Opinion - Letters to the Editor

Nuclear deal

The article by N. Ravi (July 19) is an eye-opener amid the propaganda in several quarters against the nuclear deal.

Two points put forth by the author — the necessity for cooperation with the U.S. and autonomy to pursue our military nuclear programme — are open truths. These should be highlighted in the face of false criticism by vested interests.

Sambamoorthy Santhoshkumar,

Coimbatore

Without going into the merits/demerits of the issue (which is beyond the comprehension of the lay persons) the government can definitely be faulted for not being transparent and simply rushing to the IAEA. Perhaps eminent scientists could have been asked to express their views beforehand.

V.K.Sharma,

Hyderabad

The article gave a refreshingly balanced perspective of the nuclear deal in the midst of a cacophony of orchestrated misinformation campaigns aimed at misleading the general public. The importance of acquiring state-of-the-art technology and participating in collaborative research cannot be overstated. This can be better understood if we recollect the moribund condition of the telecommunication and automobile sectors in the 70s and 80s. These sectors were transformed into vital engines of economic growth and social empowerment only after the government facilitated the adoption of the latest technologies. It is a fact that our scientists are struggling to run the existing reactors to their full capacity on account of fuel shortage and teething technological problems.

Unrestricted access to nuclear fuel and the latest nuclear technology have been confined to those who abide by the rules of the international nuclear regime.

V.N. Mukundarajan,

Thiruvananthapuram

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