As Agni-V soared in the blue expanse from the Wheeler Island off the Odisha Coast, at 8.07 am on April 17, 2012, India entered the International Ballistic Missile Club. India thus joins the illustrious group of the US, the UK, Russia, China and France visibly displaying its nuclear prowess.
But - and there has always to be the eternal 'but' in such a mighty show. India is not a signatory to the Nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) for obvious reasons. No nation wants discrimination, and the Treaty as indicated by India, favors only a few countries to retain nuclear power.
Now let us view this laudable launch of Agni-V alongside the Australian Parliament's vote of a few months earlier to lift Australia's long standing ban on exporting uranium to India. India should allay the possible Aussie (as also the global) fears about transparency and honesty in dealings, about using uranium for peaceful purposes, of looking after the safety and health needs, of ensuring availability of a well laid system, technology, and infra-structure. Only then Australia, the world's third largest exporter with 40% of economically extractable uranium, will cease to have qualms about its decision.
India, the largest democracy in the world should stop sticking like a sore thumb on the transparency-honesty horizon. For if Transparency International index is any guide, India stands at the bottom of the list of honest nations. And why not? Look at the massive corruption highlighted by the likes of Anna Hazare, the malaise of corrupt practices deeply entrenched into all walks of life, be it grant of tenders in the sensitive Defense sector—leave aside the much debated open letter of the Army Chief V.K.Singh to the Prime Minister—the reported and unreported cases of speed money, the medical treatment meted out to the unwary, the school admissions, and permeating the layers of bureaucracy, judiciary, the legislature to name just a few. There is just no scope for a repeat of the kind that happened in 80's by the Bhopal Gas tragedy, or the silent deaths by use of asbestos imported from Canada.
Just as exports will benefit the Australian economy, the import will augment India's energy needs. The burgeoning population of India, under constant pressure from people, resources and the surroundings, can at best see the satisfaction of its skeletal 3% power needs and if it fails to get uranium, not only its energy needs will suffer but also the rot will seep in in the expensive equipment and infra-structure thereby playing havoc with safety of the people.
Perhaps India should tap its ancient wisdom and never belie the US comment on Agni-V launch: India has a solid non-proliferation record.
But - and there has always to be the eternal 'but' in such a mighty show. India is not a signatory to the Nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) for obvious reasons. No nation wants discrimination, and the Treaty as indicated by India, favors only a few countries to retain nuclear power.
Now let us view this laudable launch of Agni-V alongside the Australian Parliament's vote of a few months earlier to lift Australia's long standing ban on exporting uranium to India. India should allay the possible Aussie (as also the global) fears about transparency and honesty in dealings, about using uranium for peaceful purposes, of looking after the safety and health needs, of ensuring availability of a well laid system, technology, and infra-structure. Only then Australia, the world's third largest exporter with 40% of economically extractable uranium, will cease to have qualms about its decision.
India, the largest democracy in the world should stop sticking like a sore thumb on the transparency-honesty horizon. For if Transparency International index is any guide, India stands at the bottom of the list of honest nations. And why not? Look at the massive corruption highlighted by the likes of Anna Hazare, the malaise of corrupt practices deeply entrenched into all walks of life, be it grant of tenders in the sensitive Defense sector—leave aside the much debated open letter of the Army Chief V.K.Singh to the Prime Minister—the reported and unreported cases of speed money, the medical treatment meted out to the unwary, the school admissions, and permeating the layers of bureaucracy, judiciary, the legislature to name just a few. There is just no scope for a repeat of the kind that happened in 80's by the Bhopal Gas tragedy, or the silent deaths by use of asbestos imported from Canada.
Just as exports will benefit the Australian economy, the import will augment India's energy needs. The burgeoning population of India, under constant pressure from people, resources and the surroundings, can at best see the satisfaction of its skeletal 3% power needs and if it fails to get uranium, not only its energy needs will suffer but also the rot will seep in in the expensive equipment and infra-structure thereby playing havoc with safety of the people.
Perhaps India should tap its ancient wisdom and never belie the US comment on Agni-V launch: India has a solid non-proliferation record.
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