[Marxism] CNDP Condemns 123 Agreement

[Sukla Sen <suklasenp@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament and Peace (CNDP),
India Condemns 123 Agreement

The Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament and Peace
(CNDP), India notes with serious concern that the text
negotiated between the designated US and Indian
officials in Washington DC and finalised on 20th of
this month for the "123 Agreement" ? a major step
forward towards operationalising the controversial
nuclear cooperation deal between the US and India has
already been okayed by the Union Cabinet in a hush
hush manner without taking the citizens of India, not
even the law-makers, into confidence. The media is
only speculating based on selective, motivated, and
perhaps misleading, "leaks". Yet even the official
declarations by both the US and India confirming
finalisation have already been issued.

This deal, as had already been pointed out, will have
serious repercussions on the future relations between
India and the US ? and thereby the rest of the world,
particularly India's traditional allies and neighbours
not too friendly with the US; the prospects of global
and regional nuclear proliferation and disarmament;
and also India's energy security.

The CNDP is opposed to the deal on all these three
counts.
Strategic proximity with the US would only provide
further fillip to the US project for unfettered global
domination, which has at the moment suffered serious
setbacks being continually delivered bloody nose in
Iraq, and also Afghanistan.
The unique exception for India, as is provided under
the deal, would further aggravate the discriminatory
nature of the NPT; undermine the current
non-proliferation order - for whatever it is worth, by
encouraging the threshold nations to cross the rubicon
and in the process gravely damage the prospects of
global nuclear disarmament. It would also further
worsen the ongoing nuclear arms race in South Asia by
radically boosting India's capabilities for fissile
material production by freeing up all the indigenously
produced uranium for that purpose while imported stuff
would be used for power production.
The radically boosted nuclear power programme,
following as a consequence, would throttle investments
for developing environmentally benign renewable
sources of energy including wind, solar etc., having
grave impacts on the prospects of long-term energy
security. This is apart from the fact that nuclear
power is not only as of now uneconomic but also
intrinsically hazardous - throughout the complete fuel
cycle from mining to power plant, and potentially
catastrophic. There is furthermore no fail-safe method
for disposal of nuclear waste and outlived plants.

Given these serious implications, the CNDP reiterates
its principled opposition. The claim that India's
"strategic interests" have been taken care of only
implies that India is out to further accelerate its
downhill journey along the path of self-destruction by
further intensifying its weaponiisation programme and
thereby making South Asia and the world even more
dangerous and diverting scarce resources from social
sectors even otherwise badly starved of funds.
The CNDP also strongly condemns the formal declaration
regarding finalisation of the 123 Agreement without
disclosure of the actual text followed by a full-scale
public debate in the best democratic traditions.

CNDP



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