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Newspapers toast the nation's nuclear rebirth
India's rebirth as an atomic power, armed with a unique NSG passport to carry on global nuclear trade, was feted with celebratory headlines in leading Indian newspapers - save for some dissenting voices that saw in it a "sell out" of the country's strategic interests.
- IANS
- Published: 00:03 September 8, 2008
New Delhi: India's rebirth as an atomic power, armed with a unique NSG passport to carry on global nuclear trade, was feted with celebratory headlines in leading Indian newspapers - save for some dissenting voices that saw in it a "sell out" of the country's strategic interests.
The Hindustan Times dispensed with its usual masthead to flag the path-breaking waiver by the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group Saturday.
"Nuclear Dawn", said the blockbuster headline with a sub-headline: "How 34 years of isolation ended in 26 hours."
In tones reminiscent of Jawaharlal Nehru's Tryst with Destiny speech, a front-page article in the daily quotes Arundhati Ghosh, the Indian diplomat who led the battle against the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, as saying: "This is like a liberation."
The Times of India toasted the NSG deal in bold ringing headlines: "India N-abled." Conjuring up the tense suspense-filled moments in Vienna that culminated in the NSG waiver Saturday afternoon, the front-page story talks about how "India enters nuclear club after high-voltage diplomacy thwarts a last-minute Chinese shocker to block consensus at NSG."
Historic moment
The Indian Express, the Indian daily that has relentlessly championed the nuclear deal and often sounded like a nuclear evangelist, was predictably euphoric. Capturing the historic moment that enables India to resume trade in nuclear technology and fuel with the world and allow it access to cutting-edge technologies, the Express headline says: "New (Nuclear) World Order Made for India."
The Asian Age, once known for its hostility to the nuclear deal, came with a relatively tame headline, "Sweet Deal in Vienna".
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