Sydney, 21st Aug, 2014
From various news sources, it is clear that Australia has concluded Civil nuclear deal with India recently. Uranium trade between Australia and India is likely to start soon. It appears that the deal has been concluded relatively quickly after India elected its new Govt led by Mr Narendra Modi. The agreement is likely to be signed by India and Australia during Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s visit to India in the first week of September.
Let me also point out that it was Prime Minister John Howard who announced in 2007 that Australian Govt will reverse the ban to sell Uranium to India. It changed when Kevin Rudd became the Prime Minister a few months later and reversed it. Finally, Prime Minister Julia Gillard was the one who campaigned successfully to get ALP reverse its policy to ban Uranium sale to India in Dec 2011, followed by an agreement between Australia and India to start the negotiations on the nitty gritty of the supply agreement in 2012.
I wrote about this matter a few years ago. http://tinyurl.com/7bytnbo & http://tinyurl.com/6s7d7dx
I and many from Indian Australian Community are very happy with the improved Australia-India relations.
Congratulations are due to Australian Govt led by Mr Tony Abbott and Indian Govt led by Mr Narendra Modi. Foreign Minister of Australia, Julie Bishop, and Indian Foreign Affairs Minister, Smt Sushma Swaraj, have also played a big role.
India is currently third in the list of countries which use nuclear energy. There are 21 nuclear reactors in India which are producing electricity but India needs to increase such electricity production, knowing electricity shortage. Currently, nuclear energy constitutes only 4% of total electricity production.
Australia has 1/3rd of the total Uranium of the world. This agreement is going to make Uranium supply to India much easier.
As usual, and in a totally predictable manner, Greens Senator, Scott Ludlam, did not like it at all, and used some arguments, which are irrelevant and dated. NPT issue is not relevant in India’s case after India was given an exemption by Nuclear Suppliers’ Group (NSG) and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in 2008. Also, unlike India’s neighbours, India has never been involved in nuclear proliferation.
India is going through the discussions for Civil nuclear trade with Japan currently. Once concluded, India should be able to accelerate nuclear energy production.
Since 2005 onwards, India has already entered into civil nuclear agreements with the US, Mangolia, Namibia, Argentina, the UK, Canada, Kazakhstan and South Korea, France and Russia.
Indian Australian community has a desire to see speedy growth in Australia India relations in all dimensions and aspects.
Dr Yadu Singh
http://www.twitter.com/dryadusingh
Yadu Singh's Blog 
Every now and then international community and Global Guardians emphasize on the nuclear non-proliferation and measures to prevent nuclear terrorism but still every now and then something dreadful we here the states are itself promoting nuclear proliferation and threat of nuclear terrorism by giving nuclear materials in the developing states like India who’s nuclear security and safety record is not up to the standards.
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India has never been involved in nuclear proliferation or terrorism.
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I am not saying that India is involved but Indian nuclear security and safety program is not up to standard, so there is always a possibility of nuclear terrorism and about proliferation. IHS and ISIS reports with satellite imaging few months back are enough proves.
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There is not even a single example of proliferation committed by India. There is zero chance of nuclear terrorism by India or from India.
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The only safe place for uranium is in the ground. It is a shameful decision and shows how unprogressive the ALP has become. A bagful of money is now more important than trying to safeguard the planet for future generations. One step forward, ten steps backwards. How doea India dispose of its spent fuel? I can’t seem to find the answer anywhere, I don’t suppose a journalist could be bothered to find out for us? It’s bad enough that we have decided to kick the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to death, but I would like to know what happens to spent fuel rods.
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Will this be possible agreement go further that has caused massive protests and agitations in India? These protests have been a regular feature in Koodankulam (Tamil Nadu), Jaitapur (Maharashtra) and Gorakhpur (Haryana) and at least five activists have lost their lives since 2010 in their struggle against the Indian government’s decision without taking the affected parties on board.
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We forget in this hollow triumph that there are many anti-nuclear movements in India which are kept on protesting from Government inclination towards nuclear. We can generate energy from renewable energy sources too than why we only stick with nuclear. What is the assurance that uranium would specifically be used for civilian peaceful purposes not the nuclear. History has well witnessed that peaceful program can turn into highly volatile nuclear weapons.
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Govt of India has been elected by Indians to govern the nation. It has the facilities to seek advanced expert opinion and advice. India has decided to go for nuclear energy along with every other source to turbo-charge its economic growth for variety of purposes and reasons.
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” What is the assurance that uranium would specifically be used for civilian peaceful purposes not the nuclear”
history provides the assurance, despite innumerable provocations vide acts of terrorism, India has never been trigger hungry. Isn’t it ironical that nuclear concerns come from nations and allies which were the only ones to use nuclear weapons on innocent civilians in Hiroshima and Nagasaki and who were considering this option post 2001 in Afghanistan?
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Non-proliferation is a top agenda item when it comes to Pakistan, Iran or North Korea, but it is an inoperable standard when it is India or Israel. India-Australia nuclear deal will aggravate India-Pakistan nuclear rivalry and exacerbate Pakistan’s security dilemma. The commencement of nuclear trade with India – first by Washington in 2008 and currently by Canberra – has immense repercussions. It will profoundly upset the proliferation equation for other countries in the region.
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India is a special case. It fulfils all the criteria for such trade, while other countries mentioned in your comments do not.
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How many us have been here long enough to witness the self righteous moralistic chest thumbing alexander downer, the foreign minister who denounced INdia in undiplomatic terms beggaring belief….
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I remember that well. India of today is a very different country compared to 1990s. Things have been changing and will continue to change in favor of India if Indian leaders can mange India and Indian economy well.
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Congratulations Yadu. You have worked hard in this campaign. Keep up with the good work. Vinod
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Thank you.
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