NUCLEAR DEAL

THE Indo-US bilateral agreement on nuclear cooperation is in the eye of a political storm. The UPA government’s announcement of the conclusion of the agreement has led to a political crisis.It may be difficult for ordinary people to grasp the implications of the nuclear agreement with all its technical aspects and intricacies. The supply of nuclear fuel, the fuel cycle, the enrichment and reprocessing technologies and the safeguards agreement are all not within the knowledge of lay people. Without going into the complex issues concerning nuclear cooperation, one way to understand and assess the agreement is to ask: does this agreement advance India’s interests, does it protect our capacity for an independent foreign policy and sovereignty? Is this an agreement only on nuclear cooperation or is it part of a wider agreement?In 1974, when India conducted its first nuclear weapon test, no country was more surprised than the United States. The only nuclear explosive material India had on hand was plutonium, and the plutonium had been made in a Canadian-supplied reactor that India was running with sensitive “heavy water” imported from the United States. India had promised explicitly to restrict both the reactor and the heavy water to peaceful use. It was obvious, however, that India was running a secret bomb program under the guise of peaceful energy cooperation.The United States reacted by passing the Nuclear Nonproliferation Act of 1978. It prohibited the sale of American reactors, or reactor fuel, or heavy water, or similar items to countries like India that rejected the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and refused to put all of their nuclear material under international inspection. The law embodied a policy of providing the strongest possible support to the treaty.President George W. Bush has now asked Congress to reverse this policy, so that nuclear trade with India can recommence. If Congress agrees, it will have to change the law in order to exempt India from the criteria laid down in the 1978 act. The president will also have to persuade the Nuclear Suppliers Group, a consortium of countries that have banded together to restrict nuclear exports, to make an exception for India because India does not meet the Group’s export criteria either.The president has taken this action after making a deal with India in July 2005. Under the deal, the United States would effectively endorse India’s nuclear weapon effort in exchange for benefits that have proved rather difficult to define. When the deal is examined, it is hard to see a real prize for the United States. Yet, the supporters of the deal have repeatedly put forth claims that greatly exaggerate the supposed benefits. The claims have been repeated so often as to take on the aura of myths. Virtually absent, however, has been any discussion of the attendant risks of reopening this trade.The things going to happen if nuke deal happens:The deal will bring India into the "nonproliferation mainstream" and help stop the spread of nuclear weapons.India has made other new commitments that will help stop proliferation. Nuclear cooperation will make India a reliable U.S. ally. The deal will build up India as a bulwark against China. India’s strategic position entitles it to unique treatment.It is possible to loosen export controls for India without doing the same for Iran and other countries pursuing the bomb.U.S. nuclear exports will not help India make bombs.Peaceful space cooperation will not help India's nuclear missile program. India has an exemplary nonproliferation record and is a reliable trading partner. India needs more nuclear power to assure its energy future.The deal will result in more U.S. reactor salesThe deal is needed to build better relations with India.The deal is not primarily about making money; it is about creating a new U.S. strategic relationship in south Asia. The deal is consistent with U.S. efforts to fight terrorism.This is a “good deal for the United States.CPI says govt will pay 'big price' if its implements n-dealThe Left parties have, after carefully assessing the implications of the 123 agreement, demanded that the government not proceed further to operationalise the agreement.The Left parties put brakes on the controversial Indo-U.S. nuclear deal by warning the government of "serious consequences" of operationalising it, but stopped short of withdrawing support to the UPA coalition.Turning up the heat on the government, the CPI(M) Polit Bureau passed a resolution describing the deal as "unacceptable" and demanding that the government should not proceed further on it by commencing negotiations with the U.N. nuclear watchdog IAEA for safeguards which would bind India in perpetuity.BJP dares Left to pull the rugAmid a looming political crisis at the Centre over the Left’s strong disapproval of the Indo-US nuclear agreement, the BJP today asked the Left parties to take their objections to the deal to a logical conclusion and withdraw support to the three-year old UPA government.The TDP, a key member of the Third Front,strongly opposed the Indo-US nuclear deal and demanded a debate in Parliament on the issue.The TDP is of view that the nuclear deal with the US was against national interests.UPA floats new formula to break ice with leftOpening a possible window of opportunity to end the stand-off with the Left on the nuclear issue, a beleaguered UPA Government on Sunday night proposed the constitution of a special committee, comprising representatives from the Left and scientists, to study the implications of the Hyde Act. The Left Front parties will meet on Monday to weigh the new proposal.Here left has two problems if they support to UPA they will loss, if not BJP will gain .we will wait n see how much selfish is this politicians have ?