Julia Gallard’s plans to reverse the ban on the sale of Uranium to India have received the support of the Australian Labour Party.
- Julia Gillard
That Kevin Rudd, the former Labour Primer Minister, was forced by the very same Australian Labour Party to go back on the assurances of the Conservative Party to supply Uranium to India, is ironic.
Though Ms.Gillard was initially lukewarm to the requests from India to re-consider the ban, she has, for sometime now, advocated a change in policy. She has argued that banning the supply of Uranium would not make India abandon its nuclear programme – and India’s unblemished record in the matter might have helped her in no small measure.
The adduced reason may not be all that is there to it. There might be other persuasive political and politico-economical factors influencing the turnaround.
In any case, the withdrawal of the ban is not going to be on easy terms.
Julia Gillard wrote earlier in an article: “We must, of course, expect of India the same standards we do of all countries for Uranium export – strict adherence to the International Atomic Energy Agency arrangements and strong bilateral and transparency measures, which will provide assurances our Uranium will be used only for peaceful purposes.”
Australia has nearly 40% of the world’s Uranium reserves which can be exploited commercially.
We think it is a decision that would never leave the Australian Government with any regrets anytime. India’s record in the use of nuclear energy has been totally unblemished and the country’s restraint in military matters is equally laudable. India has never had trigger-happy, particularly nuclear-trigger-happy, leaders at its helm either in the civilian government or in the armed forces; there perhaps is something in the Indian psyche that prevents the trigger-happiness.
Tags: Julia Gillard Uranium Sale to India
