US would like to see India on its side. US envisions a military base
for itself on India soil soon.
The increasing militarization of the India
State is also being used to stifle civil liberties and democratic movements in
the country. India must learn a lesson from the history of US military
involvement in various parts of the world which have been left devastated. It is
dangerous to have the US as an enemy but fatal to have as a friend.
The
friendship and the elusive geo-political status or possibly a seat in the
Security Council, whatever the Government of India is aspiring for, is going to
come at the cost of loss of sovereignty to the nation. Our status will be
reduced to that of a second rate UK or Israel .
In the
face of unprecedented pressure mounted by the US , the Left Front, a partner in
the UPA alliance, must be congratulated for successfully stalling the Indo-US
Nuclear Deal up till now. The Deal is now stuck at the stage of finalizing a
India specific agreement with the IAEA. The Left party leaders have displayed
foresight in foiling the US hegemonic designs in South Asia even though they
have yet to take an ideological position against the nuclear power
programme.
Manmohan Singh, who talked about renewable energy for the last
time at NAM meeting two years ago, has directed the Ministry of New and
Renewable Energy to draft an umbrella legislation for promotion and growth of
renewable energy, under duress. It would make more political, economic and
environmental sense for India to pursue a path of self reliant renewable energy
programme for fulfilling its need rather than the elusive nuclear energy for
which we'll always be at the mercy of external agencies. But then India will
have to give up its own hegemonic designs of acting as a regional military super
power.
Clean source of energy will have to be accompanied by clean
politics. India will have to work on the agenda of regional peace, disarmament
and stability rather than converting it into a region of warfare. If Manmohan
Singh embarks on this twin objective programme, he would be remembered for his
wisdom more than he would be if he were to finalize the Indo-US Nuclear Deal. He
would favourably alter the course of history of not only this nation but also
possibly the world towards a cleaner, safer and secure future.
Dr Sandeep Pandey
(The author is a Ramon
Magsaysay Awardee (2002) for emergent leadership, heads the National Alliance of
People's Movements (NAPM) and did his PhD from University of California,
Berkeley in control theory which is applicable in missile technology. He can be
contacted at: ashaashram@yahoo.com)
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mahesh shelar
Dear Prof Chandak and all indo us nuclear deal appears to be/is more about foreign policy than energy deal THE DEAL WILL mark A CLEAR SHIFT FROM NON ALIGNMENT TO PRO US FOREIGN POLICY india should not be a part of United states foreign adventures (vietnam to iraq) and should continue to play a role as per its Panchasheel doctrine mahesh
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From: Ajay Chandak <chan...@sancharnet.in> |
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Manu Sharma
Manu
Wolverine
However I am skeptical with the inference that there is no ulterior
motive on part of the LEFT ( Read as proximity to China) in opposing
the nuclear deal.
I believe the government should come forward with all the facts of the
act/ deal and desist from backdoor maneuvers.
Ajinkya
On Jul 15, 2:03 pm, "Manu Sharma" <orangeh...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I completely agree with the sentiment expressed by Ryan, Prof. Chandak,
> Mahesh and others - this deal is a very bad idea for a large number of
> reasons already mentioned here. I'm still hoping though that it wouldn't go
> through for paucity of time or whatever reason.
>
> Manu
>
Manu Sharma
Thanks,
Manu
Convener / moderator
Green-India
Thaddeus Ward
about it in the US. It has cropped up a bit but not with serious
headlines.
Clearly this is a political and military move by some of the more
cynical forces in our gov't. Part of the urgency is that it probably
needs to get through the machinery of gov't before the next president
starts cleaning house. No doubt the people behind this would also
like it to remain as low profile as possible in Washington. That
won't be possible if the good folks in India continue to resist this
being pushed through. Resistance there will mean more energy and
publicity needed here in the US.
Indian non-alignment is a very important thing for world stability.
here in the US there are many who still have an cold war mentality
that multi-national blocks of power are necessary. With an aggressive
Soviet Block that was necessary, but trying to hem in China with
military alliances will only polarize the world right now and create a
military escalation that we just don't need.
-TW
On Jul 17, 3:18 am, "Manu Sharma" <orangeh...@gmail.com> wrote:
> That may be a valid point, Ajinkya. I just wanted to get a quick word out to
> anyone thinking of responding to this comment that discussion of politics is
> generally outside the scope of this group. Unless it relates directly to the
> topic.
>
> Thanks,
> Manu
>
> Convener / moderator