'Stop The UPA From Proceeding Before A Public Debate'

Much has been said and written about the India-US Nuclear Deal; beginningwith the statement issued by many eminent nuclear scientists soon after thetalks on the deal began between India and US governments. Public fora andPeople's organisations such as Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and Peace calledit "anti-sovereignty". Today, when it is seen as an issue of conflictbetween the UPA and its Left front allies, we as representatives of people'smovements, must re-iterate our stand, which is that the deal is not justanti-democratic but against peace, and against environmentally sustainableenergy generation and self-reliant economic development.

The Left front is questioning the fact that such an international deal withsignificant implications is imposed on the Indian people and Parliament, with nopublic debate and consultation in India. While US Congress took a year and ahalf to discuss the proposed change in the US laws, permitting nuclear commercewith India, the process in India has been totally undemocratic.

The deal is part of a successful attempt by the United States to build astrategic relationship with India, in confronting the rising capitalistchallenge from China where India will be used as its client in the region.Directly or indirectly, the US will also enter the Indian sub-continent, tomanage intra-regional, inter-country relations. This whole process is likely toescalate the arms race between Pakistan and India, sabotaging the India-Pakistanpeace process. How can we ignore that fact the US sells arms to both India andPakistan?

The agreement also facilitates a full-fledged international exchange ofnuclear fuel and technology with insufficient caution and control. There will nodoubt be a corporate rush to extract, export and misuse nuclear fuel andtechnology, and it will be very difficult to prevent misuse even for the armstrade. Highly superficial clauses don't instill any confidence against such apossibility.

However, our basic objections to this deal stem from our opposition to theproduction and use of both nuclear weapons and nuclear energy. The irreversibledangers of radioactivity and its ongoing impact on health, water, and theenvironment are factors that are being summarily dismissed in an irresponsiblemanner. The whole cycle of nuclear production beginning with uranium mining, isfraught with catastrophic dangers, and as a nation we cannot use the decisionsof another country as justification for our own. Places like Jaduguda inJharkhand, Kota and Pokhran in Rajasthan, have already demonstrated the ongoingdangers of nuclear use to the common citizen.

We, in India, have inherited rich renewable sources of energy, which areenvironmentally benign and abundantly available. The solar, wind, and oceanwaves along with human power need to be fully tapped and put to use withpeople's control. Appropriate technology, research and development forproduction of cheaper equipment and tools, need to be combined with justdistribution, for the right priorities. There is no political will for this inthe ruling establishment. Estimates show that India can generate far more energythrough alternative, environmentally sound sources. The nuclear energy optionshould be put up for widespread public debate giving citizens a full opportunityto make an informed choice.

This deal however raises questions beyond nuclear energy opening up largespaces for US government and corporate control in India. This, no doubt, is asymbol of imperialism already demonstrated through the Iraq war and the obviouslinks of US policy with corporate control over resources. With unbound exchangeof information, data and material, knowledge and technology the dominant globalpower is all set to encroach upon Indian reserves and impinge upon oursovereignty. The deal ensures supply of sufficient nuclear material to nuclearreactors in India for the next 40 years, but the precautionary agreements tonegotiations and consultations are only promises for the future. All this issubject to approvals and conditions to be monitored by the US Congress, whilesidelining the Indian parliament.

The UPA government is proving to be increasingly submissive to theexploitation of our resources, knowledge and cheap labour by commercialinterests and corporate interests. The BJP and its allies are also in the powergame, using capitalist forces for support. The Left has raised an importantissue using their bargaining power. Non-party people's formations may not havethe power in parliament, but we have an important set of issues that need to beconsidered.

The Indian Constitution which allows deals such as this, as well asinternational treaties and agreements to be reached without democraticconsultation, needs an amendment to make public debate and referendums mandatoryand pre-conditional. We need an approval from the Indian electorate before weagree to sign the agreement.