09-12-2007, 03:07 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Left-Cong charade officially begins</b>
Pioneer.com
Navin Upadhyay | New Delhi
Panel meet on 123 pact a mere formality
The UPA-Left committee to resolve the impasse over India-US civil nuclear agreement met on Tuesday, but the exercise has become a mere formality with both parties preparing for midterm polls.Â
CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat left no one in doubt about the futility of the committee when he remarked on Monday that the Left was never going to be convinced about the adverse implication of the Hyde Act on India's nuclear sovereignty.
The heightened war of words between the two parties after the formation of the committee has signalled the growing divide and crystallisation of opinion in the two camps and set the ball rolling towards a midterm poll.
<b>Sources in both the camps have indicated that the deadline for the demise of the 13th Lok Sabha is fast approaching and the cookie would crumble around the year-end when India begins negotiation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).</b>
Sources said that the Government wanted to bide its time and carry on with the uneasy truce with the Left parties till the US Congress takes up the India-US civil nuclear deal for its final approval after the finalisation of the negotiation with the IAEA and NSG. Sources said that senior Congress and Left leaders have entered into an unstated understanding that the Government should be allowed to run till then.
<b>At the same time, both the Left and the Congress have already set in motion their election machineries.</b>
The Left's countrywide protest against the nuclear deal and strategic alliance with the US was part of the same exercise. The CPI(M) has also taken steps to set its house in order and bring in line the West Bengal leaders, who were opposed to destablising the UPA Government. The task has nearly been achieved and even someone like State Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and Marxist patriarch Jyoti Basu have joined the hardliners.
Sources said that the CPI(M) leadership is now going to turn its attention to the infighting in Kerala and take a fresh view on the suspension of Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan and State secretary Pinarayi Vijayan from the Polit Bureau.
The Left may have all along rejected the idea of forming a third alternative, but the comrades have started the spadework for a tie-up with the Telegu Desam Party in Andhra Pradesh and Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh after the expected disintegration of the newly-floated UNPA.
On the other hand, the <b>Congress is expected to embark on a major exercise to woo the minority community, middle class Government employees, farmers and unorganised sector workers.</b>
With the Muslims bitterly opposed to the India-US nuclear deal, <b>the Congress is under pressure to take concrete steps on the recommendations of the Sachar Committee and Rangnath Mishra Commission. The weeks ahead could see some major announcements to woo the Muslims.</b>
At the same time,<b> the Government is also seriously thinking of implementing the Sixth Pay Commission, which is expected to submit its report any day. This could be a major plank to woo Government employees. Last month, the Government doled out a six per cent hike in Dearness Allowance, which is the highest such single installment since the UPA Government came to power. The bonanza came even though the inflation is as low as 4 per cent. The decision is seen as a clear signal that the midterm polls are round the corner.</b>
<b>Another giveaway to the midterm poll is the sudden thrust on addressing the long-term pending demands of unorganised sector workers. By announcing measures to provide health insurance to nearly 40 crore such workers, the Government has taken a major policy decision that could be highlighted during the polls.</b>
There were indications that the Government will also soon clear the relief and rehabilitation polices proposed by the Group of Ministers. This would be a sop to farmers who are opposed to the Special Economic Zones.
With both sides deciding to buy time, the UPA-Left committee meeting on Tuesday decided to discuss the implications of the Hyde Act on the 123 Agreement and on self-reliance in India's nuclear sector on September 19. .
The first meeting of the committee, headed by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, decided to frame the broad issues to be taken up for discussion later.
Besides the implications of the Hyde Act, the 15-member panel also decided to discuss the implications of the deal on foreign policy and security cooperation, Mukherjee told reporters after a meeting.
Apart from Mukherjee, the meeting was attended by leaders of the four Left parties- Prakash Karat, Sitaram Yechury (both CPI-M), AB Bardhan, D Raja (both CPI), Debabrata Biswas (Forward Bloc) and TJ Chandrachoodan (RSP).
Mukherjee's Cabinet colleagues representing the Congress-led coalition included -- AK Antony, P Chidambaram, Kapil Sibal, Saifuddin Soz, Prithviraj Chavan, Lalu Prasad of RJD, TR Baalu of DMK and NCP chief Sharad Pawar.
Talking to reporters after the 45-minute meeting, CPI general secretary A B Bardhan said the points of reference of the committee would be <b>"the implications of the Hyde Act, the implications on our foreign policy, the implications on our nuclear programme and security cooperation."</b> Asked whether the confusion on 'operationalisation' of the deal was resolved, he said, "What is the confusion? There is no confusion."
