India "Betrayed" By Restrictions To Sensitive Nuclear Technology
India "Betrayed" By Restrictions To Sensitive Nuclear Technology
AsianScientist (Jul. 7, 2011) – The Indian nuclear community today has suffered "a betrayal", says Anil Kakodkar, former chairman of the Indian Atomic Energy Commission (AEC).
The reason: while the 46-member Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) gave the green light to China last month for the sale of two reactors to Pakistan, Chasma 1 and 2, the Group is planning to restrict the transfer of ENR (enrichment and reprocessing) technologies only to those nations which have signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
India has not signed the NPT as it as it feels it is discriminatory, and Indian nuclear scientists feel that the new thinking is directly aimed at this country.
NSG's recent move has surprised several Indian atomic scientists because at a meeting of the organization in September 2008, India was given what is known as an unprecedented "clean waiver". This means it was given the go-ahead for participating in global nuclear commerce despite it being a non-signatory to the NPT.
This historic approval, moreover, had the backing of the US.
More Hurdles For The Indo-US Nuclear Deal
If the NSG now had its way, it will be a setback to the Indo-US nuclear deal which allows India to participate in global atomic trade. Although the new rule will not affect the sale of foreign reactors to India, it will prohibit the transfer of critical ENR technologies.
Speaking to AsianScientist Magazine, Anil Kakodkar did not mince words when he told this journalist that "more hurdles were coming in our way", with regards to the deal.
When the Indo-US deal was ratified, it marked a significant milestone in international nuclear diplomacy. However, a few related areas like the controversial liability issue have yet to be firmed up, and at the moment no solution appears to be in sight.
Referring to the NSG's plan, Kakodkar regretted:
"Instead of moving forward we are moving backward. We should move forward as it is in the interest of everyone," he remarked.
The group was formed in 1974 after India detonated its first nuclear bomb at Pokhran in Rajasthan on May 18, 1974. The main role of the organization is to spread non-proliferation.
Added Kakodkar: "This new rule is being contemplated at a time when India is planning to become a member of the NSG."
Pressure For India To Sign The NPT?
Some nuclear scientists have interpreted the NSG plan as a means to pressurize India to sign the NPT. They feel that the behind-the-scenes exercise was in progress, particularly by the US, Russia and France, to force India to adhere to the treaty.
"The fact is we have to protect our interests," Kakodkar replied when asked to comment.
The doublespeak by the NSG members came as a surprise because only a few days ago, the outgoing US ambassador to India, Timothy J. Roemer, said:
"I want to say that the US and the Obama administration strongly and vehemently support the clean waiver for India."
Roemer hoped that the civil nuclear deal between India and the US would continue to move in a positive direction, which according to Kakodkar was not happening.
Faced with this unexpected development, Indian foreign secretary Nirupama Rao has hinted that India may not buy nuclear reactors from countries which refuse to sell ENR technologies.
"We will defend our interests to the hilt," Rao told a TV channel.
Citing safer Indian technology that uses thorium rather than uranium for nuclear power generation, Kakodkar added:
"We are pursuing our thorium program and one of its main advantages was that it was proliferation-resistant. This should encourage countries to collaborate with us. But, instead more hurdles are coming our way," he regretted.
NSG Restrictions May Not Be America's Fault
Member of the Atomic Energy Commission and its former chairman, M. R. Srinivasan, believes that the issue has been building up for quite some time.
"The agreement with the NSG included the transfer of ENR technology too. Key members of this group – the US, Russia and France – assured that they would stand by this decision and we also made it clear that we will not sign the NPT," he said.
"Our negotiations went on for three years and now the agreement should not be eroded. In return for a clean waiver by the NSG for allowing India to participate global nuclear trade, we agreed to place some of our civilian nuclear installations for international inspection," Srinivasan added.
Srinivasan said that though India's has its own enrichment and reprocessing facilities, it did not mean that this country should not obtain this technology from abroad since it will be importing nuclear fuel and embarking on an expansion program.
Weighing in on the NSG restrictions, P. K. Iyengar, another former chairman of India's Atomic Energy Commission, said:
"The NSG has got the right to change the norms. I think the US was under pressure from some of the smaller members of the group to lay down additional conditions for transferring ENR technology."
According to Iyengar, some of these NSG members must have felt that if India can be accorded preferential treatment, then why not Israel, Pakistan and North Korea?
"I feel that these additional conditions are indirect way of forcing India to sign the NPT," Iyengar continued. "I felt that the Indo-US nuke deal was a non starter right from the beginning and this is proving right."
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