This year marks the golden jubilee of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and the silver jubilee of its indefinite extension. Legally binding in nature, this Treaty is often regarded as the bedrock of the global nuclear non-proliferation regime. Apart from the non-proliferation efforts, the Treaty advocates disarmament and peaceful use of nuclear energy. It recognizes five nuclear states (N5 states) namely the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, and China.

As India and the US started technical talks early this month over formal bilateral nuclear cooperation agreement, the focus has once again shifted on the difficulties both the countries are facing in coming to a consensus. While India and the US are facing severe criticisms over the high-profile agreement, the situation is more complex on the US side. Though this is not surprising in the light of US conceding ‘too’ much and India not loosing ‘anything’, yet the clock is ticking for the passage of the deal in the US Congress.

Most Indians find the Americans over-bearing and unjust. They find the Americans fiercely self-obsessed and highly individualistic. Most importantly they find the American policy towards India a consequence to or an offshoot of American policy to “something else” and not a policy that is based on an independent recognition of India as morale power. They think that America is far too in love with Pakistan and unjustly gives them a long rope. Naturally, at the backdrop of this it is becoming difficult for many to digest the latest Indo American deal on nuclear power.