The US-India agreement for civilian nuclear cooperation has provoked controversy over its potential damage for the non-proliferation(avoiding testing of nuclear weapons) regime and internal politics.
The 123 agreement
1: The legislation amends Section 123 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954. It lets the US make a one-time exception for India to keep its nuclear weapons without signing the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) (The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, also Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT or NNPT)) is to limit the spread of nuclear weapons. There are currently 189 countries party to the treaty, five of which have nuclear weapons: the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, and the People’s Republic of China (the permanent members of the UN Security Council) .
2: The amendment overturns a 30-year-old US ban on supplying India with nuclear fuel and technology, implemented after India’s first nuclear test in 1974.
3: Under the amendment, India must separate its civilian and military nuclear facilities (nuclear plants for military purpose like bomb manufacture) and submit civilian facilities (nuclear power plants used for generating power) to inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The 123 agreement
1: The legislation amends Section 123 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954. It lets the US make a one-time exception for India to keep its nuclear weapons without signing the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) (The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, also Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT or NNPT)) is to limit the spread of nuclear weapons. There are currently 189 countries party to the treaty, five of which have nuclear weapons: the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, and the People’s Republic of China (the permanent members of the UN Security Council) .
2: The amendment overturns a 30-year-old US ban on supplying India with nuclear fuel and technology, implemented after India’s first nuclear test in 1974.
3: Under the amendment, India must separate its civilian and military nuclear facilities (nuclear plants for military purpose like bomb manufacture) and submit civilian facilities (nuclear power plants used for generating power) to inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Why is it controversial?
Nuclear deal has provoked controversies in both the countries. While the US critics feel it undermines the NPT, which holds that only countries which renounce nuclear weapons qualify for civilian nuclear assistance. India says 14 of its 22 nuclear facilities are civilian (the facilities will be under IAEA surveillance). The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is an international organization of United Nations that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy and to inhibit its use for military purposes. Critics say the pact could make bomb making at the other eight facilities easier, as they are not under international surveillance.
What makes the US keen on signing the pact.?
The deal would generate $150 billion in commercial opportunities for American companies, even the deal will likely lead to defence cooperation. US defence is ready to sell brand new F-35 fighter to Indian Air Force, these transactions worth million dollars.
Opposition in India ??? what so much confusions??
Critics in India fear the loss of country’s sovereignty. This agreement will make it difficult for the government to carry out any tests, when such a need arises out of security reasons. The 123 agreement to operationalise the nuclear deal would also stymie India’s right to reprocessing fuel received from the US. Plutonium, retrieved from spent fuel, is key to India’s goal of securing energy independence. Plutonium could be reused with thorium, which is abundant in India unlike uranium, can be used to operate fast-breeder reactors to generate power as well as make full use of the nuclear fuel cycle. The reprocessed fuel, though expensive, yields 30 times more energy than conventional nuclear plants.
This reprocessing technology of India is curbed by the agreement which doesn’t allow the fuel from US to be reprocessed.
The Communist Party of India , the main opposition to the agreement fears the imperialistic policy of US. They fear that this deal may tie our hands when it comes to national security as we cant act with sovereignty. Any decision taken today should not inhibit the nation’s future ability to develop and pursue nuclear technology for the benefit of the nation. The opposition mainly concerns about India’s foreign policy.
The pressure on the government would grow. America being a more powerful and more important party would come every other day asking for India’s support. For example take Iraq as an example. India will never accept any such type of intrusions in others land. Imperialism is not our foreign policy. And we cant support the US in these situations.
So the deal contains many loopholes when it comes to national security. But at the same time helps to satisfy India’s growing need for power.
So its going to be a tough time for this minority government to finalise a decision regarding the deal.
