Deal or No deal??

Every time the Indo-US nuke deal was quoted to be running into rough weather in the US senate, I was of the impression India had probably asked for too much, specially when the Bush Govt was in the lame duck session. Naturally, I was lead to believe all the while, that India would be a great beneficiary of the deal. Even after the deal was passed by the senate, it was seen to be a historic deal as far as India was concerned. We were told to be getting more than what another nation in the same shoes would have got. Now what is more and what is less? We'll be able to buy nuclear fuel and technology for our civil nuclear programme, for producing electricity. Right now, only about 3% of our electricity comes from nuclear reactors. Through this deal, we would be aiming to get 10% and later 20% of our electricity from the nuclear technology. Cost-wise, it doesn't make too much of a difference, as most of our energy needs are satisfied by imported crude. More importantly, it would be 100% carbon-free.

If it's all about energy, then what's the big fuss about? Obviously, deals are never one-sided. There are said to be things related to US trade prospects improving because of the deal. It would be able to make inroads into our markets. Essentially I believe, the caps on investments would come down. But the opposition is busy fussing over nation's security. And that, I think isn't the real issue as far as they are concerned. That the BJP is just trying to get political mileage can be proved by the fact that Mr Vajpayee was the one who had initiated the deal and that they were happy to accept a deal half as good in their time. And as for the Left, who's the chief tormentor as far as the Govt is concerned, they're just making excuses by pointing at the so called objectionable content in the deal. While the fact of the matter is they do not want a deal as big as this with their ideological enemy, the US. They are the same party which is has been organising protest rallies against joint military operations involving Indian and US forces in the Bay of Bengal. They are nervous about India getting closer to the US and align ourselves with their foreign policy, like voting against Iran at the IAEA. I wonder how the left would have reacted had India had a similar deal with China!

To me, they're just coming out with justifications to oppose the deal by raising opposition to clauses in the deal which can cause ambiguity, most of which have been comfortbaly justified by the Govt so far. Like the scenario of India going for another test. The initial fear was that we feared if the deal would forbid India from going for further tests. But as we see it now, it doesn't really precondition us from not doing it. And additionally, the deal has given India the right to take care of reactors which could be dedicated for military purposes and these won't come under any safeguards. But, before even talking about tests, does India have to go for further tests at all? Is going for further nuclear tests more important than our economic development. Are we going to plan how bigger nuclear bombs we're going to make or plan to uplift the country by leveraging the tremendous position we find ourselves right now? For us, sustaining the present growth levels will only happen if we can drastically improve our infrastructure and prepare to meet our huge energy needs in the coming years. India has always been having problems trying to live up to her energy needs. And with most industries growing as fast as they are now, the needs will only burgeon on. I'm glad our present leaders have addressed it with the seriousness it rightly deserves.

The best thing about this deal is that through it, we'd be eligible to obtain fuel from the NSG, which I doubt we were so far able to obtain because of post-Pokhran sanctions. Even the best of our business leaders have given their thumbs-up to the deal. Nandan Nilekani said this deal would do to our energy future what the 1991 reforms did to our business ambitions. About 95% of our knowledgeable public thinks the deal is for our own good. Our PM has taken a great amount his personal interest in the shaping of this deal. And after having gone through so many deliberations and negotiations, specially at the US end, I don't think he'd be willing to go back on the deal. In fact, it would be a great embarrassment for us if we do take any retrograde step at this moment.

I would say, go for the deal. It's not time for thinking about bombs and worry about hazy security conerns. It's time to think double-digit growth. I just hope that someway this forward-looking deal goes through and we don't miss any stone unturned in realizing our country's potential.