The Hindu : National : Review nuclear accord with America: V.P. Singh

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 08, 2006

National

National

Review nuclear accord with America: V.P. Singh

Special Correspondent

"We should see how much the U.S. wants to extract from India"

NEW DELHI: The former Prime Minister, V.P. Singh, on Tuesday asked the Government to review the Indo-U.S. nuclear agreement in view of the manner in which the American administration was using it as a lever to pressure India into toeing its line on Iran. "We must review this agreement and see how much the U.S. wants to extract from India," Mr. Singh told a press conference here.

Questioning the rationale in linking the nuclear agreement with the Iran nuclear issue — as was done by U.S. Ambassador to India David Mulford — Mr. Singh said the Government should not put the Fast Breeder Reactor programme in the civilian programme list. Agreeing with Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Anil Kakodkar's contention that such a move would affect India's long-term energy security and "maintaining the minimum credible deterrent," he said India should stand up to the U.S. and not buckle under pressure.

"What can they do? Look what happened when they imposed sanctions on us after the nuclear tests of 1998," Mr. Singh said.

Mr. Singh objected to the Government's decision to import wheat, particularly at a time when the crop was standing and ready for harvesting. "If the Government wants to push more wheat into the market to control its price, then it should have done so with available stocks and imported later if need be." Billing the decision as "anti-farmer," he urged all farmers' organisations to join hands to protest this decision in just the same manner as the National Front had objected to a similar move by the P.V. Narasimha Rao Government.

He was critical of the Prime Minister's decision to call a meeting on the stalemate over the ongoing demolitions in the capital. "Where was he when slums of the capital were demolished and the poor dwellers uprooted? Not a word was said by him then. But, now that the affluent sections are raising a hue and cry over demolitions, he has called a meeting!"

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