Date:05/12/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/12/05/stories/2007120561351400.htm

National

“No change in DMK stand”

Sandeep Dikshit

NEW DELHI: Making her maiden speech in the Rajya Sabha, Kanimozhi (Dravida Munnetra Kazgham) denied that her party had changed its position on the India-U.S. nuclear agreement and said the deal would end 33 years of “unfair sanctions” without India having to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Pointing out that India and China relied heavily on coal as a source of power, she said both countries would have to depend on nuclear energy to meet their burgeoning needs for energy. For India, that would be impossible without the Indo-U.S. civil nuclear agreement because nuclear power through the thorium route was a long way off.

Apart from strategic and political considerations, nuclear energy would help meet environmental concerns. Though some environmentalists advocated solar and wind-based energy, these would play only an important niche role but not generate the desired volumes. Bio fuels too were not a solution because the quantity would be inadequate even if they came to occupy the entire ploughable surface of the earth.

The DMK member pointed out that despite the accidents at Three Mile Island in the U.S. and Chernobyl in the then Soviet Union, nuclear power plants were much safer. There were no casualties at the Three Mile Island while Chernobyl was a perfect example of what should not have been done. In comparison, there continued to be casualties while mining for coal.

Tamil Nadu had signed memorandum of understanding for setting up industries worth over Rs. 11,000 crore. But the energy requirement for these industries was getting delayed due to the domestic stalemate over the nuclear deal. “We need to develop confidence that we are capable of collaborating with anybody without losing our independence in policy.

During her maiden speech, Union Ministers T.T. Baalu and A. Raja were present in the House. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee along with other Cabinet colleagues were seen thumping their desks after her speech.