PM: Equal partner India will be N-supplier in global plan

Responding to apprehensions raised by BJP MP Kharabela Swain that India had accepted a cap on its strategic nuclear capabilities, the Prime Minister said there was 8216;8216;no question8217;8217; of India accepting a cap on 8216;8216;our deterrent potential.8217;8217;

Based on the assessment of threat scenario, the government had 8216;8216;ensured that there would be adequate availability of fissile material and other inputs to meet both current and future requirements of our strategic programme,8217;8217; he said.

The separation plan, he said more than once, did not in any way 8216;8216;undermine the integrity of our Nuclear Doctrine8217;8217; which stipulated a policy of 8216;8216;no-first-use8217;8217; and the assured capability of inflicting 8216;8216;unacceptable damage on an adversary indulging in a nuclear first strike.8217;8217;

While the Prime Minister reiterated much of what has been said before on the implications of the nuclear deal for India8217;s growing energy requirements and elaborated on the India-specific safeguards to be negotiated with the IAEA, he spoke of the nascent Global Nuclear Energy Partnership for the first time today.

Quelling apprehensions in many quarters that India would not be given the status of a supplier nation, the PM said,8216;8216;Our comprehensive capabilities across the spectrum and mastery over all aspects of the nuclear fuel cycle are well established and widely recognised. Our possible association with any such international initiative i.e. GNEP, therefore, can be only be on the basis of participation of India as an equal partner with other founding members and as a supplier nation.8217;8217;

India, he added, will not forgo 8216;8216;the three-stage programme which will enable us to utilise our vast thorium reserves.8217;8217;

On questions regarding the necessity of India-specific safeguards to be negotiated with the IAEA, the PM explained that India was in a special category since it was neither a member of the NPT nuclear powers P5 and nor was it a non-Nuclear Weapon State. 8216;8216;We have a nuclear weapon programme of our own and there is today an implicit recognition of that reality on the part of the rest of the world,8217;8217; he said.

Therefore, India8217;s safeguard agreement 8216;8216;cannot be a carbon copy of either Model I or Model II8217;8217; but has to be a 8216;8216;unique safeguard agreement.8217;8217; The PM went on to assure the House that India will not accept the safeguard agreements signed by non-Nuclear Weapon States under the NPT, otherwise called Comprehensive Safeguards.

8216;8216;This is precisely because our military facilities will remain outside the purview of safeguards like those of other Nuclear Weapon States.8217;8217;

Admitting that the content and details of the yet-to-be negotiated safeguards were difficult to predict, the Prime Minister however underlined that 8216;8216;it will be negotiated so that India will be permitted to take corrective measures to ensure uninterrupted operation of our civilian nuclear reactors in the event of disruption of foreign fuel supplies.8217;8217;

On concerns that the US may not live up to its promise of uninterrupted fuel supplies, he said, 8216;8216;If all measures fail and supplies to our safeguarded reactors are disrupted, India retains the sovereign right to take all appropriate measures to fully safeguard its interests.8217;8217;

The Prime Minister also assured worried members that there would be no adverse fallout on ongoing R038;D in the nuclear field. 8216;8216;One of the main criteria motivating us in drawing up the separation plan has been our determination to safeguard the autonomy of our research and development programme. This will be ensured in full measure.8217;8217;

Similarly, he also allayed fears that confidentiality of India8217;s strategic programme had been breached during negotiations with the US. The discussions, he said, did not cover India8217;s strategic programme and 8216;8216;confidential information on our national security and the strategic programmes has been and will remain fully protected.8217;8217;

On fears raised by C K Chandrappan CPI and Rupchand Pal CPM that the deal spelt the end to India8217;s independent foreign policy, he reiterated that India8217;s foreign policy 8216;8216;is rooted in our civilisational heritage and also in pursuit of our enlightened national interest.8217;8217; While the interests of India and the US did not always converge, 8216;8216;there are occasions when our interests do converge and I believe that it is the duty of any Government of India to take advantage of all those opportunities which widen the development options that become available to us. That is precisely what we have done in dealing with the United States of America.8217;8217;