INDO-US NUCLEAR TALKS

The eagerness with which US pursuing the INDO-US Civilian Nuclear Agreement signed on July 18, 2005 to take for culmination into reality shows the US and its allies are going to be benefited more by implementation of the agreement rather than India. India may have to procure the nuclear fuel and other reactor components from the very countries to build the reactors with minimum gestation period to meet the immediate power requirement in the country. Western countries are going to gain more by India’s ambitious nuclear power programs.

Fortunately, Indian side is standing its ground with respect to its requirement of continuing with the nuclear tests as and when necessary, and also reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel for separation of useful fuel plutonium (Pu) and cesium (Cs) which can be used as gamma radiation source for industrial and medical applications. In view of the developments taking place in the India’s neighborhood and for its own defense requirement of introducing nuclear-capable Agni ballistic missile systems, nuclear tests are un-avoidable. Let India not bow down to pressures from the vested interests and compromise on the stand rightly taken by the nuclear establishment in the issue.