India’s Prime Minister cannot be trusted about nuclear power

The disaster potential of nuclear power plants is of concern to the entire nation and not the people of Kudankulam or Jaitapur alone. The Prime Minister disallowed the demand for a national debate when he slyly negotiated the India-US civil nuclear cooperation agreement …

India,…, must reassess its policy.

Discard this secrecy, THE PIONEER , 08 OCTOBER 2011 PM can’t be trusted on N-power plants The Prime Minister’s response to the protest against the 1000 MWe nuclear power plant which is being set up at Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu is typically that of a file-pushing babu: Unimaginative, bureaucratic and non-committal. It is understandable that having single-mindedly pursued the opening up of India’s civil nuclear sector to foreign collaboration, Mr Manmohan Singh should continue to insist that the nation’s deliverance lies in boosting the generation of atomic power. …

The proposition, however, is premised on several proverbial ifs and buts, including the capacity of the Government Mr Singh heads to deliver on time without cutting corners or feathering the nests of Ministers, bureaucrats and contractors. A morally bankrupt regime which is steeped in corruption cannot be trusted with something as sensitive as setting up nuclear power plants in collaboration with foreign suppliers. Cheating while allocating 2G Spectrum has resulted in loss to the exchequer; nuclear power plants built on the foundation of corrupt deals will result in the loss of human lives. That faced with a disaster of unimaginable magnitude the Government of the day can invoke the liability clause to fix responsibility on suppliers is small consolation, not the least because such fixing of responsibility in the past has been guided by considerations other than those of providing succour to victims. Mr Singh cannot pretend ignorance of how another Congress regime handled the Union Carbide disaster in Bhopal. It’s not for nothing that the people of Kudankulam have refused to repose their faith in him or trust his Government’s assurances…..

It is ironical that Mr Singh should describe the concerns of those protesting against the nuclear power plant at Kudankulam as “legitimate” — which by itself is an admission that neither he nor his Government enjoys the confidence of the people — and yet offer no more than platitudinous assurance of safety. ….

given the manner in which Mr Singh has handled the issue of augmenting nuclear power generation without a full and transparent cost-benefit analysis provides sufficient reason for distrust. The meltdown at Fukushima and its ghastly consequences have led to nations across the world reconsidering their nuclear power policy. India, too, must reassess its policy.

October 8, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | India, politics

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