NEW DELHI, 21 August 2007 — The nuclear impasse continues with the left parties refusing to change their stand against the India-US nuclear deal and the Congress not willing to put it on hold. While the government appears keen on continuing discussions with the Nuclear Suppliers Group and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the left wants the nuclear agreement to be blocked till a parliamentary committee submits its report.
The four left parties categorically stated yesterday that the government should not proceed with any move on the deal. “The left parties reiterate their stand that in view of the widespread opposition and the fact that the majority in Parliament is against (the nuclear deal) the government should not proceed further with the agreement,” D. Raja of the Communist Party of India said after a meeting of the Communist Party of India-Marxist, the CPI, Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) and Forward Bloc.
“This would require not taking the next step of negotiation with the International Atomic Energy Agency,” he said.
With the left refusing to budge, the government is trying to downplay the crisis. Expressing the view that “misgivings” about the deal had risen because of “preconceived notions,” Minister for Science and Technology Kapil Sibal said that these could be addressed during a discussion in the Parliament. Asserting that “the 123 agreement goes much further than the prime minister’s assurances to Parliament,” Sibal exuded confidence that negotiations with the IAEA would go on as scheduled in September.
Dismissing the apprehension that the crisis would lead to midterm polls, Parliamentary Affairs Minister P.R. Dasmunshi said: “The talk of midterm elections is all useless.”
The left, however, has no intention to change its stand regarding the deal. “If the government goes ahead with the deal our support to the government cannot be guaranteed. That is very clear now — the left parties have made it clear and there is no question of our going back,” said M.K. Pande (CPI-M). Signaling that the government has not taken any constructive move to resolve the crisis, Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M) said: “The situation is where it is. We have not heard anything about the committee (to go into the Hyde Act and its implications on the 123 agreement).”
Rejecting the government’s suggestion of an experts’ group to study the deal, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA) suggested the formation of a joint parliamentary panel to assess the pact. On this, Bharatiya Janta Party leader V.K. Malhotra said: “This (the nuclear issue) is not a family affair of the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) and the left. It is an issue that concerns the entire nation and, therefore, the government should put in place some parliamentary mechanism, something like a committee comprising members of both houses, to study the agreement.” “The government must wait for the recommendations of such a committee and until then the process should be halted,” Malhotra told reporters after an NDA meeting chaired by leader of the opposition L.K. Advani.
Taking a similar stand, Samajwadi Party General Secretary Amar Singh said: “The government has said that the treaty has been ratified by the Cabinet, which is a handful of people picked up by the prime minister, but since in a democracy like India, the Parliament is supreme, the deal should be ratified by both the houses.”
With the agreement having been pushed forward at the “cost of the country’s sovereignty as well as economic and military freedom,” there should be a “broad-based” debate on the whole issue, Amar Singh said. The government is not a “private limited company” and the ruling party cannot impose its dictum on the people, he said. Amar Singh also told mediapersons that the UNPA is in touch with left parties on the issue. The Congress has rejected the demand for a joint parliamentary committee on the deal.
Earlier in the day, there were reports suggesting that the government might set up an expert group headed by the prime minister’s special envoy for the nuclear deal Shyam Saran to study the agreement in the context of objections voiced by the left. Without making any reference to the controversial nuclear deal, while speaking at a public function, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh highlighted the importance of pursuing a “sound” energy security strategy.
“I urge all political parties to appreciate the vital national interest of pursuing a sound energy security strategy. India is on the move and we must be able to address its growing energy demand,” Manmohan said. “From a long-term perspective, nuclear energy and solar energy can play an important role in addressing our energy security needs. Our government is committed to the development of nuclear energy,” he said.
