Seductions Of Nuclear Nationalism

Tehelka
Mar 20, 2008

WHATEVER HAPPENS to the India-US nuclear deal after the UPA-Left committee discusses the draft safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency, one thing is undeniable. The 44-month-long debate on the agreement will go down as one of independent India’s most divisive.

The deal’s proponents and opponents cannot be accused of not marshalling a spectacular range of arguments. Here, the proponents score on variety. The deal, they say, won’t only end “unfair”, “discriminatory” sanctions on India’s nuclear programme; it’ll open avenues to many non-nuclear technologies denied to India since the 1974 Pokharan- I test. India can keep its nuclear weapons despite defying the Non- Proliferation Treaty, and also import nuclear materials/equipment for its civilian programme, itself indispensable to energy security. 
 True, India won’t be treated, as originally promised, as a full-fledged nuclear weapons-state. It can’t add/remove at will facilities placed under IAEA inspections. The US won’t sell it enrichment, fuel-reprocessing or heavy-water technologies. But that’s a small price to pay for this exceptionally favourable arrangement, a part of “strategic partnership” with the US, and guarantee of high global stature.