Scientist slams Left, BJP oppn to Indo-US N-deal

Bangalore, Aug 28: A senior nuclear scientist has ridiculed the stand of the BJP and Left parties on the Indo-US nuclear agreement, which to him was in the best interest of the country.

Former Atomic Energy Commission Chairman (AEC) M R Srinivasan, talking on the Indo-US Civilian Nuclear Cooperation Agreement to the Rotarians here last night, strongly backed the move of the UPA government under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and said it would give a fillip to the economic growth.

Referring to the opposition expressed by both BJP and Left parties over the deal he said "Under the present circumstances, including the ramifications of the Hyde act, the deal would augur well in ensuring the country's future requirements of nuclear fuel" he said.

Slamming the Left parties Dr Srinivasan said their opposition was nothing but "anti-U.S sentiments without bothering about the power needs of the country. The left just can not stomach the fact of India was coming close to the United States with the signing of the 123 agreement," he said.

Recalling that the BJP, after giving green signal to conduct second Nuclear Test at Pokhran in 1998, had imposed 'self moratorium' on conducting future tests and also declared that it will not go for first use against any country, but was now talking about losing sovereignty on the nuclear issues. "This argument do not hold water," he said.

The then Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajapayee during his visit to Untied States had declared that the de facto moratorium on conducting future tests, can be converted into De-jure, Prof Srinivasan said. "The BJP and Left parties' demand to go back on the deal on was not possible. "There is no scope left for re-negotiations as that stage was crossed already," he stated.

About the apprehension of the Left parties that country may face fuel crunch if the US backed out from the deal, Dr Srinivasan said that enough provisions had been made to meet such eventuality as the former can not take unilateral decision until alternative arrangements were made, he said. Dr Srinivasan, one of the strong votary of the Indo-US Nuclear deal also informed that the deal not only related to nuclear issues but also encompassed for cooperation on other issues including getting access to other critical and cutting-edge technologies.

He said that country was no more afford to go with the conventional source of energies including carbon-intensive thermal power and nuclear would emerge as the main source of energy of most of the advanced countries in the near future.

He said no longer the country depend heavily on service sector and there was urgent need to give a boost to manufacturing sector and cheap power was vital to achieve this.

"If country wants to depend mainly on service sector ignoring the manufacturing, the large section of the society would remain under poverty which would ultimately lead to social confrontation," Dr Srinivasan maintained.

UNI