Indo-US civilian nuclear cooperation: A Victim of Indecisiveness
So, the suspense remains there. Congress party-the grand old party of India lost its steam and surrendered to Communists thugs on the N-deal. The yesterday's talks concluded on expected lines and Prakash Karat and company didn't budge at all.
India's 'internal process' becomes suddenly famous and people are watching it closely. In the latest support statement emanating from Washington, US Congressman Gary Ackerman who is the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Sub Committee on Middle East and South Asia said that "I strongly support the 123 agreement and I look forward to the Government of India completing its internal processes so that the US Congress can give final approval to this historic deal."
Indian nuclear establishments and majority of mainstream thinkers are of the belief that the N-deal will give India a much-needed succour to its energy demand. So, what prompted Communists to think otherwise? All their argument against the deal has in fact little credibility. The senior Communist leader Pandhe revealed what is cooking in their mind- Muslims are against N-deal so, support Congress at the cost of your vote-bank- he advised Samajwadi Party who is doing his Maths whether to save the government in case Left withdraws support. So, all through the years India's foreign policy has been dictated by petty vote-bank politics? Ponder over!
All the years we have been yearning for nuke technology, supply of fuel and Uranium. When it comes to say goodbye to long and frustrating isolation some vested interests are trying to stall it. "Ranting against the US when Communist China is the only power opposing India's entry into nuclear club might make sense to the CPM. It makes none at all for India's nuclear future," opined the Indian Express.
If Congress decides strongly in favour of national interest then still we have time to pursue the steps ahead in N-deal. The G8 Summit in which Indian prime minister will participate is the best opportunity beckoning as major NSG members will be there and Bush could play his role to strengthen the process. Will Manmohan Singh tell the G8 members that I'm sorry India could not go ahead with the much touted N-deal because of Left parties discarded it. Imagine!
"I think the government of India will have to make some hard decisions on the deal soon. Even if it decides to proceed with the next step right away, that is, approach the IAEA board to approve the safeguards agreement, it will be difficult to complete all the remaining steps before the President leaves office if Congress takes the maximum time allowed by the law to finally vote on the 123 agreement," said Ashley J. Tellis, who was one of the architects of the Indo-US nuclear deal in the Bush administration and presently advising Republican presidential candidate John McCain’s campaign.
France generates 70% of its power from nuclear sources; we have only 2%. The other sources cannot fulfill the rapidly growing demand of energy in India. But, the Communists have some other enlightened ideas.
The Inflation angle which keeps Congress and its other allies in dilemma over to go into election, is indirectly related to N-deal. Inflation is there largely because of surging oil prices. Oil accounts for about 34% of India's total energy consumption. If nuclear energy shares the energy burden then our dependency on the international crude oil decreases and in future it will insulate us from the oscillating oil price indexes and top of it the oil reserves are limited. According to government, India would require 8 lakh MW of power by 2030.
In Nuclear energy, India already has the set-up and she can expedite the process once obtaining the benefits post N-deal. Other alternate sources of energy can also be viable options but, implementing them is taking time.
Asks K Subrahmanyam, the strategic affairs analyst in the Times of India-Will the Congress party face the next election as a party humiliated - internationally and domestically - by the communists or will it face the electorate as an assertive party ready to lead the country in the 21st century? The UPA has been sleeping with the enemy all these years. It is time it woke up.
India's 'internal process' becomes suddenly famous and people are watching it closely. In the latest support statement emanating from Washington, US Congressman Gary Ackerman who is the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Sub Committee on Middle East and South Asia said that "I strongly support the 123 agreement and I look forward to the Government of India completing its internal processes so that the US Congress can give final approval to this historic deal."
Indian nuclear establishments and majority of mainstream thinkers are of the belief that the N-deal will give India a much-needed succour to its energy demand. So, what prompted Communists to think otherwise? All their argument against the deal has in fact little credibility. The senior Communist leader Pandhe revealed what is cooking in their mind- Muslims are against N-deal so, support Congress at the cost of your vote-bank- he advised Samajwadi Party who is doing his Maths whether to save the government in case Left withdraws support. So, all through the years India's foreign policy has been dictated by petty vote-bank politics? Ponder over!
All the years we have been yearning for nuke technology, supply of fuel and Uranium. When it comes to say goodbye to long and frustrating isolation some vested interests are trying to stall it. "Ranting against the US when Communist China is the only power opposing India's entry into nuclear club might make sense to the CPM. It makes none at all for India's nuclear future," opined the Indian Express.
If Congress decides strongly in favour of national interest then still we have time to pursue the steps ahead in N-deal. The G8 Summit in which Indian prime minister will participate is the best opportunity beckoning as major NSG members will be there and Bush could play his role to strengthen the process. Will Manmohan Singh tell the G8 members that I'm sorry India could not go ahead with the much touted N-deal because of Left parties discarded it. Imagine!
"I think the government of India will have to make some hard decisions on the deal soon. Even if it decides to proceed with the next step right away, that is, approach the IAEA board to approve the safeguards agreement, it will be difficult to complete all the remaining steps before the President leaves office if Congress takes the maximum time allowed by the law to finally vote on the 123 agreement," said Ashley J. Tellis, who was one of the architects of the Indo-US nuclear deal in the Bush administration and presently advising Republican presidential candidate John McCain’s campaign.
France generates 70% of its power from nuclear sources; we have only 2%. The other sources cannot fulfill the rapidly growing demand of energy in India. But, the Communists have some other enlightened ideas.
The Inflation angle which keeps Congress and its other allies in dilemma over to go into election, is indirectly related to N-deal. Inflation is there largely because of surging oil prices. Oil accounts for about 34% of India's total energy consumption. If nuclear energy shares the energy burden then our dependency on the international crude oil decreases and in future it will insulate us from the oscillating oil price indexes and top of it the oil reserves are limited. According to government, India would require 8 lakh MW of power by 2030.
In Nuclear energy, India already has the set-up and she can expedite the process once obtaining the benefits post N-deal. Other alternate sources of energy can also be viable options but, implementing them is taking time.
Asks K Subrahmanyam, the strategic affairs analyst in the Times of India-Will the Congress party face the next election as a party humiliated - internationally and domestically - by the communists or will it face the electorate as an assertive party ready to lead the country in the 21st century? The UPA has been sleeping with the enemy all these years. It is time it woke up.
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