Could the consummation of the India-US Nuclear agreement have collateral effect on India’s defence, space and agriculture programs. Yes, says Dr. Placid Rodriguez, former president of Indian Nuclear Society and ex Director of Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research. And that too the externalities are likely to be negative.
His opinion on the collateral effects –
“My greatest reservation (about the deal) is that the strategic alliance between India and the US is going into agriculture because in the other three sectors (defence, space and nuclear) we are strong and we can go independently and we will go.
Our agricultural universities, state universities, ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research) laboratories — they will be completely overwhelmed by giants like Monsanto whose resources are plenty and whose motivation is only monopoly.
We are in the market for 125 fighters (a multi-billion dollar business opportunity). In fact, we will not buy any reactor from the US for 20 years. We will be buying reactors from Russia and France. What the US wants is a monopoly in agriculture sector.”
His opinion on the Nuclear agreement –
“After all, IAEA is a 145-member body in which US is also a member. NSG is a group of 45 nations. So, it’s actually an agreement between two groups and the US is the strongest and most powerful member of the groups. What if the US President (after the safeguards agreement with IAEA and NSG) says that the decisions are governed by the Hyde Act which is ultimate.
We have to build new plant exclusively from the imported fuel materials and thereafter we have to give result of reprocessing and they will come back to us with decision after one year; it does not say that a favourable decision will be taken.”
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