A number of sceptics in this country have questioned whether the Indo-US nuclear deal is really about civil nuclear energy. They wonder whether it is not an elaborate plot to trap India into the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and Fissile material Cut-Off Treaty. In support, they cite, with some justification, sections in the US legislation recently passed in the House of Representatives and Senate, which wax eloquent on nonproliferation, India not carrying out any more nuclear tests and India cooperating with the US on fissile material production cut-off.

They all have a surprise waiting. It has been reported semi-officially that at the end of the forthcoming St Petersburg G-8 summit the US and Russian presidents will announce a joint civilian nuclear cooperation agreement. While President Bush is taking this initiative, the American Ayatollahs who opposed the Indo-US nuclear deal are expected to oppose this agreement too. But since this pact with Russia is with another nuclear weapon state and will be within the framework of the US Atomic Energy Act 1954, Bush is expected to go ahead without any prior approval of the Congress. The cooperation agreement will be placed before the Congress for 90 days for its approval or objection. Any Congressional rejection can be vetoed by the president and Congress would need two-thirds majority to override the presidential veto. So the agreement with Russia on civil nuclear energy cooperation may be taken as a near certainty. It might also be of interest to our sceptics that the US is vigorously promoting cooperation on civil nuclear energy with China too. While the US has dissuaded European nations from selling arms to China, it has not objected to Australia selling uranium ore for civilian reactors to China. In turn, China has accepted much harsher conditions than India to get the civilian nuclear energy.

... contd.