NEW YORK: A leading US newspaper Sunday called on President Barack Obama to desist from securing for India membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) through a “special exception” until New Delhi met the 48-member body’s requirement that civilian trade in nuclear materials was not diverted for military uses.
“If it (India) wants recognition as a nuclear weapons state, it should meet the nuclear group’s standards including opening negotiations with Pakistan and China on curbing nuclear weapons and halting the production of nuclear fuel for bombs,” The New York Times said in an editorial titled ‘No Exceptions for Nuclear India’.
“America’s relationship with India has blossomed under President Obama who will meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi this week. Ideally, Obama can take advantage of the ties he has built and push India to adhere to the standards to which other nuclear weapons states adhere,” the editorial said.
“The problem, however, is that the relationship with India rests on a dangerous bargain. For years the United States has sought to bend the rules for India’s nuclear programme to maintain India’s cooperation on trade and to counter China’s growing influence. In 2008, President George W Bush signed a civilian nuclear deal with India that allowed it to trade in nuclear materials,” it added.
“Now, India has Obama’s strong support in its bid to join the Nuclear Suppliers Group, a 48-nation body that governs trade in nuclear-related exports and aims at ensuring that civilian trade in nuclear materials is not diverted for military uses. Membership would enhance India’s standing as a nuclear weapons state, but it is not merited until the country meets the group’s standards.”
All group members have signed the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, either as nuclear weapons states or as non-nuclear weapons states, “but India has refused, which means it has not accepted legally binding commitments to pursue disarmament negotiations and halt the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons”. The editorial said: “President George W Bush squandered an opportunity to demand more from India when he signed the 2008 deal, which opened the door to American trade in nuclear technology for civilian energy, something India had insisted was a prerequisite to more cooperation and lucrative business deals.”
