Friday, August 1, 2008

The Nuclear Deal: Whom To Benefit?

Debating specifically on the nuclear deal I feel a nation wedded to the ideals of non-violence and renunciation does not need weapons of mass destruction. India has not waged a war in its history and we don't need a bomb. We have enough for deterrence even taking a pragmatic view.

Today corporate India has hijacked the development debate in the corridors of power. Providing cheap power to sustain our 8.5-10% growth takes precedence over all issues. Nuclear power has been a holy cow since Nehruvian times and compared to the investment made has never given commensurate returns.

It meets less than 3% of our energy needs today. The safety norms adopted by the nuclear establishment are certainly not adequate and even today the people living in the vicinity of the nuclear plants are likely to suffer from the ill effects of radiation in this life and pass it on to the future generations.

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