This is one question we all need to address.Infact,we need to ask ourselves,has any nation ever become great by agreeing to be subservient to some other power?The West as a whole and US in perticular always heaped insult on Finland as a vassel of former USSR,although the Finns remained neutral,not joining NATO in the era of 'cold war'.The ever innovative Finns swallowed all that insult while all the time working hard in different areas of electronics technology which were not easily accessible to them from US or their European neighbours.Finnish cos came out with many many innovative and astounding industrial electronic products even as far back as the 1980s.Yet the West never gave them a second look.After the collapse of the cold war phantom,the Finns silently surged ahead stride after giant stride even as HP,Xerox,Motorola,Intel hogged all the tech limelight.Now the whole world knows Nokia is!!Now,can India hope to be a great nuke-tech nation after signing the subservient 123 Deal?After agreeing to submit report card on each and every activity you contemplate,do you still believe that you will be able to carry out any meaningful development activity.As in an individuals life,even for nations all learning and great leaps forward happen only when one struggles and strives with one's own wit rather than clutching at straws in the wind,as is the way of the 123 Deal!When India embarked on Fast Breeder technology,the French and Germans smirked,jeered and laughed us off!!
RE:Can India be a great nation after 123 Deal?
by Prem Mohan on Aug 18, 2007 08:28 AM Permalink
A final question. When can we expect the fast breeder reactors to be operational?
RE:RE:Can India be a great nation after 123 Deal?
by BHASKARAN GANESHAN on Aug 18, 2007 08:34 AM Permalink
Mohan, You do not get the point. We may not have nuclear power at all, but we cannot let ourselves to be dictated by US. Necessity is the mother of all innovations and discoveries. Alright this is the question of Uranium, but the least we can now do is develop ourselves into good bargainers.
RE:Can India be a great nation after 123 Deal?
by Prem Mohan on Aug 18, 2007 09:06 AM Permalink
Of course we should be good bargainers. But a bargain implies compromise and give-and-take. Do the leftists seriously think that the Soviet Union supported India without extracting its pound of flesh?
It is the same with the United States. We have to look at our own national needs. And in this case the PM seems to have got a good bargain. But the Left and the BJP oppose him on purely political grounds.
Finally, the question of the US dictating to India is not clarified. India can diversify its procurement of nuclear reactors and equipment. There are other countries waiting to supply once the NSG clears the deal. Much of the fear of US dictation stems from our inherent anti-Americanism.
RE:Can India be a great nation after 123 Deal?
by MANMADA GURU on Aug 18, 2007 08:30 AM Permalink
Well said, on the other hand the west would be a major detractor on all activities that wwould be carried out, directly and indirectly will be able to stop anything and everything. We already have ministers who could be bribed to go on a certain issue in the way an individual or an industrialist or a country or MNC. The enemy within is the minister,who would do anything except see the Ministry grow and country develop, like the present Info Minister of DMK.
RE:Can India be a great nation after 123 Deal?
by Prem Mohan on Aug 18, 2007 08:36 AM Permalink
If our Ministers can be bribed, that is our own weakness. Why blame the West for everything? Everyone knows that the root cause of our troubles is corruption. Outsiders cannot solve this problem for us.
RE:Can India be a great nation after 123 Deal?
by BHASKARAN GANESHAN on Aug 18, 2007 09:02 AM Permalink
The factor has already been taken into consideration by the West, whereas we have not taken that into consideration. You got the point, we fail to look at our reflection. West is capable and confident of making dents whenever required. I mean the west is trying to exploit our weakness that is the corruption. Get into the crux of issue, i.e. corruption and exploitation of circumstances.
RE:Can India be a great nation after 123 Deal?
by Prem Mohan on Aug 18, 2007 08:27 AM Permalink
There are two aspects here:
1. This agreement has nothing to do with our own efforts to develop technology. We can continue our own efforts. Nuclear technology is not the only field. There are other spheres of technical and scientific acheivement. But the results are rather thin on the ground.
(2) Our PSU type agencies have swallowed the nation's resources for 60 years. The ordnance factories employ more that half a million people. Where are the results? What happened to the LCA and the MBT? Why do we have to import simple things like howitzers? Why is our present nuclear generation capacity only a pathetic 3,700MW?
The nuclear business is controlled by the nuclear haves. Perhaps that is why we have to go into this agreement. But what is stopping us from technical and scientific developments in other fields, particularly with great Navratna companies such as HAL, BHEL etc?
RE:Can India be a great nation after 123 Deal?
by manoo kaushal on Aug 18, 2007 09:06 AM Permalink
you are wrong ! I challenge you to have open debate with me on this agreement ...you are twisting facts like Manmohan is bluffing parliament!
RE:RE:Can India be a great nation after 123 Deal?
by Prem Mohan on Aug 18, 2007 09:08 AM Permalink
I have posed the questions. Why don't you answer them? Is that not a debate? If I am wrong, I will be corrected. On the other hand, if you are wrong, you will also learn something. What is your challenge?
