Nuclear deal in rough waters

The deal was supposed to have been done in 2006. Now they are talking of end 2007 or early next year and some in the government are not willing to set a date. With each day, the Indo-US nuclear deal seems to be getting into rough water.

Asian Age reported yesterday that Justice V R Krishna Iyer and former AEC chief P K Iyengar have written a letter to MPs raising questions about the deal in its present format. It also said government had tried and failed to selectively bring on board some of the top retired nuclear scientists who had expressed their concerns.

It was former diplomat M K Bhadrakumar's commentary in Rediff that gave me a jolt. Bhadrakumar focuses on the recent "lobster summit" between Bush and Putin in Maine where, other differences notwithstanding, the two powers seem to have drawn up a blueprint for regulating civilian nuclear programmes. He suggests that time may be running out for the Indo-US nuclear deal and that it may soon be overataken by the US- Russian architecture for the use of civilian nuclear energy.

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<>In essence, Washington and Moscow have entered into an unprecedented format of cooperation whereby they will supply nuclear power reactors; will ensure 'reliable access to nuclear fuel and fuel services for the lifetime of reactors'; and even arrange the necessary funding packages for any country that may view nuclear power as a means of economic development.

Of course, the spent fuel will have to be sent back to certain designated 'international nuclear fuel cycle centres', which will be the sole authority for the management of all spent fuel and for providing 'nuclear fuel cycle services', under strict IAEA safeguards.

According to Ambassador Robert Joseph, US special envoy for nuclear non-proliferation, this format of US-Russia cooperation targets the anticipated business in nuclear energy production 'not just in countries like India and China but a wide range potentially of other countries'

.... Where does all this leave India?

Clearly, India finds itself in an awkward spot. The ground has again shifted beneath its feet in the negotiations over the nuclear deal with the US.

It is unclear if the United Progressive Alliance government has been taken by surprise. The spin-doctors in Delhi must be scurrying for cover. It is pretty much impossible anymore to obfuscate the plain truth that as far as Washington is concerned, the Indo-US nuclear deal is about nuclear non-proliferation.

Whatever ground the UPA government's negotiators held until last week in seeking the rights to reprocess spent fuel and in gaining access to the reprocessing technology, has completely eroded.