Various voices have emerged in the Nuke Controversy. Every interest group is fudging figures and bending the debate along predictable lines. The real issues are all relegated to the background.

The Ruling Group is presenting the issue laced with emotions vaguely connected to the disappearing fossil fuels, climate changes resultant from the use of conventional fuels for power generation, the need for accelerated growth in power generation, and that for all this nuclear energy is inevitable. And, the biggest impediment, so it is claimed, for the rapid growth in nuke power is not availability of technology; (for how can a country that has squandered resources liberally ever since independence on developing indigenous technology acknowledge anything besides?) but in the non availability of nuke fuels in the country and  the inevitability of importing them. And this naturally J is not possible without the proposed deal.

It is the Left that is reminding everybody that sufficient resources are available in India for expansion in nuclear energy. Haven’t we ourselves, against all odds, successfully made RAPP 1 AND 2, Tarapore, Kalapakkam, Aligarh and many more? National Security is held up as the reason for their spirited opposition (How very patriotic). Every plausible and implausible line is taken for the opposition to the Deal, except the obvious one that any deal with the US in anathema.

The BJP is in a confused state. Claiming that the ‘Championship of the Pokhran Cup’ was a result of their Chak De campaign that revived swadeshi, they are emotionally with the US; they only had initiated the Deal when ND was in power; but smelling the opportunity for political capital, they jumped on to the bandwagon with their fierce opposition to the deal; however they soon backtracked, probably as they didn’t want to appear sharing the bed with the Left.

So, we have a scenario where the Left claims it is Right, the Right is vaguely Wrong, and the Congress is caught in the dilemma of hunting with the hounds and running with the hares.

All arguments are exaggerated; no one has made a detailed study of what the country needs and if there are any alternatives to the nuclear power plants. The Official National Policy always has been to use our research establishments as showpieces, any meaningful research being incidental. The achievements are exaggerated and used mainly for the collection of laurels. The country’s energy needs have never been assessed comprehensively and scientifically and there is no plan or blueprint on what path to trudge in our quest for energy self sufficiency.

Not having our own fuel will always jeopardize our claim for self sufficiency. Despite any agreements, the NSG can pull the carpet from below our feet leaving us high and dry. True we need clean energy; in a way it is also mandatory in view of the Kyoto Protocol. But have we evaluated the alternatives to nuclear energy? Do we have a research plan for exploitation of solar energy- the cleanest of them all- or hydrogen, or even hydel resources? Have we an assessment for wind energy? (apart from the cosmetic applications in generation by small turbines for remote locations) How many wind farms have been installed and how many are operational to any appreciable level of efficiency? Have we even bothered to improve the efficiency in the use of fossil fuels; leave aside technologies like magneto hydro dynamics, tidal energy, etc etc?

Let us appeal to all politicians to stop using us for their own political agenda, but give us a modern government which can evolve, stand by, and then implement a Power Policy for the country. In absence of the same, it will always remain condemned as a battleground for Power Politics.

Mera Bharat Mahan