Where Indians see the deal as confining, the Atlanticists see it as 'dangerously' loose. I suspect the truth may be somewhere in between. We'll be deterred from testing arbitrarily on a whim, like a rogue, but there should be enough latitude for us to do what's required to meet our security responsibilities.
3 comments:
The issue of testing is a red herring - it has become the litmus test by which the English media dullards in India are evaluating the deal.
Let me grant for minute that the semantics allows wiggle room to India to test (which it does not -but no use arguing semantics); the real issue still is import dependence for energy. Why invest billions in an energy source which can power only 6% of your energy requirements - a source whose whose one great operational feature is - import dependence for Uranium
The real "deal" behind the deal is that importing billion dollar reactors gives Kangress leaders opportunity for kickbacks a la Bofors. That is what this is really about. testing has nothing to do with it
Well, if you look at the French, who get 80% of their power from nuclear reactors, then that's quite a lot of energy independence. India can still proceed with its thorium program even while it runs foreign-fueled reactors to build up its economic strength.
But let's say that India only gets 6% of its energy from nuclear in the future. Then all the more reason why the 123 Deal would have no hold over India, since a cutoff of 6% of our power supplies could be compensated for from other power sources.
I feel we are getting more than we are losing from this deal. As for Kangress, I think they'll actually lose power due to this deal, a la "India Shining"
This deal however does not even guarauntee uranium supply. USA can withdraw from supply at a moment's notice.
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