Celeste admits US erred in banning India atomic chief

Celeste admits US erred in banning India atomic chief
REUTERS

CALCUTTA, JAN 13: The United States' decision to refuse entry to a former chief of India's Atomic Energy Commission after New Delhi carried out nuclear tests was a mistake, the US Ambassador to India said on Saturday.

"With the wisdom that comes with the passage of time, it was a mistake," envoy Richard Celeste said of the refusal to let Indian scientist Rajagopala Chidambaram visit the US after the underground nuclear tests in May 1998.

The US imposed sanctions on a large number of Indian scientific institutions in reaction to the tests, which Washington said increased the threat of nuclear proliferation.

"It was an emotional decision. Future misunderstandings should not spill over into the area of scientific cooperation," Celeste told a gathering of scientists in Calcutta.

Celeste, accompanied by the newly appointed US embassy science advisor in India Dr Marco Dicapua, said the 1998 sanctions were mandated by US laws and were a result of political decisions.

"But I am a strong believer that science speaks a universal language. Good science respects a universal set of values," he said.

Pointing out that sanctions were also imposed on certain crystallography projects being carried out by Atomic Energy Commission chairman R Chidambaram due to some `misunderstanding,' Celeste said. "Those projects had nothing to do with nuclear science but Chidambaram came under the sanctions as he was a nuclear scientist."

Urging Indian scientists to forge the bond between the two countries through more interaction Celeste said, "It is time we provided a buffer which guards science against political uncertainties. Future misunderstandings should not spill over to this area and turn it on or off like a light switch."

DiCapua said the US was of the view that India should refrain from indulging in its nuclear strength as the security of the entire South East Asia depended upon this.

"Moreover, it is an awfully expensive programme and draining of funds this way would result in stunting development programmes," he said.

Pointing out that the biggest challenge for the Indo-US forum would be the demographics of the country, the physicist, who served as scientific counsel in Beijing for four years said. "Indian scientists must find technology answers in their backyard to see how to make the pie bigger for one billion people."

Celeste said, the US was keenly looking forward to the first meeting of the Indo-US science and technology forum constituted to collaborate and produce some "outstanding scientific results".

"I am sure India is going to be the leader and drive its economy through interventions in agro industries, new materials and biotechnology," he said adding 17 different US agencies were currently collaborating with India in various sectors.