[Marxism] Indo-US Nuclear Deal: Noorani Analyses Hyde Act

[Sukla Sen <suklasenp@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dear Dave,

Quote
I think even if it IS the issue of The Bomb, you need
to always be clear that you don't respect US
imperialist laws applying to your country. 
Unquote

Noorani has precisely made the point that it is only
the US, which will have to follow the Hyde Act, NOT
India. He has also pointed out that the 123 Agreement,
with great care, has avoided any mention of the Hyde
Act altogether. 
I've gone further to point out that before the deal
gets operationalised, it has to be endorsed by the
NSG. The documents on the table would be the 123
Agreement and the deal between India and the IAEA. So
the other 44 members of the NSG would also have
nothing to do with the Hyde Act.
India, as and when the deal, if at all, comes into
operation, would be under no obligation to purchase a
damn bit from the US. Russia and France are very much
the front runners. (That's why Putin voiced his
vociferous support for the deal on his last visit to
India as the special guest to the Republic Day event.)
Uranium would understandably come from elsewhere. If
the Labour wins in Australia it may not sell any
regardless of the deal.
(I'm of course quite hopeful, and doing whatever I can
do to ensure, that the deal does not cross the NSG
hurdle.
In case the deal crosses the NSG barrier and flounders
at the US Congress, others get to trade, but the US
corporates not.

Quote
Lastly, the CPI and CPI(M) oppose the deal over the
123 treaty based, it seems from all the items you
posted and their web sites or where they've been
quoted, strickly over the question of sovereignty. So,
you reject this position or not? It seems a totally
legitimate left position to take (and, obviously, the
near-fascist "Hindu" nationalists as well).
Unquote

I'm afraid that I might have not been able to make
sense of what you have said here.
But, the Left and Right stands together on that the
deal would circumscribe India's national/nuclear
sovereignty.
Evidently, my position is very different. Apart from
the fact that I do not see India's national
sovereignty being inevitably curtailed, I do not
consider "sovereignty" an absolute virtue either. 
The US is by far the most "sovereign" of all
countries. And that's a major problem. 
In a way somewhat similar is the case with Israel. Two
great outlaws! 
I do not see why India should have the "sovereignty"
to manufacture the H Bomb to kill millions. The deal
of course would empower India to radically raise its
capacity to produce A Bombs.

"The Left parties have well known views against
nuclear testing for weaponisation, but that does not
mean acceptance of any US imposed curbs on India?s
sovereign right to exercise that choice. The direction
in the Hyde Act with regard to the Fissile Material
Cut-off Treaty (FMCT) is unacceptable."  That's from a
joint statement issued by four Left parties on August
7. Evidently, apart from their nominal, ritualistic,
opposition to testing, they stand very much with the
Right on the right to test further in order to be able
to kill millions.
That's absolutely nauseating to me and the peace
movement.

I do oppose most vehemently that India come close to
the US. But I do not accept that such proximity
necessarily means loss of sovereignty. 
I just do not accept that if India aligns with Iran or
China then it is "independent foreign policy" and if
goes with the US then it is automatically colonial
subjugation. 
(India voted twice in the IAEA against Iran on the
side of the US and yet is still engaged with Iran on
the gas pipeline issue in spite of angry grunts from
the US.) It can be, and in fact is, very much out of
its own volition. 
But I do not consider that a mitigating factor. As
that the US launched its war of aggression on Iraq out
of its own volition completely disregarding even the
UNSC is no mitigating factor. It has only added to its
burden of crime.

Sukla


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