US should not
bully weaker nations
The Centre is contesting the ruling in the World Trade Organisation against India’s
policy of local sourcing of components as part of the Jawaharlal Nehru National
Solar Mission. The U.S. had taken to the WTO its case against India’s policy of
favouring domestic inputs in solar cells and solar modules, arguing that it
amounted to a discriminatory trade practice and distorted the game. This is a setback for India’s Solar Mission.
By providing a
‘green angle’ to its solar power programme, India has added a new dimension to
the ongoing dispute. Hence India should point out to
US the fact that solar power or any alternate mode of power should be given the
topmost priority rather than focusing on India's inclination towards
ingeniously built solar equipment. The law should be equally applicable to US
and India. This is indeed a great step towards attaining self-reliance of power
by investing on solar energy. India should focus on achieving the goal instead
of bothering about WTO/US complaints.
The US cannot
discharge its political or moral world leadership role by simply insisting that
American businesses must continue to operate the way they always have done (ie
economic imperialism), totally disregarding India’s desperate need to provide
jobs for her teeming millions of youth, when the last GoI said 67% of Indians
need government food subsidy to survive. The world indeed requires a spirit of
accommodative co-existence for the larger global good.
We should heed
the WTO ruling to our benefit. Our bottom line in the area of Power Sufficiency
is generation of power, a good part of which has to be from Solar. If solar
cells or panels from USA would cost us less than they would if procured
internally then we must go for the imported ones without hesitation. Our aim
should be to produce power with efficiency and on lower costs, not to nurture
or encourage related industries however noble the thought might be. Aim to make
power, not panels or cells.
But we should not
stop encouraging our own Indian companies’ product even if it is more costly.
It is an admitted fact that the solar cells produced by CEL, a PSU are the best
one being manufactured in India.
The aim is to
build the eco-system which can sustain solar power generation in the long run.
It's in self-interest to build local panel and related industries. The success
formula is to attract the right combination of foreign and local players i.e.
foreign players who bring in the latest technology and practices, while the
local players who can jump on to this new technology and scale it.
US cannot have
the cake and yet not eat it. As made out in the Paris conference the onus to
curb climate changes has to be borne by every nation. Other countries can take
measures that augment this cause but not do anything that undermines it. If USA
whose leadership has consistently been at the forefront of promoting eco-friendly
measures wants other nations to take this up it must be done on the latters'
terms and not in the manner Washington wants it to be carried out.
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