Regarding the Sept. article "Hiroshima, Nagasaki leaders hit India nuke waiver": As an Indian residing in Japan for the past eight years, I can understand the resistance many Japanese people have toward the nuclear deal between the Nuclear Suppliers Group and India. It must be noted, though, that India is not asking for permission to build or use nuclear weapons, but rather to use the nuclear resources needed to sustain its internal energy requirements, which have increased drastically in the past few decades.
If India is unable to utilize nuclear energy to generate power, the industrial and economic development of the country could be hampered severely. Many in Japan and in other countries have expressed the concern that if India is exempted from a ban on nuclear materials, countries like Pakistan and North Korea will demand similar treatment. On what basis can anyone compare Pakistan and North Korea with India? India has never attacked any nation and has no history of proliferation.
Yes, there must be efforts to rid every corner of the world of nuclear weapons. And the United States, China and Russia must take the lead on this front. India, which is the world's largest democracy and one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, should not be denied its right to secure its future through the use of sustainable and reliable energy resources.
Considering the volatility in various parts of Asia, a strong, stable and powerful India is in the best interests of all nations. At a basic level, advanced nations like Japan take the availability of power and fuel for granted. That is not the case in India, where people face extreme misery due to the lack of power.