[Reader-list] Open letter to the prime minister of India toscrapthe Indo US nuclear Deal

[radhikarajen at vsnl.net]

 Hi, 
      as to your talks and thoughts on cost of energy and eco balance, again I must say your thoughts are not correct with atomic reactors and waste of such plants are more dangerous than the conventional plants, also difficult to control the N-waste after the plant has used the fuel, spent fuel and its containment is more costly than the plant itself. in case of doubt also see the coverage of chernobyl  accidents in this matter.

  Regards.

----- Original Message -----
From: Partha Dasgupta <parthaekka at gmail.com>
Date: Wednesday, July 2, 2008 9:50 pm
Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Open letter to the prime minister of India toscrapthe Indo US nuclear Deal
To: "radhikarajen at vsnl.net" <radhikarajen at vsnl.net>
Cc: Sarai Reader List <reader-list at sarai.net>

> Hi,
> 
> 1.  Please read the specifics of the act which allows India to 
> stockpile in
>     case it feels that supply is an issue
> 
> 2.  At the end of the day, there is more than one supplier and 
> Australia    is already willing to sell to India and is waiting 
> for the approval to
>    go through.
> 
> In short, India will be free to buy from any supplier and please don't
> hit the "imperialist" button because at the end of the day all these
> nations look at enhancing their coffers as happened in the recent bid
> for fighter planes.
> 
> Where kick back, etc is concerned - well, whether it is "the party
> which ruled the nation forfifty years" or any other, time has 
> shown us
> that none are different, and the unfortunate fact is that India allows
> people to govern us who we'd not trust with our children. Whether the
> coffins during the recent Kargill war or Bofors, it won't make a
> difference.
> 
> As for the cost,
> a) With the spiralling cost of oil and coal - not to mention what it's
> doing to the environment the existing infrastructure is crumbling.
> 
> b) Global warming and melting glaciers makes hydal power an 
> uncertain future
> 
> Sure, the start up cots is expensive - and so is setting up a new dam
> or a coal power station.
> 
> Don't see any logic in what you're saying - except for a crib against
> the Congress.
> 
> I really don't care who's in power. What I do care about is that India
> has sufficient power for the future.
> 
> Rgds, Partha
> ............................................
> 
> 
> On 7/2/08, radhikarajen at vsnl.net <radhikarajen at vsnl.net> wrote:
> > Hi Partha,
> >
> >    It is sincerly hoped that you have read the statement by the 
> nuclear scientists who have served India for years on the issue of 
> this N-deal, where in they clearly maintain that this deal amounts 
> to all commercial purchases being controlled by washington and 
> India would have to be at the mercy of washington even after the 
> NSG agrees to supply uranium, which exactly is objectionable. 
> Also, the party which ruled the nation forfifty years has all the 
> deals with kickbacks to the first family which histroy has 
> recorded well, be it PL 480 funds during the nehru and his mixed 
> economy, or Indira and her poisoned predecessor Shastriji, and 
> russian   deals or the latter version of mr. Clean with Bofors who 
> later had to pay the price but still his uncle Q got the freezed 
> funds thanks to his queen.
> >
> >   Moot point is nuclear energy is costliest and to set up plants 
> we need to spend billions for long period of 25 years with lot 
> many contracts and lots more kickbacks, hence the Pm is keen for 
> this deal with US, being Mr. Honest, he is out there to prove how 
> dishonest he is to the national interest with his personal loyalty 
> to the first family.!
> >
> > Regards.
> > From: Partha Dasgupta <parthaekka at gmail.com>
> > Date: Tuesday, July 1, 2008 7:11 pm
> > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Open letter to the prime minister of 
> India   to scrapthe Indo US nuclear Deal
> > To: Asit asitreds <asitredsalute at gmail.com>
> > Cc: Sarai Reader List <reader-list at sarai.net>
> >
> > > Hi Asit,
> > >
> > > Just for a moment, lets not wear the blinkers of "US 
> Imperialism" and
> > > look at what the scenario is and what the options are:
> > >
> > > 1.  India has already started the Nuclear Race with Pakistan a
> > > long time back,
> > >     and with the distrust between the nations, would be 
> surprised if
> > > they'd stop
> > >     just because the current treaty is not signed. So what is this
> > > talk about India
> > >     being Nuclear Free?
> > >
> > > 2.  How does signing make India lose it's "hard earned
> > > sovereignty"? On one hand
> > >      you talk of a nuclear race and on the other do not wish 
> to sign
> > > on the dotted line
> > >      to use nuclear bye products for peaceful purposes!
> > >
> > > 3.  We're already chock a block on Coal and other power 
