I just can't understand why Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh signed a joint statement to promote talks to conclude a cooperation pact to have India acquire Japanese nuclear technology and equipment.
If, as it is said, India is struggling to meet energy demand to sustain the country's rapid economic growth, then Japan should help India produce energy using the sun, winds and waves instead of exporting dangerous nuclear technology.
The nuclear accidents at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant haven't even been adequately disposed of. Many people still can't go back to their homes. Dairy farmers had to abandon their work. Contaminated water is still overflowing in the plant area. It is said the water is going underground and will flow into the ocean. This worries Fukushima's fishermen.
Human beings have not yet mastered the means to operate nuclear reactors safely. Tepco engineers don't know how to take care of their broken reactors adequately. Therefore, Abe and Japanese nuclear energy-related companies should refrain from exporting nuclear technology to other countries.
If I were prime minister of Japan, I would not allow the export of nuclear technology to other countries. If I were prime minister of India or Turkey, I would not import it. As the Fukushima plant showed the entire world, nuclear accidents happen.
The opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are the writer's own and do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Japan Times.