Missing the wood for the trees
http://www.hindu.com/2008/07/19/stories/2008071954661000.htm
Never in the history of Indian democracy have we politically fought on one single issue, to the extent that we have to go through floor testing.
Not even issues like Godhra carnage get this much of importance.
Is it really worth this privilege?
UPA did give a fairly impressive performance in its rule.
1) Economy on an average grew at 9%
2) pro poor policies like
---a) National Rural Employment Guarantee Act
---b) Farm Loan waiver(lets not get diverted into debate on this)
3) Initiatives in Education and Health
4) Improved transparency in govt
---a) Right To Information Act
But lately its been plagued by inflation issue.
Now, if we look at the nuclear deal and if we take a call on it. Its very hard to understand that it is worth risking the govt.
Now, lets turn the question around. Is it worth an issue, for which we can put the present inflation crisis behind and plunge the govt? Is it really so scary that we can put common man into difficulties by taking of the support to govt?
"Deal was never really discussed"
We have hardly had discussed the pros and cons of the deal in the parliament
CPI and other left parties just say no to anything thats american. So each one was biding their time. It was a case of "who blinks first"
So UPA did blink and got SP from backdoor. As mayavati was having SP for breakfast, lunch and dinner, they had better support the UPA.
Again there is hardly any need for any party to discuss the details of the deal, as each one is looking for "What we gonna get if we support or not support?"
Now on the impact
1) impact on the country’s energy needs: the factors:
a) high oil prices touching $140 and more a barrel
b) maintaining high growth rates into the future
c) The national nuclear programme has been functioning in isolation for the last three decades.
--- so there is slow technological progress because of denial of knowledge.
d) non-availability of uranium
e) generation capacity even now remains at a little over 3,000 MW as against the target of 10,000 MW set for 2000
f) Uranium shortage has become so serious that even the low installed capacity is being operated at just 40 to 50 per cent
g) The target set for 2020 is 20,000 MW
h) Not only US but other countries such as Russia, France and the United Kingdom could supply us uranium
2) India gains access to high technology:
a) larger capacity reactors
b) monitoring and safety technology
c) The nuclear establishment will be able to participate in international collaborative research on thermonuclear reactors and the new fourth generation reactors
d) the three stage nuclear programme will get benefitted by plentiful resources of thorium for power generation and access to foreign technology
e) the civilian reactors would be placed under International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards
f) strategic nuclear weapons programme would remain separate and outside the safeguards regime
objections raised by critics
1) closer strategic partnership with the U.S. which would mark a departure from the independent foreign policy.
a)But closer ties with US could be essential for the economic growth of the nation
b)In any case India is a huge market for US too, hence they are also dependent on the India to accelerate their slowly crawling GDP growth
c) other countries like Japan too are dependent on US strategically, but still their foriegn policy is independent. India with its huge muslim population, cannot back US on all its policies. thats the reality
d) deal with the U.S. is an essential first step towards diversifying cooperation and entering into similar deals with other nuclear suppliers such as Russia, France and the U.K.
2) the second objection: the deal will compromise India’s strategic autonomy and it will become virtually impossible to carry out another nuclear explosion
a) As of now, the government is committed in the deal to continuing with the policy of voluntary restraint on further nuclear explosions
b) the military program can continue as its being continued now.
c) the govt can build up the reserves in the event of sudden stoppage, so this is also not something that is different from what we are doing now. That is we are trying to build reserves even now.
advantages overwhelmingly outweigh any threat or flaw and it is as good a deal as any government can negotiate
3 comments:
Good summary Aditya. I haven't made a decision on the pros and cons myself and still researching the issue.
But looking at it, you seem to have missed two important points on the disadvantages.
1) Nuclear energy costs more than other forms of generating electricity. This cost is at times even more than producing renewable energy sources.
2) The safety of nuclear reactors is still not fool proof, one reason the western world still generates less than 10% of its energy needs through nuclear fuel.
The biggest reason why this deal is suspicious is the way govt. behaved all through. When the govt. does not share the text of the deal with the parliament and does not have a discusion in the elected houses, one is naturally inclined to oppose the deal on grounds of principle.
Well said aditya.. I too feel that one point was left untouched. The behavior of the UPA govt on this nuclear deal and the prime minister manmohan singh's behavior in special even during the discussions in Lok Sabha yesterday he did not devote much time to explain the deal. When the deal has been given importance more than it should be given by all the parties, I think it's the responsibility of the govt to explain each and every segment to the members in detail.
Good info collection Aditya!!! One thing is definitely to be thought about:
If the Nuke deal really bore such weight ,the UPA govt( note that it is not a Cong. party only...it is an alliance party) should have discussed the MANIFESTO or the MOU with the senior party members including the opposition about it.
It is for sure that, the NUKE energy,technology is necessary for INDIA,owing to our high energy consumptions.
However, instead of fighting for Nuke technology only,we can concentrate on several other renewable sources of energy like SOLAR,WIND,GEO-THERMAL,BIO FUELS etc too.
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