Nuclear deal uncertainty continues : Govt. says, can neither mend, nor end the deal,Indian Politics, News Analysis, India News Online

With the seventh round of talks between the United Progres¬sive Alliance (UPA) and the Left parties, which keep the Manmohan Singh Government in power with outside support, on Monday, March 17, remained inconclusive, uncertainty continues on whether or not India would go ahead with steps to end its nuclear isolation. Apart from the deliberations at the meeting of the UPA-Left committee at the start of last week, the matter also figured in Parliament when the opposition BJP, through a short duration discussion on foreign policy developments, urged the Government to clarify its stand.

Replying to the discussion in the Rajya Sabha, the Upper House of Parliament, the Government said on Wednesday, March 19, that it could “neither mend, nor end” the India-US nuclear agree¬ment as it was in dialogue on the issue with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee initially did not refer to the deal as he said there was nothing new to report. But on being pressed by the Opposi¬tion and Left members to state the Government’s position, he said: “Leader of Opposition Jaswant Singh said we should either mend it or end it, but we are at a stage that neither it can be ended nor it can be mended because we are in dialogue.”

Noting that there was some advancement in talks on the India-specific safeguards agreement at the IAEA, the Minister said, “whenever the procedure is over, if it is over,” the gov¬ernment will come to Parliament.

Dismissing the charge that Parliament was not being taken into confidence, Mukherjee said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had assured members that whenever any stage (of negotiation) was completed, the government would share it. “[The UPA-Left Coordi¬nation Committee] is an internal arrangement. We have to carry their conviction and share some information with them.”

Refuting the charge of the government “diluting” India’s foreign policy, Mukherjee asserted that there was “continui¬ty” and India was not in isolation. There were no basic changes but only certain adjustments and reallocation of priorities in the context of the changing world.

On the differences of perception with China on Arunachal Pradesh, he said: “We have representatives of Arunachal Pradesh in Parliament. When the Prime Minister visits the State and declares a package, it is consistent with our policies.”

On the situation in Tibet, Mukherjee said while India had given shelter to spiritual leader Dalai Lama and his followers for the last several decades, they were “advised not to indulge in political activity that can jeopardise our relationship with any friendly country. If the Chinese authorities feel it is reassuring, it should not be taken as patronising.”

Mukherjee sought to assure CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury that joint military exercises with any country, including the U.S., neither meant giving up on India’s sovereign rights nor subjecting “ourselves.”

Denying that India had diluted its stand on Palestine, Mukherjee said India had supported the Security Council resolu¬tion that Israel would have to vacate occupied land and that Palestinians had every right to their homeland.

Mukherjee said the composite dialogue with Pakistan, which had been “delayed” in the wake of political development in that country, would be resumed as soon as the new government took over.

End the suspense : BJP

Initiating the discussion, Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Jaswant Singh urged the UPA to “call the Left parties’ bluff” on withdrawing support to the government on the nuclear deal. Singh charged the government with treating the nuclear deal as a “private affair” between the UPA and the Left parties.

“This is an issue of national importance. It has dragged on for too long. The nation is confused about what you intend to do. If you are going ahead despite the protestations and the pretence of protestations, then say so. If not, then we should know. Please end the suspense.”

While criticising what he called the “patronising tone of China” towards India on its stand on the Tibet issue, Jaswant Singh cautioned against the neighbour’s alleged attempt to divert Brahmaputra waters for construction of a 40,000-MW dam to the detriment of Arunachal Pradesh and the river basin.

Reiterating that the 123 Agreement was anchored in the Hyde Act, Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M) said it would affect India. He warned the government against becoming part of a regional set-up under the United States through naval cooperation between India, U.S., Australia, Japan and Singapore.

In a lighter vein, Yechury said the Left parties “pull” the government on the nuclear deal, but would not “pull (it) down” because then the National Democratic Alliance would try to come to power and would be willing to negotiate the deal on half the conditions.

Mukherjee to meet Bush in Washington

External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee is likely to meet US President George W Bush on March 24, Monday, and brief him on the progress in the negotiations with the IAEA on the Indo-US nuclear deal.

Mukherjee, who will be making his maiden visit to the US as External Affairs Minister, will be holding discussions with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and other top officials of the Bush Administration including the National Security Council.

The visit takes place within days of Mukherjee telling Parliament that India can neither "mend" nor "end" the deal.

Rice and Mukherjee will be meeting at the State Department on Monday morning for a wide ranging discussion on several aspects of the broadening and deepening bilateral relations which will include the civilian nuclear initiative.

Mukherjee, who is the Chairman of the UPA-Left committee on the nuclear deal, will call on Bush to review the entire gamut of bilateral ties with special focus on the deal.

Though the nuclear deal is expected to dominate the parleys, officials said a meeting at this level is not restricted to one or two issues.

Amend law to insulate India from American Hyde Act: Advani

The BJP may have rejected the Indo-US nuclear deal and called for its renegotiation but Leader of the Opposition L K Advani has once again suggested changing or amending the Atomic Energy Act so that India is insulated from the implications of the Hyde Act.

