I am hearing flash news that the civil nucler deal between India and US has been finalized. If that is the case, India has made history not one but two times.
It all started in 2005. For any country to grow, it should attain self sufficiency in energy sector.Owing to the lack of this, the then Prime minister of India Dr Manmohan Singh initiated a civil nuclear deal with US. Before going into that, let us understand the India's nuclear ambitions and its projects since independence.
During the Indira Gandhi's régime, India tested its first nuclear test called the smiling Buddha. After doing this test, many developed countries imposed sanctions on India. Literally, India didnt get any nuclear material from any country. The sharing of high end technology in this sector was also stopped to India by all the developed countries. The condition worsened with our pokhran tests inviting fresh set of sanctions. As our erstwhile nuclear strategist, Mr K. Subramanyam put this situation as 'nuclear apartheid on India', Dr Manmohan Singh made a point to remove this injustice by initiating the civil nuclear deal.
During his first tenure as the prime minister of India, our Oxbridge Octogenarian Prime Minister risked his job to get this deal done. It took three complete years to get the deal done not without so much drama in our political arena. By mid 2008, India and US inked the civil nuclear deal. That was when India made history for the first time in this civil nuclear deal. I would rather say Dr Manmohan Singh made history ending the nuclear apartheid on India. It means India will get the nuclear material and high end technologies for civilian purposes without compromising India's strategic interests in nuclear research.
I would like to quote some anecdotes of this deal during the Manmohan Singh period which I had read in the book 'The Accidental Prime Minister' by Sanjaya Baru. After an all party meeting in the prime minister's residence debating this deal, our ex prime minister Mr Vajpayee personally praised Dr Singh in private for making the country proud by signing this deal for which Dr singh humbly replied that he had completed what he(Vajapayee) had started in his period. That was the statesmanship of our ex prime ministers who were poles apart in their ideologies but united for the country's sake.
One more interesting incident during a press interview with Dr Singh. The left parties were against the deal from the start as they believe that if the deal was signed anytime then it would meant that India was sold to US. When this question was raised by a reporter, Mr Singh retorted " Do you think any prime minister would sell a country consciously or unconsciously. We know what we are doing. Nobody can teach us patriotism."
Although BJP was against the deal initially, it approved the deal after many debates in the parliament, all party meetings etc. After inking the deal, there came the problem of operational difficulties. There were many clauses in the deal which India and US were not on the same page. So, although the deal was signed, there were several roadblocks in operationalizing the deal. One main issue was with the liability of nuclear providers if any accident happens. If the break through has happened as quoted by the news channels, then our Prime minster Mr Modi also has made history by solving this complex conundrum of civil nuclear deal. It took almost 10 years to complete the deal. I would say this deal as "Man-Modi" civil nuclear deal. Proud day for India. Let this nuclear deal solves our energy problems. Way to go Mr Modi.
Salutes to all the gentlemen who helped to make this proud moment possible.
It all started in 2005. For any country to grow, it should attain self sufficiency in energy sector.Owing to the lack of this, the then Prime minister of India Dr Manmohan Singh initiated a civil nuclear deal with US. Before going into that, let us understand the India's nuclear ambitions and its projects since independence.
During the Indira Gandhi's régime, India tested its first nuclear test called the smiling Buddha. After doing this test, many developed countries imposed sanctions on India. Literally, India didnt get any nuclear material from any country. The sharing of high end technology in this sector was also stopped to India by all the developed countries. The condition worsened with our pokhran tests inviting fresh set of sanctions. As our erstwhile nuclear strategist, Mr K. Subramanyam put this situation as 'nuclear apartheid on India', Dr Manmohan Singh made a point to remove this injustice by initiating the civil nuclear deal.
During his first tenure as the prime minister of India, our Oxbridge Octogenarian Prime Minister risked his job to get this deal done. It took three complete years to get the deal done not without so much drama in our political arena. By mid 2008, India and US inked the civil nuclear deal. That was when India made history for the first time in this civil nuclear deal. I would rather say Dr Manmohan Singh made history ending the nuclear apartheid on India. It means India will get the nuclear material and high end technologies for civilian purposes without compromising India's strategic interests in nuclear research.
I would like to quote some anecdotes of this deal during the Manmohan Singh period which I had read in the book 'The Accidental Prime Minister' by Sanjaya Baru. After an all party meeting in the prime minister's residence debating this deal, our ex prime minister Mr Vajpayee personally praised Dr Singh in private for making the country proud by signing this deal for which Dr singh humbly replied that he had completed what he(Vajapayee) had started in his period. That was the statesmanship of our ex prime ministers who were poles apart in their ideologies but united for the country's sake.
One more interesting incident during a press interview with Dr Singh. The left parties were against the deal from the start as they believe that if the deal was signed anytime then it would meant that India was sold to US. When this question was raised by a reporter, Mr Singh retorted " Do you think any prime minister would sell a country consciously or unconsciously. We know what we are doing. Nobody can teach us patriotism."
Although BJP was against the deal initially, it approved the deal after many debates in the parliament, all party meetings etc. After inking the deal, there came the problem of operational difficulties. There were many clauses in the deal which India and US were not on the same page. So, although the deal was signed, there were several roadblocks in operationalizing the deal. One main issue was with the liability of nuclear providers if any accident happens. If the break through has happened as quoted by the news channels, then our Prime minster Mr Modi also has made history by solving this complex conundrum of civil nuclear deal. It took almost 10 years to complete the deal. I would say this deal as "Man-Modi" civil nuclear deal. Proud day for India. Let this nuclear deal solves our energy problems. Way to go Mr Modi.
Salutes to all the gentlemen who helped to make this proud moment possible.
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