Some thoughts on the India-US civilian nuclear deal

So after a lot of suspence and nail-biting the Indo-US nuke deal has got the nod from the 45 nation Nuclear Suppliers Group. OK, India has impeccable credentials in non-proliferation and could make a strong case for the deal, but the credit for the deal passing goes to the US. US top leaders made discrete calls to recalcitrant countries to smoothen the path.

We all know the basics of the deal. I won't go into the intricacies of it for the simple reason that I myself got totally fogged trying to imbibe the fine print. I gave up. But no sorrow, I am sure many of our esteemed leaders too haven't the foggiest about the complete details. For me if Abdul Kalam says it is good for the country, that is good enough for me. Dr. Kalam can be trusted blindly. He has India's interests closest to his heart. Sad, that petty politics prevented his return for a second term as President.

From what little I savvy, if India does nuclear tests, the supply of nuclear technology will be stopped. No worries. India has no need in the present for more nuke tests. What we need are the latest nuclear technologies for power generation. Our scientists can then imbibe them better. Especially practical use of these techs will speed up.

WHY IS THE US SO EAGER ABOUT THE DEAL?

The US is no Mother Teresa (no governments are), that it altruistically wanted India to get the latest nuke techs and materials. Its major interest is to build India as a counterweight to the growing might of China. The other concern was the gas emissions by India's dependence on coal fired power plants. Nuke plants will be clean.

CHINA, THE USUAL BAD GUY

China's demeanour throughout the NSG show reminded us of the 1960s. Then Chou En Lou had said things like "Hindi-Chini bhai bhai" and shaken Nehru's hand warmly. Then they attacked us militarily.

In the NSG clearance process too, China stuck out like a sore thumb, raising piddly objections. The aim was to stall the process. This despite the fact that Hu Jintao had assured Manmohan Singh of his country's support when the two had met some months back. China fell in line only after Bush phoned up the Chinese leader and mentioned a file on China's sins. India too sent some stern notes.

China, it seems, will never become our friend. And we had wholeheartedly supported China's candidature for a seat as a permanent member in the UN Security Council in the early seventies!

FRANCE AND RUSSIA TO BENEFIT FROM BEING EARLY BIRDS?

India has got the clearance from the Nuclear Suppliers Group. This gives it the freedom to trade in nuclear technologies with any country. France and Russia have been our good friends and have been ready to give us nuclear power plants since ages. With the NSG green signal they will rush in. The French build the most advanced plants, better than US or Russian companies. Then will French and Russian companies grab the whole Indian pie?

That would hard on the US. After all they are the ones who have brought us into the nuclear power trade. The US companies can trade with India only after the Congress passes the Indo-US Nuclear Deal.

It has been unwritten gentleman's agreement between the two countries that India will give US companies a substantial slice of the pie. That is why the Bush administration is so impatiently pushing the deal through the US Congress.