> creators. With
> > > the water based
> > >     ones, the displacement will be high (not counting the 
> arguments> > with Pakistan & Bangladesh)
> > >     and, of course, the recent posts on this list about the water
> > > in Kashmir.
> > >
> > > 4.  What sustainable method of power generation do you have in
> > > mind -
> > > unless your contention
> > >     is that India should live without power and that power is only
> > > for cities. Sounds highly illogical
> > >     to me.
> > >
> > > In fact the whole message comes across as " they're the US, 
> therefore> > everything they do is evil" which is something I will 
> not accept
> > > as a
> > > reason. Both Russia and China have Nuclear capability for both 
> power> > and warfare, yet because it is the US that has offered 
> it, the treaty
> > > has become a tool of "US Imperialism".
> > >
> > > Doesn't wash.
> > >
> > > Rgds, Partha
> > > ....................
> > >
> > > On Tue, Jul 1, 2008 at 5:28 PM, Asit asitreds
> > > <asitredsalute at gmail.com> wrote:
> > > >  Dear Friends
> > > >
> > > >                     Please see the following letter to the prime
> > > minister> to scrap the Indo-US nuclear deal, if you agree with the
> > > political content
> > > > please endorse the letter.And if possible please forward it to
> > > others.>
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > With Regards
> > > >
> > > > Asit
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > AN OPEN LETTER TO THE PRIME MINSTER OF INDIA TO SCRAP THE INDO
> > > US NUCLEAR
> > > > DEAL
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > To
> > > >
> > > > Shri Manmohan Singh
> > > >
> > > > Prime Minister
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Dear Prime Minister,
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > We the undersigned demand scrapping of the Indo-US Nuclear 
> Deal with
> > > > immediate effect. The content of the Deal which is currently 
> being> > > negotiated between India and the US was the first laid 
> out in
> > > the joint
> > > > statement issued by the Prime Minister and the US President on
> > > July 18, 2005
> > > > from Washington DC and further reiterated on March 2, 2006 in
> > > another joint
> > > > statement by them issued from New Delhi. The signing of the
> > > Henry Hyde Act
> > > > on December 18, 2006 is logical interference of the content of
> > > the Act
> > > > legally making India a junior ally of the US Imperialism
> > > confiscating> and  trunacating
> > > > our hard earned sovereignty.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > We therefore demand that the Indo-US Nuclear Deal be scrapped
> > > given up with
> > > > immediate effect and the ongoing talks between IAEA should be
> > > called off
> > > > immediately.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > The Indo-US Nuclear Deal is patently anti-people, will make
> > > India a
> > > > strategic ally of American Imperialism in South Asia to impose
> > > its hegemony
> > > > over Asia. The Deal also negates the concrete achievements
> > > gained by the
> > > > International and national peace movements for disarmament and
> > > Nuclear-free
> > > > World. After the example of the ruthless genocide, 
> devastation and
> > > > occupation of Iraq before us, we feel that the Indo-US Nuclear
> > > Deal will
> > > > become an instrument for ruthlessly imposing the neo-liberal
> > > economic agenda
> > > > and pliant regimes over the impoverished people of the Third
> > > World and
> > > > further tightening the hold through the Indo-US Nuclear 
> Deal, US
> > > Imperialism> will have a firm grip over the governments of   the
> > > independent> nation-states of India and Asia. This makes a mockery
> > > of the cherished
> > > > values of equal and democratic world order and the aspirations
> > > of the
> > > > national liberation struggles including the whole spirit of
> > > decolonization.>
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > The Indo-US Nuclear Deal is an outrageous instrument of
> > > recolonization of
> > > > India and Third World. The Deal, as and when comes through will,
> > > grievously> undermine the current global;  regime of nuclear 
> non-
> > > proliferation, as it is
> > > > meant to make an unique exception in case of India, in gross
> > > violation of
> > > > underlying principles of the International peace, workers,
> > > environment and
> > > > women's movements.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > The fact that Pakistan has been brusquely refused a similar deal
> > > by the US
> > > > in spite of persistent clamouring, and Iran is being
> > > demonstratively coerced
> > > > to desist from developing its own nuclear power production
> > > allowed and
> > > > encouraged under article IV of the NPT which further brings out
> > > graphically> the abominable discriminatory nature of the Deal. The
> > > deal is likely to
