We are deeply disturbed by media reports that the Indian government has capitulated to aggressive U.S. demands and agreed to a deal that indemnifies American nuclear vendors from the consequences of accidents caused by design defects in their reactors.
On the eve of India’s Republic Day, the Modi government has announced that it will arm-twist the public-owned General Insurance Company(GIC) to provide insurance cover for the nuclear suppliers. Though the exact details are still not clear, the media reports suggest that the Indian government has found a roundabout way for the US nuclear suppliers’ like Westinghouse and General Electric (GE) which have been lobbying to affect an amendment in the Nuclear Liability Act of 2010 ever since its inception. Touted as a big breakthrough during President Obama’s ongoing visit, this move is clearly a capitulation to the long-standing demand on the issue.
When India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrived in the U.S. last week, he reportedly carried a generous gift: an unlimited number of free lives. To be precise, Singh was ready to promise President Obama that should any of the nuclear reactors that India is planning to buy from U.S. companies ever suffer an accident, they will not have to pay anything in damages.
It is still not too late Prime Minister, for you to step back from this set of decisions which will not bring your government credit and if anything shows us up as a pliant state.
The Parliament’s sovereignty, as expressed in the democratically mandated liability provision for nuclear suppliers, is facing brazen contempt by a government bent on placating the international nuclear corporates.
