In finally turning down India’s request for 7.6 tonnes of enriched uranium for Tarapur, the US nuclear regulatory commission has disregarded all norms of international relations. It has repudiated unilaterally America’s contractual obligation to supply this fuel for the nuclear power station at Tarapur. It has ignored the fact that the newly adopted legislation which restricts the supply of nuclear materials only to countries which accept the so-called full-scope inspection comes into effect only towards the end of 1979. And it has openly and blantantly discriminated against India because only the other day it approved the sale of 1,000 lb of enriched uranium to a number of West European countries. Incidentally, the new US legislation specifically required these members of Euratom to open fresh negotiations with Washington in respect of the existing agreements on the supply of enriched uranium by April 9 and they had, under France’s leadership, refused to do so. The act does not contain any such provision in respect of this country.
Under the American law, President Carter is entitled to overrule the commission and he may do so in view of the categorical commitment he made during his recent visit to New Delhi. But nobody need be surprised if he fails to act because he is caught in a web spun out of his own arrogant self-righteousness. In any case, his decision will be subject to the approval or disapproval of Congress within 60 working days and it is a distinct possibility that those self-appointed guardians of a “stable world order” will not oblige this country even if President Carter feels inclined to honour his commitment to it. His decision is, however, relevant, especially in view of the Prime Minister’s scheduled visit to the United States next June. For it will make no sense for Mr. Desai to undertake the journey if it turns out that he is dealing with a President who is either too weak or too vacillating to honour a solemn undertaking. The supply of 7.6 tonnes of enriched uranium would not, even if it had gone through, have taken India off the hook where its earlier decision to build Tarapur with US assistance has landed it. That would have only helped it to buy a little more time to decide its next move. It is beyond doubt that it could not have obtained further supplies from America. Thus the regulatory commission’s decision, however worthy of condemnation for its disregard of norms of behavior between two sovereign states, has in substance only brought forward the date for a clear-cut decision. New Delhi must either surrender to what clearly constitutes blackmail or develop an alternative fuel cycle or prepare to close down Tarapur, It can no longer entertain the illusion that the Americans prize friendship with this country sufficiently to honour their contractual obligations or treat it on a par with their West European allies.