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Waiver ends India’s N-isolation

I endorse H. K. Dua’s views in his front-page editorial “India’s hour” (Sept 8). The Manmohan Singh government deserves to be congratulated on having secured a waiver from the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). This has ended India’s nuclear isolation.

As a nuclear power country, India can now do into nuclear commerce. The new opportunities will enable India to generate nuclear energy to meet its civilian needs. Research and development programmes will help the country to boost its economy. The day is not far off when American Congress will gladly pass the Indo-nuclear deal.

Whatever the critics say, the US and the NSG have done a special favour to India as they did not insist on India’s signing of the NPT. Certainly, they were convinced that India did not believe in nuclear proliferation and arms race. In today’s interdependent world, no country can overpower the other.

Moreover, India’s democratic set-up is a strong source of its strength. An economically strong India will play its due role with more vigour to establish a peaceful and just world order.

The Leftists and the BJP should think with a broader outlook and they should not get themselves isolated on this achievement of the country. I am sure, posterity will remember Dr Manmohan Singh as a great visionary.

SUDESH KUMAR SHARMA, Kapurthala

II

September 6 is a red-letter day for India. No doubt, it’s a great leap for India when the NSG signalled the end of our 34-year nuclear isolation. It is the result of sustained and sincere efforts of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and their team backed by UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi as also the timely help by Samajwadi Party.

Our negotiators were able to convince the NSG in Vienna. After Dr Manmohan Singh’s initiative on economic liberalisation, the Vienna success will enable India to become a super power. We have to overcome our energy requirements. Having become a member of the nuclear club, India will now be able to trade nuclear fuel and the technology as well as equipment needed to augment nuclear energy generation which will pave way for all round development.

The response of the BJP, the BSP and the Left to the Vienna achievement is as expected. If they still continue their so-called cheap criticism, the BJP and the Left will have a tough time in the coming elections.

BIDYUT KUMAR CHATTERJEE, Faridabad

III

Factually, the 123 agreement does not recognise India as a nuclear weapon state but the editorial seems to fault on this fact. The US Congress letter clearly states that the US will not give any technology to India. The editorial even talks of assistance to defence industries when nuclear testing itself is denied.

Nuclear testing has come under great focus. The agreement does not allow this. In case India does it, the deal is nullified and it has to pay a heavy amount for the facilities already used. Self-imposed moratorium on testing is thus permanent which does not augur well for the size of a country like India. So much so even undertaking sub-critical (hydro nuclear) test to determine the reliability of its nuclear weapons is prevented.

Moreover, we should not forget what happened to Enron as also the import of food grains under PL-480 when the late Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri did not enter into an agreement with the US. Having relied on the principle of self-reliance, Shastri overcame the difficulty.

P.D. SHARMA, President, APEX Chamber of Commerce & Industry, (Punjab), Ludhiana