Speaking to Shekhar Gupta, Editor-in-Chief of The Indian Express, on NDTV’s Walk the Talk, , Advani said: “...On the nuclear deal, I am still not convinced (by) the government’s arguments that it doesn’t in any way put constraints on our nuclear strategy.”

However, he added that the Government could have adopted “what I had suggested, namely a course of action by amending the Indian laws so that the Hyde Act would not apply to us,” and wished the BJP were consulted “on this issue at length.”

Asked whether this could still be done, Advani said: “I don’t know, it’s for them (the Government) to decide.” When he was asked whether such changes to the law could be created, he said: “Yes, it can be created.”

UPA-Left committee meeting : Both sides buy time

While time appears to be running out for completion and operationalisation of the Indo-US nuclear deal, the meeting of the UPA-Left committee on the nuclear deal on March 17 gave no indication that either the UPA or the Left parties are in a hurry to find a solution to their differences on the issue. Observers say that there was no forward movement on ending differences between the UPA and the Left on the nuclear deal.

What happened at the meeting was on expected lines, the Government briefed the Left on the outcome of the three-month long negotiations with IAEA at Vienna and then the two sides decided to again meet next month to deliberate on the matter. The Government instead of presenting a draft of the safeguards agree¬ment with IAEA, verbally explained to the Left parties the sali¬ent features of the pact in the making with the international nuclear body.

At the end of the 75-minute meeting of the committee, Exter¬nal Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and CPI(M) politburo member Sitaram Yechury read out a statement that, observers say, clear¬ly was an exercise in buying time. “The outcome of the negotia¬tions between India and IAEA on India-specific safeguards agree¬ment was presented to the members of the committee... who felt that further discussions were needed. It was decided to hold the next meeting of the committee in April,” Mukherjee said.

The Left’s stand on the issue continued to be firm. Its objections to the Hyde Act and its implications on the 123 agree¬ment with the US hasn’t softened a bit, a senior leader said. Forward Bloc general secretary Debabrata Biswas said both sides have decided to do away with any deadline for implementing the deal.

Govt. plays BJP card ?

Observers say that to put pressure on the Left, Government functionaries are playing the BJP card. Sources say CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat and other Left leaders have been conveyed that in case the BJP comes to power in the next elec¬tions, it may go in for a nuclear deal with the United States much less advantageous to India. This fear has been reinforced by former US Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbot’s remarks that the Vajpayee Government was prepared to sign a nuclear deal that did not offer half as much as the deal worked out by the UPA Government.

Reports say that the Government would be watching closely the deliberations at the CPI(M) congress to be held later this month. There is a possibility that in case an analysis of the political situation throws up a scenario that may benefit the BJP, the Left may adopt a softer line on the Indo-US nuclear deal.

Observers say that it is significant that the Left parties did not insist upon being shown the draft agreement with IAEA.

The Left parties met hours before meeting the Government and agreed that they would not demand a look at the draft agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency. They were instead circulated a synopsis, which too was later taken back, and clar¬ifications conveyed verbally by Finance Minister P. Chidambaram and Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal.

In fact, after the IAEA draft was finalised, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee had met Prakash Karat and told him that the agreement could not be made public. “The Government and the IAEA have an understanding that only the final agreement will be made public,” said a source. The Left’s silence despite not being shown the text is a clear indication that it is ready to give and take some time and space on the issue.

Sonia rules out early lok Sabha poll

Congress President Sonia Gandhi last week ended speculation about an early Lok Sabha poll making it clear that it does not suit her party to face the electorate almost a year before the due date.

She told senior Cabinet Ministers and party colleagues at a meeting of the Congress’s core committee about practical difficulties in taking the plunge now.

Among those present at the meeting were Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Finance Minister P Chidambaram, Defence Minister A.K. Antony, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Home Minister Shivraj Patil.

Sonia's remarks were intended to end the uncertainty over the poll and signal to the Government the need to go in the top gear with its performance.

She made it clear to the Ministers that "managing" the logjam with the Left allies on the nuclear deal would be a big challenge.

Pranab Mukherjee also ruled out the prospects of an early general election and said the Congress would like to see that it can run a coalition government for a full five-year term.

In an interview to Times Now, Mukherjee said the question of the party forging an alliance with Mulayam Singh Yadav's Samajwadi Party was "in the realm of possibility."

We want to fight elections with Cong: Pawar

The Nationalist Congress Party, a key constituent of the UPA coalition at the Centre, on Friday proposed that the entire UPA should “collectively” fight the next Lok Sabha elections.

“Our desire is to contest elections with the Congress. We feel the UPA should collectively fight the elections as UPA. We will prefer to fight along with UPA partners throughout India like we do in Maharashtra and Goa,” Union Agriculture Minister and NCP president Sharad Pawar said during an interaction with PTI journalists.

Pawar’s remarks assume significance against the backdrop of his meeting with Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackarey at the latter’s residence some time ago and his presence at a function in New Delhi on Wednesday where BJP leader L.K. Advani’s book was released .

He categorically rejected the possibility of the NCP going with the BJP and suggested that nothing should be read into the saffron party giving outside support to the coalition government in Meghalaya, in which the NCP plays an important role.

Pawar was effusive in his praise for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, saying his working was “much more democratic.”

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