You are absolutely right. We need nuclear power, much more than we need nuclear bombs.

It is extremely irresponsible and stupid for a developing country like India to link nuclear power with nationalism. This is highly detrimental to our own future.

We should go nuclear at the highest speed possible. We should close the loop in power production by turning to breeder reactors. We should welcome international (particulary American) cooperation in this area.

Atanu

Please lose no time, buy this book and read it.

A lot more information on breeder reactors.

But the energy situation as is cannot go on in India. After all the virtues of extolling the benefits of Nuclear Power, spinning that with India’s concern for the environment and her desperate energy needs to sustain an 8% growth I’m amazed how quickly both the Government and the Indian editorials are doing an about turn that we don’t need this deal. And of course the over-sentimentalism of feeling victimized by the US double-cross.

But we do need energy and we it more than we need nuclear bombs, I’d be interested to hear your opinion on India signing the Non-Proliferation Treaty and just getting into a regular agreement with the NSG. It would actually send out a very different message to the world that India is not looking to proliferate or test weapons. You know that we can always simulate tests in a virtual world and this can be discussed with the IAEA if we ever need to create any deterrent that PK Iyengar is so worried about.

And of course we can then use Nuclear Power for civilian purposes like so many other countries do without the need for any 123 agreement or U.S law. This will allow us to address the more important energy needs of India that Rahul Gandhi was so passionately wailing about in Lok Sabha during the trust vote.