<b>On whether any experts would be invited for the next meeting on September 19, he merely said "no experts are needed." </b>
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Pioneer.com
Navin Upadhyay | New Delhi
Panel meet on 123 pact a mere formality
The UPA-Left committee to resolve the impasse over India-US civil nuclear agreement met on Tuesday, but the exercise has become a mere formality with both parties preparing for midterm polls.Â
CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat left no one in doubt about the futility of the committee when he remarked on Monday that the Left was never going to be convinced about the adverse implication of the Hyde Act on India's nuclear sovereignty.
The heightened war of words between the two parties after the formation of the committee has signalled the growing divide and crystallisation of opinion in the two camps and set the ball rolling towards a midterm poll.
<b>Sources in both the camps have indicated that the deadline for the demise of the 13th Lok Sabha is fast approaching and the cookie would crumble around the year-end when India begins negotiation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).</b>
Sources said that the Government wanted to bide its time and carry on with the uneasy truce with the Left parties till the US Congress takes up the India-US civil nuclear deal for its final approval after the finalisation of the negotiation with the IAEA and NSG. Sources said that senior Congress and Left leaders have entered into an unstated understanding that the Government should be allowed to run till then.
<b>At the same time, both the Left and the Congress have already set in motion their election machineries.</b>
The Left's countrywide protest against the nuclear deal and strategic alliance with the US was part of the same exercise. The CPI(M) has also taken steps to set its house in order and bring in line the West Bengal leaders, who were opposed to destablising the UPA Government. The task has nearly been achieved and even someone like State Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and Marxist patriarch Jyoti Basu have joined the hardliners.
Sources said that the CPI(M) leadership is now going to turn its attention to the infighting in Kerala and take a fresh view on the suspension of Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan and State secretary Pinarayi Vijayan from the Polit Bureau.
The Left may have all along rejected the idea of forming a third alternative, but the comrades have started the spadework for a tie-up with the Telegu Desam Party in Andhra Pradesh and Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh after the expected disintegration of the newly-floated UNPA.
On the other hand, the <b>Congress is expected to embark on a major exercise to woo the minority community, middle class Government employees, farmers and unorganised sector workers.</b>
With the Muslims bitterly opposed to the India-US nuclear deal, <b>the Congress is under pressure to take concrete steps on the recommendations of the Sachar Committee and Rangnath Mishra Commission. The weeks ahead could see some major announcements to woo the Muslims.</b>
At the same time,<b> the Government is also seriously thinking of implementing the Sixth Pay Commission, which is expected to submit its report any day. This could be a major plank to woo Government employees. Last month, the Government doled out a six per cent hike in Dearness Allowance, which is the highest such single installment since the UPA Government came to power. The bonanza came even though the inflation is as low as 4 per cent. The decision is seen as a clear signal that the midterm polls are round the corner.</b>
<b>Another giveaway to the midterm poll is the sudden thrust on addressing the long-term pending demands of unorganised sector workers. By announcing measures to provide health insurance to nearly 40 crore such workers, the Government has taken a major policy decision that could be highlighted during the polls.</b>
There were indications that the Government will also soon clear the relief and rehabilitation polices proposed by the Group of Ministers. This would be a sop to farmers who are opposed to the Special Economic Zones.
With both sides deciding to buy time, the UPA-Left committee meeting on Tuesday decided to discuss the implications of the Hyde Act on the 123 Agreement and on self-reliance in India's nuclear sector on September 19. .
The first meeting of the committee, headed by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, decided to frame the broad issues to be taken up for discussion later.
Besides the implications of the Hyde Act, the 15-member panel also decided to discuss the implications of the deal on foreign policy and security cooperation, Mukherjee told reporters after a meeting.
Apart from Mukherjee, the meeting was attended by leaders of the four Left parties- Prakash Karat, Sitaram Yechury (both CPI-M), AB Bardhan, D Raja (both CPI), Debabrata Biswas (Forward Bloc) and TJ Chandrachoodan (RSP).
Mukherjee's Cabinet colleagues representing the Congress-led coalition included -- AK Antony, P Chidambaram, Kapil Sibal, Saifuddin Soz, Prithviraj Chavan, Lalu Prasad of RJD, TR Baalu of DMK and NCP chief Sharad Pawar.
Talking to reporters after the 45-minute meeting, CPI general secretary A B Bardhan said the points of reference of the committee would be <b>"the implications of the Hyde Act, the implications on our foreign policy, the implications on our nuclear programme and security cooperation."</b> Asked whether the confusion on 'operationalisation' of the deal was resolved, he said, "What is the confusion? There is no confusion."
<b>On whether any experts would be invited for the next meeting on September 19, he merely said "no experts are needed." </b>
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