Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

The nuclear deal

The conflicting stands taken by the ruling UPA, the Left parties and the opposition on the 123 agreement have brought about political uncertainty. The entire world knows that the U.S. cannot be trusted. It has no great love for India. Hence the Left parties’ apprehension that India will have to kowtow to the U.S. in all matters of foreign policy is not without reason.

Be it the IAEA vote against Iran or the demand that New Delhi come clean on its military ties with Tehran, the way we are being pressured to keep away from the country is an indication of what can be expected of the U.S. once the civil nuclear deal is operationalised. Sensing the opposition, the U.S. has already started asking India to take the last steps towards operationalising the deal. Is this also not a pressure tactic? It would be better for the whole issue to be debated afresh, and Parliament taken into confidence before the nation is put to risk.

Chennai

The ongoing media debate on the 123 agreement has confused people, rather than help clear their doubts and apprehensions. Both sides of the argument have genuine points but they are guided more by their respective political stands and ideologies on national and international affairs. It would be better not to hurry up.

We need to have an exhaustive debate among not only politicians but also people from the fields of science, technology, economics and diplomacy.

K.V. Ravindran,

Payyanur

Pokhran-I in 1974 dragged us 10 years backwards in the nuclear field. Pokhran-II in 1998 took us back by another five years. We were isolated by the West and sanctions imposed on us. But for the explosions, we would have succeeded in building our thorium reserves for our energy needs. If we do not sign the nuclear deal with the U.S. now, we will lose yet again. The Left parties and the opposition should allow the deal to come into effect in the interest of the nation.

K.R. Viswambharan,

Kalpakkam

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