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Indo-US deal shouldn't subvert development of Thorium reactors

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

New Delhi, Dec 9, IRNA
India-US-Nuke Deal-Reaction
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) said on Saturday the Indo-US nuclear deal in its final form should not subvert India's efforts to develop thorium-based nuclear reactors.

"Our major concern is that this deal should not put any restriction on India to stop the R&D (research and development) happening in our fast breeder reactors," Sitaram Yechury, CPI-M politburo member and a Rajya Sabha MP said in Ahmedabad, PTI reported here.

"Through this R&D, the fast breeder reactors are moving from the current uranium to thorium-based nuclear fuel," he told mediapersons at Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad (IIM-A).

Yechury, who is third high-profile politician to visit IIM-A to deliver a lecture, after Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in the last three months, would speak to students this evening on 'Vision of India for the youth'.

"I am interested in India reaching that target (of developing thorium-based nuclear reactors)," Yechury said.

"India has world's largest known reserves of thorium and once we reach that level we are no longer dependent on anyone for the nuclear fuel," he explained.

"I do not want that process to be subverted," he said adding, "We have to see the fine print of the final Indo-US nuclear deal to make sure that we are not being bulldozed or forced into stopping that movement."
"If India is nuclear fuel self-sufficient then it has very serious ramifications," Yechury said.

"That is what the major powers do not want to allow to happen," he claimed.

Yechury said his party had nothing to oppose at present but will wait to examine 'what will emerge in the final Bill and see whether it is not different from the assurances given by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Parliament'.

"Anything that we feel is not as per the PM's assurances will have to be taken up for discussion in Parliament," he added.

"We have already defined the bottom line for the government (on this issue) and we cannot go beyond that," Yechury said.

Talking about the 'non-binding issues' of the deal, including those connected with India's policy on Iran, the CPI(M) politburo member said, "Our foreign policy should not be dictated or influenced by a third country.

"If you say these are non-binding issues then why have they been made part of the deal," Yechury asked.

He said his party will continue to support the UPA government as long as it adhered to the Common Minimum Program and at present, "I do not see any political instability within the government," Yechury said.

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