What are your views on the US-India Nuclear Deal?

[Summy]

Looks like the US-India nuclear deal will be completed, and I was wondering how those of the Indian diaspora feel about it. The deal goes against 3 decades of US policy not to sell goods to countries. Basically, long story short, the US will be selling India feul and technology to aid its development of nuclear capabilities.

As the South Asian blogosphere blows up over the news, some people say that its a reflection of India proposerity and others say it will start an Arm's race in Asia, which undermines efforts of trying to disarm countries like Iran and North Korea. Remember, its not about having the weapons, its the power that is assoicated with it. It brings the ties of the US and India to an all-time high, a deal that I think Obama supports, as well as McCain.

The opposition in the Indian parliament is immense, which has led to a confidence vote to be taken soon... So the opposition if great.

How does India feel about being one of, if not the, most powerful country in the world?

 

[Varun]

Communist Party is doing all it can do to shatter this. Great in ideology, but in practice they as a Party are failures. I think they should stay out of politics and quit trying to gain clout and influence over mainstream India.

I think the deal is good for India but oh so much controversy around Nuclear technology, even if its to be used for civilian technology. I am sure Pakistan is shitting in its pants and will be down for more illegal ways to get that same technology now.

 

[yraparla]

It's also an interesting shift the more micro-view of just IndoUSPak relations. US had pretty consistently resisted India's nuclear progression, and given the relationship between US and Pakistan due to 'Operation Enduring Freedom', this is a very big deal regardless of it's direct implications.

Is it due to prosperity of India? Yes, partly. But couldn't it also be influenced by the suspicions of Pakistani help for Taliban and an unstable Pakistani political climate? I see it as the US starting to hedge bets against Pakistan's political process.

A lot of people are claiming that blah blah it's just technology not weapons blah blah. But this is ignoring years of consistent rhetoric across multiple administrations, technology for energy is a slippery slope for technology for weapons (see: Iran, NKorea). Even the US has halted its own nuclear energy programs since the 70s.