The Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament and Peace has issued a statement condemning the joint declaration issued by India and the United States during the Prime Minister's visit. It said it finds the statement shocking as it effectively celebrates the undermining of India's sovereign Nuclear Liability Act, passed by the parliament in 2010 to ensure justice to the victims in case of an accident.


"The joint statement holds India's signing of the Convention on Supplementary Compensation (CSC) as "strong foundation' for building US-imported nuclear power plants in India. The CSC is a template promoted by international nuclear lobbies, channeling the entire liability to the operator of plants and exempting the supplier companies. In case of a future nuclear accident in India, this would create a situation worse than Bhopal, whose victims continue to struggle for justice.The joint statement also reaffirms the intention to expedite the construction of six reactors to be built by Westinghouse corporation.

"The two governments, however, have not made the actual agreement between the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited and Westinghouse public as it would expose the absence of liability provisions and the exorbitant cost of this project."

The statement is signed by five people, including Lalita Ramdas, who is married to former navy chief Admiral Ramdas.