Indian Community and Civil Nuclear Treaty

The Indian American community in United States, has begun to influence some internal nuances of American politics and legislation, and does not see itself now, as merely confined to the Motel Patels or as quiet, unobtrusive and discreet attendees at Presidential campaign fund raising dinners.
The chief Indo-US civil nuclear deal negotiator, on US side, has been talking of the role played by this community, in influencing the American Congress, to back legislation, at facilitating a global strategic relationship with India.
In American foreign policy parlance, this is called, "engagement with a rising power".
He termed it the "coming out party of the Indian-American community in United States."
US Under Secretary of state for Political Affairs, Nicholas Burns, has been talking to the Indian Foreign Secretary ShivShankar Menon on sealing up the treaty by early 2008, so that then India can supposedly go ahead with negotiations with IAEA regarding many issues concerning an inspection of nuclear plants regime.
From the perspective of :
1. Global warming / irreversible climate change, 2. Indian energy choices, 3. Policy planning, 4. Public debate on crucial energy choices,
one does find the secrecy about the 123 Agreement in line with the way the Indian Political Establishment and Indian Science and Technology Establishment ( IPE, ISTE ) usually operates. Singing one tune in Mumbai and Delhi and yet another in Washington and Geneva. They just do not consider the Indian public, worthy of any inputs into the debate. This is in stark contrast to the news we keep hearing from Washington circles.

Patriotism is assumed to be the line taken by the Indian nuclear establishment and its desire to retain some control over nuclear bombs, reprocessing technology, end use verification of reprocessed fuel, and attempt to cap India's strategic nuclear program. It is amazing that the Indian Science and Technology Establishment, is raising the issue of "strategic nuclear program" , but is totally silent on the issue of global warming and Indian contribution to it.

In Geneva and Washington, these high flying Indian IAS bureaucrats, compare the car ownership ratios of rural Indians with Americans, to deflect attention from incompetence of coherent environment and energy policy.

American nuclear industry for its part, is of course lobbying for retaining some control over critical parts, for which India and specialist procurement bureaucrats, will be major buyers ( and critically dependent) in years to come, and will have to keep everyone in good humour.
No wonder, the contribution of Indian American community in US, in fostering US - Indian friendship, is being much appreciated by American diplomats.

Global Warming and Human Rights

It is very interesting that Sheila Watt-Cloutier, an Inuit born inside the Canadian Arctic, has spoken of the issue of global warming and climate change as a human rights issue.
Indigenous people of the coldest parts of the earth have now joined debate as Inuit people are beginning to use power guzzling Air conditioners for the first time, running out of snow bricks for their houses and facing life threatening conditions when they fall through melting snow while hunting for food.
One cannot but see her case as a human rights issue for indigenous people especially vulnerable because their traditional habitats are low lying areas of the world.
This also is coming, at a time when the North American public, is exploring ways and means of "limiting the destructive impact of American foreign policy" in some resources rich parts of the earth, especially the Middle East, faced with a situation of rising global concern against a unipolar world.
The American public just does not seem to be biting, and ready to accept the charitable arguments of fostering democracy, rule of law and healthy civilizational principles, in the Middle East and is waking upto the reality of its power in a unipolar world.
The lady who is a lawyer by profession, has stated, "By protecting the rights of those living sustainably in the Amazon Basin, or the rights of the Inuit hunter on the snow and ice, this commission will also be preserving the world's environmental early-warning system ", in her arguments in front of Inter-American Commission on Human Rights of the Organization of American States in Washington.
Very interesting stuff.
One can only hope that the Indian Political Elite and Indian Science and Technology Establishment, (IPE, ISTE ), which has been so keen and active on the issue of civil nuclear cooperation with US and the Nuclear suppliers Group, will take note and begin to fashion its arguments in this light.