The Indo American Nuclear Deal

Why the Communists are barking up the wrong tree

Going by Indian media reports, one would think that the whole issue was about India compromising on her sovereignty by agreeing to various terms and conditions imposed by the US. Of course, it is the communists who have made the maximum noise. So much so that even during the past few days when much of the country’s attention has been riveted on the Hyderabad bomb blasts, the communists have remained completely focused on the 1-2-3 agreement. How misguided our communists are and how jaundiced their mindset is, can be best gauged when we read better informed and unbiased reports in some western media. The Economist (Aug 25) has for instance criticized the US for agreeing to give so many concessions to India. As we all know, India has not signed the Nuclear Proliferation Treaty (NPT). By making India accept International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards, even if on her own terms and conditions, the Bush administration has attempted to bring India out of isolation and make her take on similar responsibilities like the five major nuclear powers, USA, UK, France, Russia and China. India has not agreed to sign the test ban treaty. Moreover, India has reserved the right on what reactors can be inspected and when. As the Economist mentions, “Such unprecedented laxity in India will make it hard to get others to accept the tougher inspections that the IAEA wants as standard for all NPT members… Exemptions from India will convey a different message, “first get your bomb." Such rule bending puts at risk the anti nuclear regime that everyone else’s safety and security is built on."

In short, India seems to have succeeded in extracting several important concessions from the US. All this talk from the communists about India compromising her sovereignty must be dismissed as rubbish.