123 AGREEMENT AND INDIAN DEMOCRACY
By K Vijayachandran Chairman CCPI

An unequal treaty forced on by US imperialists: The 123 agreement talks the diplomatic language of mutual cooperation but is silent on the specifics regarding the nuclear programs of the two countries. The broad based Indian program, rooted on our on natural resources, is on the threshold of major technological breakthroughs and has retained its focus on peaceful applications of nuclear energy. In sharp contrast, US program is dedicated to weapons of mass destruction, including the diabolic neutron bomb. It is not the world leader in the peaceful use of atom and nuclear power generation. US imperialism uses its stranglehold on NSG and IAEA, the UN agency for international cooperation in atomic energy, for subverting independent nuclear programs of other sovereign states. It is planning to regain its lost ground through a Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP) and looks at India as a large pliable market. Indo-US deal, proposed and promoted by US, is intended to facilitate and promote nuclear exports to India. The 123 agreement mothered by our Foreign Ministry is totally one-sided and implicitly concedes US supremacy in nuclear power generation, with no rhyme or reason: Its potential to, (a) inflict serious damage to the national economy, (b) subvert energy independence, and (c) destabilize the largely successful indigenous nuclear program, is real and substantial. A comprodor bureaucracy is forcing this grossly unequal treaty on our country under the dictates of US imperialism.

Sell out of national interests by comprodor classes: It is no accident that, the so-called civilian agreement for facilitating one-way nuclear trade was mothered by the foreign ministry: Central ministries and departments for power and energy, including Central Electricity Authority and their state level counterparts were not even consulted, for establishing the need for signing a fifty-year agreement with a country like the USA. Even DAE with its vast expertise on nuclear systems was instructed to be passive on the sides, and be ready to get convinced by all means! India's comprodor bourgeoisie will use the 123 agreement to import Nuclear Power Plants and fuel from US, at monopoly prices dictated on by their imperial masters, and sell the electricity generated in these plants on a cost plus basis to the Indian people. Country is now equipped with the new Electricity Act 2003, designed to prevent Enron-like collapses of fast-track power plants divined by the comprodor bureaucracy. Even more, India will not have the absolute title over the spent fuel generated from the plant and fuel purchased and paid for: It will be reprocessed and used under an India-specific joint protocol with USA, in addition to the usual IAEA inspection. With its internationally acclaimed atoms for peace policy and programs, it is a matter of shame for India, to have accepted these humiliating conditionalities from USA with its massive holdings of nuclear weapons, all in the name of nuclear non-proliferation! The so-called pariah status of India, among nuclear technology countries, was a wrong committed against us by the imperialists: Instead of fighting it out in UN forums, we have simply surrendered to imperialist pressures. The123 agreement for half a century is a sell-out of national interests and national prestige by India's comprodor classes, who would refuse to grant a fifty-year horizon for our own three stage nuclear program: They would rather give it a decent burial rather, on the spacious plea of resource constraints!

Rape of Indian democracy by the ruling elite: There was resistance against the deal from every quarter: scientists, nuclear technologists, energy experts and economists, policy specialists, jurists and wide sections of political opinion in the country. Its anti-national character was exposed in the Parliament and there was no voting on the issue in order to save the ministry. However, a couple of bureaucrats signed the 123 agreement in USA, and a Committee of Ministers ratified it without consulting the Parliament; a clear breach of its privilege. Cleverly controlled release of the 123 document was yet another new experience: it was intended for mobilizing media support. The Hindu has published along with the news a guide to accord on its Op Ed page, in order to mobilize public support for the act of surrender by the comprodor classes. It is rape of parliamentary democracy by extra-constitutional institutions like Economic Development Council and related bodies already installed and fully functional around the President of the Congress Party. Many such deals are in the offing and the days are reminiscent of the dark period of internal emergency.

K Vijayachandran
Cochin Center for Policy Initiatives
04.07.2007