We should go for the pipeline with an explicit contract with Pakistan that every time pipeline is cut on Pakistan's side, we would stop water flow on Indus and 2 other rivers from India's side. This is the appropriate quid pro quo. The Pakistani Generals and ISI will then arrive at the right trade-off and guard the pipeline with all their might.

With respect to the nuclear deal with USA, stand firm on our current proposal. If not today, USA will need India to be openly nuclear as a balance against China and they will want India to have nuclear might. Nuclear energy option will be a part of the deal.

True, there is a possibility of sabotage. Such act will deny India the gas for some time. But those who are propagating this fear to stop this project are denying this supply of gas for all the time to come.

1. It was Mrs.Rice who offered Nuclear reactors - we never asked for it. What we have been asking so far were spares and supplies that were already promised. But since it was embargoed we looked for alternatives or shelved some projects.

And our thorium-based fast breeder reactor is in an advanced stage of development. India is one of the few countries having this and the mineral sands of Kerala beaches can be sufficient for centuries.

2. It was Iran that proposed a land-based oil pipeline after the Omani proposal for a sea-based oil pipeline proposal was suspended (not shelved).

Pakistan is the most insistent on our participation due to the royalty they will be getting from India.

Again we never asked for it.

In fact, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and President Chavez of Venezuela have promised to meet our excess supplies.

We are unnecessarily being drawn into the firing line by both.

We are not going to be affected by if either USA or Iran refusing something they offered in the first place.


Eventually we will win both. Have a safe pipeline as well as have nuclear energy.