Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Nuclear deal

While "there is no question of India being bound by a law passed by a foreign legislature" as asserted by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the Rajya Sabha, the country's civil and defence nuclear programmes seem to hang on what the U.S. Congress thinks of the civilian nuclear deal and what additional conditions it wants to include in it. India should categorically threaten to pull out if the original deal is altered.

K. Vijayakumar,
Bangalore

Dr. Singh's assurance that the Government will not accept any new and unacceptable conditions to clinch the nuclear deal came as a whiff of fresh air after a spell of continual pandemonium in Parliament. After a long time, our MPs actively participated in discussions on an issue of paramount national importance. It is hoped the Government will also address the apprehensions raised by our scientists and the Left parties over the manner in which the U.S. Congress is seeking to make changes in the July 18 agreement.

M. Jeyaram,
Sholavandan, T.N.

The Prime Minister deserves to be commended for responding to the specific concerns expressed by the Left parties on the nuclear deal. The highly informed and determined debate both inside and outside Parliament persuaded the Government to take cognisance of the vulnerabilities in the deal. The Rajya Sabha debate should set the trend for a productive use of parliamentary time.

Kasim Sait,
Chennai

Dr. Singh rightly reiterated on the floor of the House that reforms are all about taking risks. Had India not taken the risk of introducing economic reforms in 1991, it would have been denied the advantages of globalisation. His clarification on the nuclear deal shows that he has taken the right step to solve the energy crisis. History will remember Dr. Singh when India becomes a power surplus country.

Sushil Mehra,
Bangalore

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