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Secondly, Carter recounts personal knowledge of Indian officials
but history would show that he has dealt only with
Morarji Desai—the Gandhian pacifist who abhorred all
things violent (especially nuclear weapons). In fact,
Carter signed an Agreement to send nuclear fuel to
Indian plant at Tarapur suspended after India’s
“peaceful explosion” of a Hiroshima-class bomb in
1974. However, that agreement did not see the light as
the nuclear Ayatollah’s in the US used the same
argument as they do today to scuttle the deal.
Thirdly, he says he wants India to sign the Comprehensive Test
Ban Treaty (CTBT) while neither he nor his fellow
democrat Bill Clinton could get Congress to agree to
the deal. Interestingly, Indian analysts who oppose
the deal say the reverse. For instance, respected
columnist Brahma Chellaney says, “
under subsection‘d’ of the “waiver authority” sought
by the administration from Congress, India would be
precluded forever from conducting any
nuclear-explosive test. If India were to violate that
blanket prohibition, all civilian nuclear cooperation
with it will cease, leaving any power reactors it
imports high and dry, bereft of fuel.”
Fourthly, he bemoans that the deal will de-motivate other
nuclear weapons aspirant countries like South Africa,
Brazil, Indonesia, Argentina, and Japan from adhering
to Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) norms. Yet,
it was during his term that China transferred nuclear
technology, proliferated nuclear accessories, and
taught Pakistan how to make nuclear weapons. It is
interesting that he was not so concerned about that
proliferation and he is worried about a
non-proliferating India. What the American Ayatollahs
must remember is the basic question whether it is
important for a country to say that it will be part of
NPT or for them to adhere to the principles. China,
Pakistan, Iran, Libya, and North Korea are all
signatories to NPT. Yet, they are also the largest
proliferators. India is a non-signatory but has an
impeccable record—in fact, even better than the US
and its European allies.
Not addressing India’s non-proliferation record,
economic needs, environmental impact because of
increased use of fossil fuels to supply its growth,
Carter has done a major disservice to the deal.
However, countering his op-ed piece in the Washington Post is
Missouri Senator Chris Bond who is a member of the
Senate Intelligence Committee who enthusiastically
supported the deal saying, “it is a major step in
solving India’s energy problems.”
In the meanwhile, Germany too has been expressing
“reservations” on the deal saying that it was not
helpful for its efforts to stop Iranian nuclear
enrichment program. This “reservation” is a major
yawn because it has been said over an over again that
India and Iran are different cases and even Iran has
accepted this position.
As has been repeatedly demonstrated to the world, no
matter what, with or without the US, India will
develop the necessary technologies, accessories, and
materials for nuclear and thorium enrichment. From
basic lens technology in the ‘50s to cryogenic
engines and unmanned airborne vehicles, India has the
capability to develop the requisite technologies.
Every time the US denied it technology, it spurred the
country even more towards that technology and also
turns the intelligentsia further against what should
be a “natural ally.”
Without the US development of required nuclear technologies
may take the country a longer time to develop
economically and will have to spend more money on
fossil fuels and possibly in a closer relationship
with Iran. The consequence of these moves will destroy
the environment even further and strategically upset
US’s assiduous moves to create containment circle around
China. While India will never join such a
grouping, it will also never support it. However, with
lack of such strategic engagement, India will most
likely oppose it.
This is a situation that will neither help India nor the
US.
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