Resolutely oppose the strategic alliance with US

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has approached the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) Board of Governors to seek IAEA approval on the text of the "safeguards agreement". The text of this agreement has been previously worked upon with the Secretariat of IAEA. This agreement with IAEA is part of a series of steps before the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal is operationalised. (see box)

According to Manmohan Singh and his government, the Indo US civilian nuclear agreement is in the “national interest”. It is being portrayed as an agreement that (1) does not tie India into a strategic alliance with the US (2) preserves India’s nuclear weapons capability (3) ensures energy security of India.

The Manmohan Singh Government is hiding the truth on all counts.

Civil nuclear deal does not ensure energy security

Let us first take question of energy security. The civilian nuclear deal will provide nuclear reactors and fuel to India. However, even the government acknowledges that over a period of 20 years, nuclear energy would fulfill hardly 6-8% of total energy requirements of India. Therefore, to present the civilian nuclear deal as an answer to India's energy needs is to fool the gullible.

Today, the Indian economy is being buffeted from all sides as a result of sharp increase in price of petroleum, for the bulk of which India has to depend upon imports. This raises the important question of energy security, or energy self reliance. India has to plan its strategy for energy security in such a way that it does not remain at the mercy of imperialist powers. Keeping this in mind, what would be the consequence if the NSG, which is under the control of the US, stops supply of nuclear fuel in future to our imported civilian nuclear power plants? If the UPA government intends to base the energy needs of India on import of nuclear fuel from a set of countries under the thumb of the US, who can at any time withdraw supply of fuel, then what kind of energy security is this?  

If the government of India is serious about energy security, it should have a comprehensive long term plan wherein all sources of energy available in India are first tapped, without standing on foreign crutches unless otherwise absolutely essential. The major energy sources are coal, hydel power, petroleum and natural gas, nuclear power, wind power, solar power and so on. India has abundant reserves of coal. The lack of seriousness of the government in ensuring energy security can be seen in the fact that in the past two five year plans, hardly any investment has been made in power plants of any kind! Furthermore, on the front of nuclear power, India has the potential to build nuclear power plants based on thorium, having developed technology suitable to this nuclear fuel which is abundantly available in India. Why has the government not given priority to developing this front, in which we could be self reliant, both in terms of technology and fuel supply? 

And lastly, given that India will need to import large amounts of crude oil for many years to come, energy security would be strengthened if friendly relations and partnerships are built with the oil producing countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America.  Most of these countries hate US imperialism for legitimate reasons.  India being seen as a trusted ally of the US implies loss of credibility with these anti-imperialist governments and peoples, which is very bad for energy security.

Capping our nuclear weapons capability

On the front of nuclear weapons, it is very clear that if India goes ahead and tests any further nuclear weapons, the US and other states can not only stop supplying nuclear fuel or nuclear reactors, but also, under existing clauses in the 123 agreement, they have the right to take back all the fuel and reactors! This means that the Indian government will be effectively pledging to the US and other powers that it will not explode any further nuclear weapons. Thus, while the five official nuclear weapons states — US, Russia, Britain, France and China — can freely expand their nuclear arsenal, India will be blocked. Is this not betrayal of national interests?

India refused to sign the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty for decades on the grounds that the NPT was discriminatory between the five nuclear weapons states, and all other states. This was a just position. It was on this basis that India carried out its nuclear tests.

By signing the safeguards agreement with IAEA, India will be essentially betraying its own earlier position, as well as the interests of all countries and peoples genuinely opposed to nuclear proliferation. On the one hand, India will still be classified as a non nuclear weapons state. It will not have the same rights as the five nuclear weapons states. On the other hand, India will be agreeing, in essence, to the nuclear non proliferation regime pushed by the US and other nuclear power states to dominate all other countries.    

Strategic alliance is anti- national

The heart of the civilian nuclear agreement between India and US is the strategic alliance between the two countries.

Despite the efforts of the Manmohan Singh Government to make out that the civilian nuclear deal is not part of a developing strategic alliance between the Indian and US states, the reality is otherwise.

Every month, for the last several years, top US officials have been visiting India or lobbying with Indian political leaders, trying to push through the nuclear agreement. Why are the American imperialists so keen on this agreement which is supposed to be “beneficial” to India? Why are the American imperialists pushing IAEA to sign a safeguards agreement with India? Why do they want the NSG, a grouping formed by the US at an earlier time precisely to block nuclear fuel and technology to India, to supply nuclear fuel to India? These questions need to be addressed. What benefit does the India US nuclear deal bring to US?

It has been noted that the nuclear power plants sector in US is in crisis, and hopes to make big profits by exporting plants and technology to India. This is definitely a factor driving US policy. But if it were the main factor, then US would be exporting nuclear power plants to many other countries. Why is India being pursued with such vigour by the US? 

The answer lies in the fact that the US sees the nuclear deal as part of a growing strategic alliance with India.

The US think-tanks had publicly unveiled their strategy for dominating the 21st century, right at the beginning of the Bush administration, eight years ago, before the terrorist strikes in New York.

This strategy notes that Asia, particularly China and India will be leading economic and political players in the next few decades. Both these countries, as well as other countries of Europe and Asia will require mounting energy resources.

The US has been trying, in the post cold war period, to establish control over the energy resources of West Asia and Central Asia. The US sees China as its rival in the next few decades. It also wants to block possibilities of India, China and Russia working out a strategic alliance, including over the question of energy. It is pushing for a strategic alliance with India to counter China, block an India–China-Russia alliance, as well as strengthen its control over Central Asia and West Asia.

It cannot be forgotten that before the 123 agreement was signed between the governments of India and US, the US Congress passed the Hyde Act. According to this act, apart from the humiliating clause that the US president will report to the US Congress every year on whether India is implementing the safeguards agreement with respect to its nuclear plants or not, there is specific mention that India is expected to support US in reigning in “rogue states” like Iran! What better indication than this, that US expects India to toe its line in world affairs, with the signing of the nuclear deal? 

The signing of the Defence Framework Agreement in June 2005 signalled a big step in the strategic alliance of India and US. The 123 agreement, this agreement on civilian nuclear cooperation, is a next step in the strategic alliance. This strategic alliance will mean that India will be called upon to play the US game in various parts of the world, particularly Asia. This means that at each and every point, there is going to be pressure on the Indian government to follow the US policy, or suffer various consequences.

Strategic alliance means nothing less than military alliance as well as alliance on very crucial sectors like energy. It means an alliance to advance common imperialist aims with respect to other countries. Why should India have a strategic alliance with US directed against other countries and peoples?

The Manmohan Singh government is pursuing an anti-national course in pushing ahead with the strategic alliance with US. It deserves to be squarely condemned by all communists, all anti- imperialist and patriotic forces.

Step up the struggle to expose the strategic alliance

Communists of different parties and groups have been in the forefront of exposing and opposing the Indo-US strategic alliance, as well as the civilian nuclear deal which is an integral component of it.

The majority of political forces of our country have clearly expressed their opposition to the strategic alliance as well as the nuclear deal.

The government must be forced to place before the parliament and the people the content of the deal it proposes to sign with IAEA. It must be forced to place before the parliament and the people the secret deals it is making with the US as part of the developing strategic alliance. The times are calling upon all communist parties and groups, and all patriotic forces, to step up the struggle to expose the treachery of the Manmohan Singh government on this question of vital importance for our country.