Indo-US and The nuclear Deal

There are lot of talks about 1 2 3 Agreement between India & USA and it almost led to the topple of Central Government.

Indo-US civilian nuclear agreement is the name commonly attributed to a bilateral agreement on nuclear cooperation between the United States of America and the Republic of India. The framework for this agreement was a Joint Statement by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and U.S. President George Bush, under which India agreed to separate its civil and military nuclear facilities and place its civil facilities under IAEA safeguards and, in exchange, the United States agreed to work toward full civil nuclear cooperation with India.

Reason for taking Nuclear deal

Signatories to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) are granted access to civilian nuclear technology from each other as well as nuclear fuel via the Nuclear Suppliers Group in exchange for International Atomic Energy Agency-verified compliance of the NPT tenets. India, Israel, and Pakistan, however, have not signed the NPT, arguing that instead of addressing the central objective of universal and comprehensive non-proliferation, the treaty creates a club of “nuclear haves” and a larger group of “nuclear have-nots” by restricting the legal possession of nuclear weapons to those states that tested them before 1967, who alone are free to possess and multiply their nuclear stockpiles.India insists on a comprehensive action plan for a nuclear-free world within a specific time-frame and has also adopted a voluntary “no first use policy”.

In response to a growing Chinese nuclear arsenal, India conducted a nuclear test in 1974 (called “peaceful nuclear explosion” and explicitly not for “offensive” first strike military purposes but which could be used as a “peaceful deterrence”). Led by the US, other nations set up an informal group, the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), to control exports of nuclear materials, equipment and technology. As a result, India was relegated to a pariah status within the international nuclear order. India conducted 5 more nuclear tests in May, 1998 at Pokhran.

What is 123 Agreement?

This is called 123 Agreement because this comes under USA’s Atomic Power Act Section 123.
Let’s see how India’s (Indians?) Sovereinty & Independence are pledged…

(1) After this Agreement USA will supply all fuel, machinery / equipment & technology to India for producing Nuclear Power.

(2) All these days from about 22 Nuclear Power Plants, India is producing power as well as Atom. It’s a high security / secret that from where which is produced, how much is produced, where it is supplied, what research is being done with that, etc. to anybody. But if we sign this Agreement, we have to disclose these secrets and also agree to 14 of our Nuclear Power Plants to be under the scanner of International Atomic Power Organisation.

(3) The fuel utilised to produce Atomic Power can be recycled for reuseand this plant will be under direct supervision of IAPO.
If India does nuclear test, this agreement gets cancelled. But

(1) USA will take back all the machinery / equipments / technology supplied to India thus far.

(2) Those 14 plants will continue to be under scanner irrespective of the status of the agreement.

On the other hand, if any of the commitments given by USA is breached by them, then there is no clause for cancelling this agreement.

The agreement is apparently like this… USA can either hug India or slap India. India will not ask why are we hugged or why are we slapped. On the other hand, India cannot hug or slap USA for breach of agreement. This is only capsule so that easy to read and digest.

Why this aggrement is facing opposition in india?

Although many mainstream political parties including the Indian National Congress support the deal along with regional parties like Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Rashtriya Janata Dal its realisation has run into difficulties in the face of stiff political opposition in India. Also, in November 2007, former Indian Military chiefs, bureaucrats and scientists drafted a letter to Members of Parliament expressing their support for the deal. However, opposition and criticism continued at political levels. The Samajwadi Party (SP) which was with the Left Front in opposing the deal changed its stand after discussing with ex-president of India and nuclear scientist Dr A P J Abdul Kalam. Now SP is in support of the government and the deal. Indian Government survived a vote of confidence by 275-256 after communists withdrew their support to the government over this dispute.

Bharatiya Janata Party

The main opposition party BJP which laid the groundwork for the deal criticized the deal saying that the deal in its present form was unacceptable to BJP and wanted the deal renegotiated. The BJP the current main opposition party in the Indian parliament has asked the government not to accept the deal without a vote in the parliament. However, the government remained steadfast on its commitment to the deal and has refused to back down on the agreement, leading to the possibility of mid-term elections in India. 81 year old veteran BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani, in a statement to the Indian Express newspaper, seemed to indicate willingness to support the government provided some legislative measures.However his party refused to follow that line and stuck to its earlier stand.

Left Front

The primary opposition to the Nuclear deal in India, however, comes from the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and its parliamentary allies (CPI, RSP, AIFB) November 17 the left parties had provisionally agreed to let the government initiate talks with the IAEA for India specific safeguards which indicated that they may support.The CPI(M), an external parliamentary supporter of government as it stipulates conditions that in some areas are more severe than the clauses in either the NPT or the CTBT. The left front formally removed the support to UPA-led government on July 8.

Others

In 2006, some Indian ex-nuclear scientists had written an appeal to Indian Members of Parliament to ensure that “decisions taken today do not inhibit India’s future ability to develop and pursue nuclear technologies for the benefit of the nation”.

United Nationalist Progressive Alliance (UNPA)

The UNPA was divided over support of the nuclear deal. While the SP supported it after consultations with Abdul Kalam, the other members of the UNPA led by the TDP opposed it saying that the deal is against India’s interest. The SP was eventually suspended from the UNPA.

