[Reader-list] Open letter to the prime minister of India to scrapthe Indo US nuclear Deal
Tapas Ray
tapasrayx at gmail.com
Wed Jul 2 22:38:14 IST 2008
Radhika, Partha, Asit, and others,
Whether the nuclear deal is a sell-out or not, and if so, whether this
sell-out is in India's interest, and what kind of interest that may be,
are questions that can be debated. One may also argue over the
possibility of kickbacks for our national "leadership" - currently
Congress - being the real incentive. To me, however, these are secondary
issues. The primary question is, whether nuclear power per se is an
acceptable option or or not. (I will keep the weapons issue aside in
this post.)
Before addressing the primary issue, let me talk about one of the
secondary ones - the question of economic benefit. Just as there are
studies which show that nuclear power is economically viable, there are
others which show that nuclear power plants are not what they are touted
to be in that respect. Also, it can be argued that clean technologies,
especially solar, could have been incomparably more viable by now than
they are, if even a small fraction of the investment that has been, and
is being made in nuclear R&D, had gone to them. At least one reason why
this did not happen, I would think, is that there is no direct military
use of solar power - unless, like Archimedes, one wants to burn up the
adversary's tanks, ships, aircraft and missiles with focused sunlight.
As for the bad economics of nuclear power, please see these two
studies/papers. The first is by "tree-hugging" Greenpeace, but the
second is by a university policy research centre in the UK:
The economics of nuclear power
Greenpeace
Research report 2007
http://www.greenpeace.org/raw/content/international/press/reports/the-economics-of-nuclear-power.pdf
The economics of nuclear power: analysis of recent studies
Steve Thomas
(University of Greenwich)
http://www.psiru.org/reports/2005-09-E-Nuclear.pdf
While you are at it, you could also take a look at these, written by an
IIT Kanpur alumnus who went on to earn a PhD in physics from Boston
University:
http://www.outlookindia.com/author.asp?name=M.V.+Ramana
and
Nuclear Power in India: Failed Past, Dubious Future
M. V. Ramana
http://www.npec-web.org/Essays/Ramana-NuclearPowerInIndia.pdf
Now the primary question: the acceptability of nuclear power as such. In
my opinion, it would be unacceptable even if its economics were
excellent, and the argument that it is a quick means of achieving
"development" does not change anything. There are too many risks, some
of which are unknown. But some are known. I have quoted below from two
articles published in major journals, which point this out. The one by
Mangano and others, is about known cancer risks from nuclear power
plants in the USA and the West. I believe there have been similar
findings in India, too.
The other article - by Nusbaum - is about the risks involved in
disposing of the radioactive waste of power plants. If you read the
entire article, you will see that Nusbaum is not against nuclear power
plants as such, hence is not what some of you might call a tree-hugging
fundamentalist.
(If any of you want the entire articles, let me know and I will email
them to you. I am not posting them in full, so as not to clutter the list.)
Note that the risks discussed in these articles are related to normal
operations with proper safety measures in place. I am not even talking
about the effect of accidents, of which Chernobyl and Three-Mile Island
have been the worst so far. There is plenty on the web on these things too.
A very common argument is that present-day society is "risk society",
and there are risks involved in any technology. What this argument
overlooks is that the risks involved in nuclear technology (peaceful
ones) is of a completely different order from other energy technologies,
such as hydrocarbons. And by the time the human race wakes up to these
risks, it will be to late. The damage will have been done. This has been
the case with hydrocarbons (global warming, lung diseases, etc.), which
the developed industrial countries - none anywhere near the USA in scale
or intensity - burned up for decades. Only, in the case of nuclear
power, the effects are perhaps incomparably more disastrous.
This leads us to another question: if all this is already known, why do
policymakers in many countries (including India, USA, and recently UK
after a lull) show such enthusiasm for nuclear power? In my opinion, it
is the attraction for new technology at any cost, which is a product of
the instrumental rationality that is typical of modernity. This
rationality makes these policymakers ignore "tree-hugging" values and
accept the so-called gains, however short-term these may be, and however
disputed the cost-benefit analyses on which the perception of these
"gains" may be based.
Of course, coming back to Radhika, there may be a little cream to skim
off, too!
Tapas
--------------------------------
Elevated childhood cancer incidence proximate to U.S. nuclear power plants.
Joseph J. Mangano, Janette Sherman, Carolyn Chang, Amie Dave, Elyssa
Feinberg and Marina Frimer.
Archives of Environmental Health 58.2 (Feb 2003): p74(9).
Abstract:
Numerous reports document elevated cancer rates among children living
near nuclear facilities in various nations. Little research has examined
U.S. rates near the nation's 103 operating reactors. This study
determined that cancer incidence for children < 10 yr of age who live
within 30 mi (48 km) of each of 14 nuclear plants in the eastern United
States (49 counties with a population > 16.8 million) exceeds the
national average. The excess 12.4% risk suggests that 1 in 9 cancers
among children who reside near nuclear reactors is linked to radioactive
emissions. If cancer incidence in 5 western states is used as a
baseline, the ratio is closer to 1 in 5. Incidence is particularly
elevated for leukemia. Childhood cancer mortality exceeds the national
average in 7 of the 14 study areas.
------------------------------
Radiation risk to future generations from long-lived radioactive waste.
Neil J. Nusbaum
Journal of Community Health 31.5 (Oct 2006): p363(5).
...
The physical characteristics and integrity of the storage facility
include features such as the overlying vegetation (2) that, in the
absence of ongoing human agricultural maintenance, are subject to
substantial variation with changes in conditions such as local rainfall.
It remains highly speculative whether any arrangement for storage which
we as a species can now devise would remain functional for ten
radioactive half lives, until the time when the decay process is 99.9%
complete (even leaving aside any additional decay time for radioactive
daughters). Indeed, for some of the longer-lived waste products, even a
single half life of decay would require a time frame substantially
longer the age of the most ancient surviving human architectural
creations. While we can be confident of the shape of natural radioactive
decay curves over geologic time, the time to failure for individual
human artifacts is much less predictable. Accordingly, one must harbor
some skepticism that a single repository in the Utah desert will remain
intact for even a single half life of one of the important longer lived
transuranuium isotopes (Plutonium-239, half life of 2.4 x [10.sup.4]
years.). (3)
Of the seven wonders of the ancient world, only one (4) has proven able
to persist relatively intact for even a few millennia. The sole
survivor, the pyramids of Giza, was and is located in proximity to a
major metropolis. This proximity has kept it under human observation,
but also has made the structure subject to deterioration from adjacent
human activity. It is not surprising perhaps that attention has focused
on site placement distant from current population centers.
The potential effects of long lived radioactive waste storage also
involve consideration of the potential economic cost and safety hazard
to those in the region, both the large numbers now living in Las Vegas,
and the now far smaller number who live in closer physical proximity to
the Yucca Mountain site. It seems speculative at best to assume that any
of the desert terrain of the American West will remain sparsely
populated centuries into the future, merely because such climate seems
inhospitable under present levels of technology and levels of population
pressure. In the medium to long term, in addition, patterns of climate
may also change as a consequence of phenomena such as the increasing
worldwide burden of greenhouse gases, and could make current desert
areas more desirable (either by change in their own local climate for
the better, or by change for the worse in climate in other areas).
The recent efforts at emergency management of the Hurricane Katrina
relief effort make it prudent to consider how efforts might be
coordinated to contain and control any degradation of the integrity of a
national repository of long lived radioactive waste, in particular such
as at Yucca Flats in Nevada.
...
---------------------------------
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
>> _________________________________________
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