French Journalists Series of Lectures on Nuclear Safeguards Cancelled. Why?

Here's proof of how diplomacy and arms purchases influence humanitarian and humane considerations such as a series of lectures on nuclear safety.

French journalist Naike Desquesnes was all set to deliver a month-long trip series of lectures in India on "Covering Nuclear Energy Post-Fukushima" at six Alliance Francaise centres. (Fukushima reactor in Japan had a melt down, read here.) That's when she received a phone call from out of the blue. The caller was director of Alliance Francaise, Bangalore, who said the lecture series is canceled. Oh-huh. Reason?

French nuclear plant manufacturer Areva thought the subject wasn't appropriate as they were negotiating to sell the said plants to India. The matter was delicate in the post-Fukushima scenario. More delicate since India had insisted on post-Fukushima nuclear safeguards to be completed.

Now, poor yokel that I am, I don't know why the corporate is afraid of a mere journalist (one of my kind I guess) speaking about safeguards when all is going to be well with the world, in post-Fukushima world, as I am told. Now, why this diplomatic brouhaha over a simple matter as a series of lectures? Smell something rotten here?

Will our talented investigative journalists do an expose, please?

I am @johnwriter on Twitter and John.Matthew on Facebook. I blog here.