On this one I agree with the Left. But the they are not framing it in the right way. To put it bluntly, the deal trades off long-term interests of India for short term business interests. Let me explain.
India is running low on Uranium. All India needs is high grade Uranium for the existing Nuclear Power Plants. The outputs of these plants have and continue to provide weapons grade nuclear material. India is self-sufficient regarding everything else to build Nuclear Power Plants and develop what is needed for National Security. India can build an International Grade Nuclear Power Plant in 5 yrs that runs more efficiently than western designed power plants. The Tarapore plant was built using US technology and is riddled with problems. The US has not built a power plant in 20 years!
The nuclear deal is positioned as a panacea for power. And understandably there is a strong business lobby to accept the deal. P.K. Iyengar in his op-ed in The Asian Age (Friday Aug 17th) calls it a "Guilded Cage". He also goes onto explain that the price of Uranium is high and it is not clear that Nuclear Power would be cheap. "Cheap" is a relevant term and it could be that Nuclear Power has a viable price point in India. Auditing the current Nuclear Power Plants and determining if they are providing power at an economically viable rate can validate this assumption.
Arun Shourie has written a three part article in the Indian Express (Part III, Sunday, Aug 19th) where he expands upon the Power dilemma.
From the long term perspective, the Nuclear Deal has the potential to thwart India’s national security! Currently, if India does something that violates the US National Laws, not only supplies can be stopped, there could be a potential recall.
It also requires India to open up its commercial reactors to IAEA inspection, which would be an expensive and cumbersome undertaking in itself. Why should India agree to any guidelines that the major powers themselves are not adopting. India should not open ourselves to any formal inspection of any plants. Any visits should be conducted bilaterally and in the spirit of cooperation not conformance.
The bottom line is that India is going about this issue in the wrong way. Every rational critique of this deal reports that it is bad for India. It's not just the deal, it is India’s "Subservient Attitude" that is a major problem. There are two role models that Indians can look to, to get things done...the Nehruvian way, which is the way India is currently approaching this issue and the Tata way. During the British Rule, there was a hotel near Kala Ghoda that the Brits used exclusively for themselves. J.N. Tata took offense and said he will build a better hotel that will welcome Indians and went on the build the Taj. Taj now owns the most prestigious hotel in Boston. That is how India should approach International Politics. India should take the, "Moral High Ground", in that India has been conducting a Nuclear Program responsibly, unlike other countries, and India will continue to behave responsibly. Indians have to realize that they we are now Big Boys and they can acquire their Big Toys in a manner that does not entail the "Club" dictating what India can and cannot do. It really boils down to the issue of whether India wants to be treated as an equal or subordinate! STAND UP INDIA! India should not agree to take on a "Second or Third Class Country" status. India’s standpoint should be India needs Uranium and India will acquire it from the "Club" or obtain it through alliances with “non-Club” countries.
There was a time when India was dependent on Western technology and India had to "bow down" to their demands. Now India is ahead! There is no need to prostrate in front of each of the 45 members of the Nuclear Club to obtain their approval AND prostrate in front of the IAEA for their blessings. There are other ways to obtain the Uranium that India needs.
This is an International natak of, “we have the stick and you don't”. India ought to change the rules of the game and diplomatically disengage or get unconditional terms. India should say, "Thank You, but no Thank You, there is tremendous opposition to the deal within”, and go on to form a club of their own.
India is running low on Uranium. All India needs is high grade Uranium for the existing Nuclear Power Plants. The outputs of these plants have and continue to provide weapons grade nuclear material. India is self-sufficient regarding everything else to build Nuclear Power Plants and develop what is needed for National Security. India can build an International Grade Nuclear Power Plant in 5 yrs that runs more efficiently than western designed power plants. The Tarapore plant was built using US technology and is riddled with problems. The US has not built a power plant in 20 years!
The nuclear deal is positioned as a panacea for power. And understandably there is a strong business lobby to accept the deal. P.K. Iyengar in his op-ed in The Asian Age (Friday Aug 17th) calls it a "Guilded Cage". He also goes onto explain that the price of Uranium is high and it is not clear that Nuclear Power would be cheap. "Cheap" is a relevant term and it could be that Nuclear Power has a viable price point in India. Auditing the current Nuclear Power Plants and determining if they are providing power at an economically viable rate can validate this assumption.
Arun Shourie has written a three part article in the Indian Express (Part III, Sunday, Aug 19th) where he expands upon the Power dilemma.
From the long term perspective, the Nuclear Deal has the potential to thwart India’s national security! Currently, if India does something that violates the US National Laws, not only supplies can be stopped, there could be a potential recall.
It also requires India to open up its commercial reactors to IAEA inspection, which would be an expensive and cumbersome undertaking in itself. Why should India agree to any guidelines that the major powers themselves are not adopting. India should not open ourselves to any formal inspection of any plants. Any visits should be conducted bilaterally and in the spirit of cooperation not conformance.
The bottom line is that India is going about this issue in the wrong way. Every rational critique of this deal reports that it is bad for India. It's not just the deal, it is India’s "Subservient Attitude" that is a major problem. There are two role models that Indians can look to, to get things done...the Nehruvian way, which is the way India is currently approaching this issue and the Tata way. During the British Rule, there was a hotel near Kala Ghoda that the Brits used exclusively for themselves. J.N. Tata took offense and said he will build a better hotel that will welcome Indians and went on the build the Taj. Taj now owns the most prestigious hotel in Boston. That is how India should approach International Politics. India should take the, "Moral High Ground", in that India has been conducting a Nuclear Program responsibly, unlike other countries, and India will continue to behave responsibly. Indians have to realize that they we are now Big Boys and they can acquire their Big Toys in a manner that does not entail the "Club" dictating what India can and cannot do. It really boils down to the issue of whether India wants to be treated as an equal or subordinate! STAND UP INDIA! India should not agree to take on a "Second or Third Class Country" status. India’s standpoint should be India needs Uranium and India will acquire it from the "Club" or obtain it through alliances with “non-Club” countries.
There was a time when India was dependent on Western technology and India had to "bow down" to their demands. Now India is ahead! There is no need to prostrate in front of each of the 45 members of the Nuclear Club to obtain their approval AND prostrate in front of the IAEA for their blessings. There are other ways to obtain the Uranium that India needs.
This is an International natak of, “we have the stick and you don't”. India ought to change the rules of the game and diplomatically disengage or get unconditional terms. India should say, "Thank You, but no Thank You, there is tremendous opposition to the deal within”, and go on to form a club of their own.
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