New Delhi: Even as a storm looms in the political landscape over the Act passed by the US Congress to implement Indo-US nuclear deal, even some of the top Indian nuclear scientists are debating the pros and cons of the Act.
While some experts have voiced concern over certain provisions of the Act, which they say, could cap India's right to conduct atomic tests, others say India should not worry too much as the Act is meant only for the US administration.
Former Atomic Energy Commission chairman P K Iyengar, for one, says the Act could have a debilitating effect on India's nuclear programme.
He expressed concern over the provision in the 'Henry J Hyde United States-India Peaceful Atomic Energy Cooperation Act of 2006' which states that the US would terminate civilian nuclear cooperation if India were to conduct a nuclear test.
"It is impossible to have a minimum credible deterrent without conducting nuclear tests. But the bill indicates that the cooperation will be terminated if this is done," news agency PTI quoted former Atomic Energy Commission chairman P K Iyengar as saying.
M R Srinivasan, former chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), however, wants to look at it differently. "I don't think the Act is something to worry about. The legislation passed by the Congress is meant only for the US administration. India need not worry about it. When it comes to New Delhi's obligations, India is obliged only to the bilateral agreement (123 Agreement) signed between President George W Bush and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh," he says.
Other experts also say that the current legislation was meant only for the US lawmakers and the bilateral cooperation on sharing civil nuclear technology would be governed by the '123' Agreement between the two countries.
"We have to work for further negotiations on the 123 Agreement. If that is modified in favour of India then we will go ahead in signing the deal," Srinivasan says.
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