Bahujan Samaj Party

The BSP also opposed the nuclear deal, saying that it was anti-muslim. The party joined hands with the Left Front and the TDP in voting against the government in Parliament on the nuclear deal.

The IAEA approval

The IAEA Board of Governors approved the safeguards agreement on August 1st 2008, and now the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group must approve a policy allowing nuclear cooperation with India before President Bush can make the necessary certifications and seek final approval by the U.S. Congress.[56] There were objections from Iran, Ireland, Norway, Switzerland and Austria at the IAEA meeting

Requirement of Power

The most important requirement for India’s Economic Growth in the coming years will be the power & nfrastructure. The argument put forth favouring the 123 Agreement says that we need Nuclear Power Production to be increased to meet the demand.

Power Production in India

Presently following are the figures:

Thermal Power 66%

Hydel Power 26%

Solar & Wind Power 5% - Presently Rs.600 Crores are spent for producing this power.

Nuclear Power 3% - If this is to be increased to 6%, it requires additional Rs.50,000 Crores.

Naturally it will be wise to increase other 3 modes of power production rather than the expensive & dangerous Nuclear Power. Isn’t??

URANIUM

We used to import Uranium from various other countries. After the Pokran Test, we are not getting it. To augment the supply, we need to sign the 123 Agreement to get Uranium from USA. But we will have to
declare to USA from which power plant India takes raw material for producing Atom Bomb. Why should we disclose our internal secrets to those rascals ? Will any one allow an outsider to continuously monitor
what’s happening in your Hall & Kitchen of your house? Other study reveals that Uranium is available in India aplenty. Only hurdle is the acquisition of land. To produce Atomic Power & Bomb in the next 40
years, the requirement of Uranium is 25,000 MT whereas the availability is 78,000 MT across India.

PLUTONIUM

Presently 35% of Plutonium is used to produce Atomic Bombs. After signing the Agreement, we will be allowed to use only 10%. Who are those rascals to restrict the usage of our natural resource ? That is though you are capable of cooking & eating 10 idlis as your breakfast, you are allowed only 3 idlis henceforth. How can it be? Why should we accept this?

THORIUM

As told by Dr.APJ, we have abundant Thorium. In fact we are the 2nd largest producer of Thorium next only to Australia. India has to explore this further for producing power. For your information, in
South India - particularly around Kanyakumari, the availability of Thorium is abundant.

INDIA-IRAN-CHINA

USA does not like the amicable relationship between India-Iran and also India-China. If India-China relationship gets stronger, then both these can rule the Eastern Part of the Globe which USA wants to break as per their divide & rule.

By signing this agreement, USA wants India to depend on it for producing power which is going to be a crucial factor in future. There is a talk of bringing Natural Gas from Iran to India with a big pipeline project.
USA doesn’t like this proposal.

Atomic Power Technology

Whether power is produced or Bomb is produced, using Atomic power without spoiling the infrastructure and without allowing the radiation is always under threat. Moreover preserving the wastes coming out of
Atomic Power Plants is expensive & unsafe.

There was an accident in Three Miles Island in USA. To close this plant nearly USD 200 Crores spent with tons & tons of concrete but yet to be fully closed.

In an another accident at Soviet Union’s Serbia Plant, even the next generation child are affected due to the radiation.

It will be very very expensive to defuse & close down an Atomic Power Plant than its construction cost.

France

France has got 56 Nuclear Power stations producing 73% of the country’s total power requirement. They are catching up the problem of eliminating the wastes / emissions from out of those plants at the same
time increase the power production capacity. Government of France is now thinking how to reduce the power consumption in the country.

Reaction from the world

Besides the United States, the deal has widespread support from several states including United Kingdom, France,Japan, Russia,and Germany.There are also reports of Australia,China,and Canada supporting the deal when India asks Nuclear Suppliers Group to exempt it from the requirement that states place all their nuclear material under safeguards. Some have argued that the deal represents a tacit recognition of India as a nuclear weapon state

Conclusion

In view of the above danger, rather than signing the agreement and pledging India to USA, it will be prudent to increase the Solar & Wind Energy and more importantly Hyder Power Production can be increased by
linking all rivers across India and by constructing DAMS. (Ofcourse Dam construction projects can be given to L&T’s B&F Sector :-)

The whole process of this Agreement started in the year 2005 when Manmohan visited USA. In a span of just 2 years a major decision of signing this agreement has taken place with political motive. On the
contrary, neither this Government nor any other earlier Central Government could not amend the Constitution thereby nationalise the rivers across the country thereby effectively utilise the water resources for both Agriculture purpose and producing Hydel Power. What an irony?

Whenever someone is helping the needy, you can’t expect the TERMS AND CONDITIONS BETWEEN THE needy and the helper to be EQUAL??? BUT

(1) the helper’s ulterior motive should be seen with broad eye because he is capable of digging a grave behind you and

(2) better to be self-sufficient and explore new avenues with available resources.

INDIA-CHINA-USA

India is very rich in Culture, follow Religions, Value Ethics, Level of Education is Very Good.

China is also rich in Culture, follow Religion, better disciplined.

USA does not have Culture, does not have Ethics, only want power over others. Particularly wants a firm footing in South Asia. Remember the introduction EURO by European Countries and it is stronger than Dollar? So their “DAL” cannot be boiled at “EUROPE”. They are trying in India
as already Pakistan is in their clutches.

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