of the Hyde Act 2006 enforced through the stranglehold which the US retains on the Nuclear Suppliers Group.
Any argument to the effect that the deal will be governed only by the bilateral 123 Agreement is untenable , because this Agreement in turn is anchored in US domestic laws , which include the Hyde Act . And , the Hyde Act contains several stipulations which are extraneous to the issue of bilateral nuclear co-operation , including foreign policy behaviour which India needs to adhere to if the deal is to be kept alive.
The real issue facing India , therefore , is whether or not we want this mythical extra 'energy security ' through this deal , paying almost thrice the unit capital cost of conventional power plants , with the additional burden of subjugating the freedom to pursue a foreign policy and indigenous nuclear R&D programme of our own.
The nuclear deal could also have other serious repercussions, including a potential weakening of India's nuclear deterrent and an inability to protect & promote indigenous R&D efforts in nuclear technology. A combination of the extreme secrecy with which the government has carried forward this deal , the media hype they were able to generate in its favour , the parochial interests of opportunistic individuals & organizations, and the unfortunate ignorance
