Indo-US civil nuclear cooperation has been in the limelight for quite a while with participation of the media, opinion makers, policy planners and parliamentarians in the discussion and the debates. In a way it was good as it made people realize many facts. For instance China which was far behind India is going ahead with an ambitious nuclear power programmed. They do not mind breaking bread with nuclear vendors from any country so long as they get best deals from them. India’s hope for nuclear capacity addition in the near term will remain just a hope, without operational sing the civil nuclear agreement.
Indian nuclear power reactors are working at low capacity factors as there is a mismatch between nuclear fuel supply and demand. India’s uranium ore is of very low grade. Scientists learnt a few lessons. Politicians will remain neutral in any nuclear debate when public is a party. They expect scientists to satisfy the public and the anti nuclear activists, though nuclear programmed is a national programme. Scientists cannot depend on political leaders support for nuclear activities such as uranium mining. Politicians may not correct wrong notions of the public, even when they know the facts; they believe that such efforts may erode their vote banks.
Even mild criticism could upset scientists; they were not used to it. Occasionally, a few scientists’ portrayed journalists who challenged official views as trouble makers Very few journalists knew the intricacies of the subject. Those who knew could not get access to scientists. Scientists were reluctant to communicate. The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) was set up in November 1983. As per its mandate, AERB remains open with the public. The Members of the Board addressed a few press conferences, mostly, after the meetings of the Board. There were some controversies, but by and large press coverage was objective.
A few officials from Nuclear Power Board described the safety features of nuclear reactors, explained how high level radioactive wastes are vitrified dispelling the wrong notion that waste is stored in glass containers. On December 5, 1987, the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre Officer’s Association (BAR-COA) organized a panel discussion on “Issues in Nuclear Technology”. For first time, antagonists and protagonists of nuclear technology shared the platform to discuss a wide range of topics.
The Government of Karnataka held a national workshop on nuclear power projects with special reference to Kaiga at Bangalore on December 10 and 11, 1988. Speakers included planners, economists, professors, aim nuclear activists and journalists. Emotional outbursts and occasional melodrama sustained the audience interest. Speakers who are used to sober discussions found it harder to cope with some amount of heckling. It was something like the massacre of the innocents. Many things have made the nuclear issue quite a flavor for the passing year and it seems that it will still be till the coming elections. And about the lessons learnt from the nuclear deal, they are well reciprocated with political interests and personal influences. Well, it is all about the hot n-deal.