Trusting India
India flagrantly violated its agreements with the U.S. when it used plutonium from CIRUS, a nuclear program intended for peaceful purposes, to develop a nuclear bomb. The proposed U.S.-India deal stipulates that only 14 of India's 22 nuclear reactors be subject to IAEA inspections, leaving all dedicated military nuclear facilities, including two fast breeder reactors, unregulated. These eight reactors would allow India to produce an annual 130 Kg of plutonium-239, enabling India to boost its nuclear bomb production from an estimated six to ten bombs per year to several dozen a year.
World Peace
For the U.S., this deal would mean the loss of a functioning non-proliferation treaty. As India is not a signatory to the NPT, this deal would set a concerning nuclear precedent for Israel, Iran, and Pakistan, all of which have also refused to sign the NPT. China and Russia would likely feel validated in providing further nuclear assistance to Iran and Pakistan, and India's increased production of nuclear weapons could easily lead to a regional arms race, creating an environment ripe for proliferation.
Human Rights
Since attaining independence in 1947, India has routinely violated the human rights of its minority populations. For instance, in 1984 the Indian government destroyed the Sikh Golden Temple and in 1992 it allowed the destruction of the Muslim mosque, Babri Masjid. Thousands of other religious sites, such as Sikh Gurdwaras, Christian churches, and Muslim mosques, have also been destroyed. Human rights have particularly suffered with the rise of the Hindu fundamentalist organization Rashtriya Swayemsevak Sangh (RSS), and its political counterpart, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The increased power of RSS has resulted in the brutal oppression of many minorities, and the deaths of thousands of minorities, particularly Christians and Muslims. Encouraging the fundamentalism of a BJP and RSS-controlled India by allowing the production of hundreds of additional nuclear weapons will result in a serious threat to peace and harmony in the region.
Environmental Effects
India has yet to release data pertaining to the dust cloud and residual radioactivity found in crater and groundwater radioactivity measurements generated after the May 11, 1998 Pokhran II nuclear tests. The proposed deal makes no provisions for the handling of India's nuclear waste, allowing such waste to remain unregulated by the IAEA and exposing the people of India to potential harm from improperly handled waste. Furthermore, the eight unregulated reactors would not be monitored for proper maintenance, creating the possibility of a nuclear accident, which could affect the entire region.
Humanitarian Issues
300 million of India's 1.1 billion citizens live below the poverty line, and the proposed deal ignores their plight, tying up funds that could be used to help relieve India's impoverished citizens. A recent World Bank study found that 38% of Indian children are malnourished, compared to only 26% of those in Sub-Saharan Africa. Ignoring this issue, a U.S. Congressional study reported that in 2004 India agreed to purchase $5.7 billion in arms, surpassing even China as the world's largest arms buyer. In conclusion, the NPT has served us well for over fifty years, but if Congress passes the U.S.-India deal it will be a death sentence to any further attempts at international oversight of nuclear proliferation. Millions of Indians live in poverty, yet India spends billions on arms and will only increase that spending if allowed further development of its nuclear arsenal. The U.S.-India nuclear deal is bad for India as well as the international community. The Sikh Information Center encourages President Bush, Congress, and all American citizens to oppose this deal.
