The Hindu : Front Page : Aruna Roy, Medha question deal

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Friday, Aug 24, 2007
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Aruna Roy, Medha question deal

Special Correspondent

‘It is against security and sovereignty’

“Make public debate mandatory for
such treaties”
They fear escalation of arms race will hit the peace process

MUMBAI: The National Alliance of People’s Movements and Sangharsh, another coalition of mass organisations, have said the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) should be stopped from going ahead with the India-United States Nuclear Deal unless there is a public debate. In a statement released on Thursday, they said there was a need for all citizens to question and speak out against a deal that was against national security and sovereignty.

Medha Patkar, leader of the Narmada Bachao Andolan , Aruna Roy and Sandeep Pandey in a statement said: “Today when the deal is seen as an issue of conflict between the UPA and its Left front allies, we as representatives of people’s movements must reiterate our stand, which is that the deal is not just anti-democratic but against peace, and against environmentally sustainable energy generation and self-reliant economic development.”

They also demanded that the Constitution be amended to make public debate and referendums mandatory and pre-conditional for signing such treaties. The electorate should approve such treaties before they were signed.

The statement said the Left front was questioning the fact that such an international deal with significant implications was imposed on the people and Parliament, with no public debate and consultation in India. While the U.S. Congress took a year-and-a-half to discuss the proposed change in the U.S. laws, permitting nuclear commerce with India, the process in India had been totally undemocratic.

Ms. Patkar and the others feared that the U.S. would enter the Indian subcontinent, to manage intra-regional and inter-country relations. This whole process was likely to escalate the arms race between Pakistan and India, sabotaging the India-Pakistan peace process, they said.

Radioactivity

Their basic objections to this deal stemmed from their opposition to the production and use of both nuclear weapons and nuclear energy. The irreversible dangers of radioactivity and its ongoing impact on health, water, and the environment were factors that were being summarily dismissed in an irresponsible manner, the statement said.

They also said that the enormous potential of renewable sources of energy needed to be fully tapped. Appropriate technology, research and development for production of cheaper equipment and tools, needed to be combined with just distribution. However, there was no political will for this in the ruling establishment. The nuclear energy option should be opened for widespread public debate.

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