09-07-2008, 02:17 AM
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Pioneer.com
Shobori Ganguli | New Delhi
India gets NSG waiver at huge cost: N-sovereignty
India was, on Saturday, firmly placed under the oppressive guardianship of the Nuclear Suppliers Group with a waiver that invites it into the global nuclear market but at a huge cost -- its nuclear sovereignty.
While India's civilian nuclear requirement can now be met by the 45-nation grouping, it would be done so under stringent NSG guidelines on weapons testing and enrichment technologies that will, in effect, tie India permanently down to a multilateral non-proliferation regime.
If any future Government in New Delhi, in the face of the most serious of security threats, attempts to walk out of its moratorium commitment and upgrades the nuclear arsenal, India would invite the kind of sanctions Iran has.
Significantly, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee's statement on Friday has been appended to the waiver in the following language: "Based on commitments in the political declaration of the Indian foreign ministry, participating States have decided on the following policy" -- the waiver.
While the waiver text does not mention testing, the fact that the EAM's statement -- which ranges from moratorium on future testing, accessing enrichment technologies, concluding the FMCT, commitment to NSG guidelines and MTCR -- has been appended as an official Indian commitment ties it firmly down.
The final draft of the NSG waiver clearly mentions that a special meeting of the NSG would be convened if India ever breached its commitments.
It is also clear that under certain "circumstances" -- essentially if India detonates a nuclear device -- the NSG members would follow Para 16 of the NSG guidelines. This paragraph specifies that in the event of any recipient country testing a nuclear weapon, the entire group en masse will cut fuel supply to that State.
Admittedly, the NSG works on consensus and any such decision would have to follow the same course. However, the US wields near total influence over the grouping.
As per America's domestic laws on non-proliferation, it is difficult to believe that India will escape punitive action at the hands of other NSG members similarly opposed to proliferation.
In effect, the waiver brings India into the inflexible ambit of NSG rules on proliferation by non-nuclear weapon States.
With Mukherjee's commitment to a self-imposed moratorium on future testing becoming a part of the official document in Vienna, India is now permanently and legally committed to non-proliferation.
By way of the 123 Agreement with the US, India had already committed itself, albeit bilaterally, to the non-proliferation clause since the Hyde Act on which this agreement is based calls for immediate cessation of co-operation in the event of India testing. In this at least, New Delhi retained the right to terminate the deal with the Americans and, at best, loose US faith.
However, the IAEA safeguards agreement and the Additional Protocol India will now sign along with the NSG waiver under specified guidelines, translates this flexible bilateral agreement with one country into a multilaterally rigid requirement.
<b>The Indo-US nuclear deal will travel to the US Congress which begins its 18-day session on Monday.</b>
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Pioneer.com
Shobori Ganguli | New Delhi
India gets NSG waiver at huge cost: N-sovereignty
India was, on Saturday, firmly placed under the oppressive guardianship of the Nuclear Suppliers Group with a waiver that invites it into the global nuclear market but at a huge cost -- its nuclear sovereignty.
While India's civilian nuclear requirement can now be met by the 45-nation grouping, it would be done so under stringent NSG guidelines on weapons testing and enrichment technologies that will, in effect, tie India permanently down to a multilateral non-proliferation regime.
If any future Government in New Delhi, in the face of the most serious of security threats, attempts to walk out of its moratorium commitment and upgrades the nuclear arsenal, India would invite the kind of sanctions Iran has.
Significantly, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee's statement on Friday has been appended to the waiver in the following language: "Based on commitments in the political declaration of the Indian foreign ministry, participating States have decided on the following policy" -- the waiver.
While the waiver text does not mention testing, the fact that the EAM's statement -- which ranges from moratorium on future testing, accessing enrichment technologies, concluding the FMCT, commitment to NSG guidelines and MTCR -- has been appended as an official Indian commitment ties it firmly down.
The final draft of the NSG waiver clearly mentions that a special meeting of the NSG would be convened if India ever breached its commitments.
It is also clear that under certain "circumstances" -- essentially if India detonates a nuclear device -- the NSG members would follow Para 16 of the NSG guidelines. This paragraph specifies that in the event of any recipient country testing a nuclear weapon, the entire group en masse will cut fuel supply to that State.
Admittedly, the NSG works on consensus and any such decision would have to follow the same course. However, the US wields near total influence over the grouping.
As per America's domestic laws on non-proliferation, it is difficult to believe that India will escape punitive action at the hands of other NSG members similarly opposed to proliferation.
In effect, the waiver brings India into the inflexible ambit of NSG rules on proliferation by non-nuclear weapon States.
With Mukherjee's commitment to a self-imposed moratorium on future testing becoming a part of the official document in Vienna, India is now permanently and legally committed to non-proliferation.
By way of the 123 Agreement with the US, India had already committed itself, albeit bilaterally, to the non-proliferation clause since the Hyde Act on which this agreement is based calls for immediate cessation of co-operation in the event of India testing. In this at least, New Delhi retained the right to terminate the deal with the Americans and, at best, loose US faith.
However, the IAEA safeguards agreement and the Additional Protocol India will now sign along with the NSG waiver under specified guidelines, translates this flexible bilateral agreement with one country into a multilaterally rigid requirement.
<b>The Indo-US nuclear deal will travel to the US Congress which begins its 18-day session on Monday.</b>
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