India to shutdown CIRUS reactor under US pressure

India, under pressure from US, have agreed to shutdown the CIRUS reactor by the year 2010. If you ever wondered what USA wanted out of this Indo-US nuclear agreement, this will provide a glimpse of what they want.

The CIRUS nuclear reactor is a heavy water research reactor supplied by Canada in the 1950s. The heavy water required for this nuclear reactor was supplied by USA. The plutonium for India's first nuclear test (Smiling Buddha) was supposed to have come from this reactor. While Canada and USA have claimed that India had violated their agreement, India has always maintained that no agreement has been violated.

Inspite of that, India has agreed to shutdown this reactor, which has been recently refurbished and has a life of 20 more years. While the Indian government claimed that this is the only concession India will be making, we now know that there are other concessions India have made.

Top level government sources said Singh is expected to stress the deal ends Delhi's nuclear isolation and gives it de facto nuclear weapons status. But more significantly, he must announce the only concession that has been made during negotiations over the shutdown of the 40 MW reactor at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai.

What we lose by shutting it down? We not only lose a completely functional and working nuclear reactor, but also an important historical symbol. No account of India's nuclear history can be given without this CIRUS reactor. It is the birthplace of India's nuclear ambitions. To agree to shut it down sends a very wrong signal. Every country must have the right to conduct nuclear research and development for peaceful and defensive purposes. India should fight for her rights.