> > > > trigger a stepped up vertical and horizontal proliferations all
> > > over Asia.
> > > > This goes against our commitment of Nuclear-free Asia and World.
> > > by enabling
> > > > India to import fuel natural or enriched Uranium, from abroad
> > > the 'Deal'
> > > > would make it possible for India to use the indigenously
> > > produced Uranium
> > > > exclusively for bomb making. This possible escalation in its 
> fissile> > > material production capacity, in all likelihood, it 
> will push
> > > Pakistan> further to nuclearise even at great cost, and thereby
> > > aggravate tensions and
> > > > accelerate the arms race in the region with horrifying
> > > consequences. The
> > > > arms race will divert resources of the country away from
> > > development so
> > > > desperately required by the toiling masses to overcome their 
> current> > > poverty.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > We totally reject the proposition that it will enhance India's
> > > energy> security and, we categorically assert that nuclear power
> > > is prohibitively
> > > > costly., therefore the Deal will distort India's energy options
> > > by diverting
> > > > resource guzzling, and the intrinsically hazardous and 
> potentially> > > catastrophic, nuclear power at the cost of eco-
> friendly and many
> > > times> financially cheaper renewable sources of energy.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > With the human development index of India and the Third World
> > > miserably low,
> > > > we demand that instead of spending irrationally on nuclear 
> power,> > > expenditures on in health, education, food security, 
> rural and urban
> > > > employment be enhanced.
> > > >
> > > > We want to remind you that India as the leader of the Non-
> > > Aligned Movement
> > > > and as vocal participant in various international forums
> > > including the UN,
> > > > has always committed itself for a Nuclear-free World and
> > > abolition of the
> > > > existing nuclear weapons. In the spirit of the above we want the
> > > Government> of India to ban the entry of nuclear powered sub
> > > marines of the US and other
> > > > major NATO countries. After six decades after of the Hiroshima
> > > and Nagasaki
> > > > nuclear tragedies, we demand that immediate steps to be taken
> > > for a
> > > > Nuclear-free Asia and the world.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > The above Indo-US Nuclear Deal will further reinforce the
> > > unequal strategic
> > > > relationship between the US and thereby would add momentum to
> > > the US
> > > > imperialistic project for unfettered global dominance .We 
> reject any
> > > > ambitions of the Indian ruling classes to act as the a Big
> > > Brother in South
> > > > Asia or to emerge as a global power basking in the reflected
> > > glory of global
> > > > headman and goon. This will not only undermine India's position
> > > as a
> > > > founding and leading member of the Non- Aligned Movement but
> > > will seriously
> > > > undermine prestige of NAM as a whole;
> > > >
> > > > of meekly surrendering to the US Imperialism defying the 
> democratic> > > aspirations of the toiling masses of the Third 
> World for a
> > > Nuclear-free,
> > > > just and livable world.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Vijay Pratap(Convener Lokayan)
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Babu Lal Sharma (Convenor, Global Gandhi Forum)
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Rakesh Bhatt (Coordinator, SADED/CSDS)
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Kiran Shaheen(Media and Social Activist)
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Chandrika(Editor-Dakhal Duniya web magazine)
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Prakash Kumar Ray (Film maker and Research Scholar/Film
> > > Studies/School of
> > > > art & Aesthetic JNU)
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Jeet Bhattacharya (Research Scholar, Film Studies, School of art
> > > & Aesthetic
> > > > JNU)
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Rishika Mehershi (Research Scholar, Performing Arts, School of
> > > art &
> > > > Aesthetic JNU)
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Asit (Researcher and Social Activist)
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Kumar Sameer(Social Activist)
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Peeyush Pant ( Editor-Lok Samvad)
> > > > _________________________________________
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> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > --
> > > Partha Dasgupta
> > > +919811047132
> > > _________________________________________
> > > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city.
> > > Critiques & Collaborations
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> >
> 
> 
> -- 
> Partha Dasgupta
> +919811047132
>