Can We follow Dr.Kalam’s advice, in the case of Indo-US Nuclear Treaty ?

One of the most controversial and frequently discussed issue in India has been the Indo-US Nuclear Treaty.UPA, though eager to have the treaty concluded as early as possible with the US, it is the left parties, who have been extending support to the government from the outside, have been headstrong in opposing the treaty and of course the main opposition party BJP too , joining the fray.Adding fuel to the fire, the left parties have been often threatening to withdraw support, if the government gets on with the treaty in the present form.

While the left parties’s stand has been that in the name of entering into a nuclear treaty, India should not compromise its sovereignty at any cost and they point towards the objectionable provisions in the Hyde Act as the stumbling bloc in preventing India to enter into a nuclear treaty with the US.Whereas the stand of the BJP is that once some objectionable clauses from the Hyde Act is removed, they have no objection for entering into a nuclear treaty with the US.

Latestly, the India’s Prime Minister, Dr.Manmohan Singh, directs us to listen to Dr.Abdul Kalam, India’s former President,on nuclear deal. Welcoming former President Abdul Kalam’s endorsement of the India-US civilian nuclear deal, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday said he hoped the country would listen to the voices of wisdom.

According to the Indian Prime Minister, Dr.Kalam was a distinguished scientist and had been intimately involved with the Pokhran explosion and so the people including the left should also listen to the voices of the wisdom.

Dr.Kalam had said that India should go ahead with the nuclear deal and rejected suggestions that it would undermine the country’s sovereignty.He said the deal would boost the nation’s nuclear programme. India has plenty of thorium but very small reserves of Uranium and it would take a lot of time to develop a thorium-based nuclear reactor.

But Dr.Kalam was more a scientist but not a politician. But it should also be remembered that Dr.Kalam was India’s former President.and one can assume that he know the nuances of Indian politics.However, Dr.Kalam has given his opinion only taking into account the scientific aspects of the treaty but not the political aspects, especially the 123 agreement and the much controversial Hyde Act. Again it is not any Tom and Dick who is going to give his consent to the Indo-Nuclear Treaty. But, they are politicians more concerned about the welfare of India without undermining its sovereignty.

Therefore, with all due respects and credits to Dr.Kalam as a scientist and as the former President of India, still we cannot take a final decision on the Indo-US nuclear Treaty, based on his scientific opinion alone.