08-04-2008, 02:30 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Signing away nuclear rights </b>
Pioneer.com
Shobori Ganguli
Never before in the history of independent India has a foreign policy issue or a national security matter ever divided the political leadership of this country in a manner in which the India-US nuclear deal irrevocably has. Be it the four wars with Pakistan, or the one with China, be it the issue of CTBT or nuclear sovereignty, India has always spoken in one voice. The reason: Never in the past has the impression gained ground that the Government of the day is submitting India's sovereign right to determine an independent foreign policy to certain global powers or is severely compromising its national security.
One only need recall Mrs Indira Gandhi's diplomatic and military coup in 1971 in getting Bangladesh liberated which had inspired Opposition leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee to describe her as Durga. Admittedly, despite intense international pressure -- even the very imminent threat of the United States attacking India -- Mrs Gandhi had done what she thought was best in India's national and security interests. And Mr Vajpayee's comment was an unambiguous indicator that the country was united in its effort to steer India along a course that furthered the interests of the country, not that of any individual or any political party. Protected solely by Soviet support in the international arena, Mrs Gandhi with that one act of defiance had proved to the world that India was determined to safeguard its strategic interests in a manner it deemed fit.
Since then, adversity or otherwise, the country has indeed spoken in unison on various matters of national security and foreign policy, in the belief that the Government of the day places the highest premium on national interest. However, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in disregarding Opposition concerns and clandestinely pushing the nuclear deal through to the IAEA has proved that matters of India's national security have been perilously mortgaged to the whims of one individual and his political party.
Today, the Congress is running a Government that is seen as being overly supine to the Americans, untouched by and deaf to the serious voices of concern that have brought the Left and the Right on the same side of the nuclear debate. Step after step of deception and obfuscation has been taken to commit India to a highly discriminatory international nuclear non-proliferation regime, all in the name of ensuring India's energy security. Indeed, the country is on a precarious edge as far as energy is concerned and it should be looking to tap every source it can find. However, there is a disturbing trend in the manner in which the Manmohan Singh Government is feverishly chasing the nuclear energy mirage with the United States and shying away from credible energy partners like oil-rich Iran.
After every step of deception -- that, the India-US nuclear deal would not impinge on India's right to conduct further nuclear tests, that recognition by the IAEA would result in "India-specific safeguards", that India's negotiations with the Nuclear Suppliers Group will be conducted in its capacity of a nuclear power -- what has become increasingly apparent is that the Prime Minister is binding India to a discriminatory international non-proliferation regime in perpetuity. From the bilateral 123 Agreement with the United States to the safeguards agreement and Additional Protocol with the IAEA, the Manmohan Singh Government has systematically signed away India's legitimate right to belong to the exclusive club of the five nuclear haves. It now faces the Nuclear Suppliers Group later this month armed with documents that boldly underline India's non-nuclear weapons status with provisions for severe penalties if it conducts further tests.
It may be recalled that when the United States was mounting intense pressure on India to sign the CTBT in 1998 after Pokhran, <b>then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had clearly stated that even though it was not binding on his Government to seek bipartisan consensus within the country on the issue, he would nevertheless do so because it concerned the country's security fabric. The main concern voiced by the Vajpayee Government was that signing the CTBT would bring India under the NPT regime and deny India its new-found status as a nuclear power. No amount of pressure from the Americans, and there was considerable pressure, could force Mr Vajpayee's hand to join the CTBT</b>. While India was in favour of total disarmament, the Vajpayee Government was worried that signing the CTBT would only further the non-proliferation goals of the nuclear five. India made its position well known and the Americans grudgingly reconciled to it.
Little has changed in the NPT regime since although the global security environment has altered greatly. There are genuine concerns, therefore, about placing India under a non-proliferation regime at this juncture which could prevent it from further nuclear tests if the security environment so demanded. While the UPA Government has repeatedly claimed that the nuclear deal does not impinge on India's right to further tests, the documents that are leading up to the ratification of the deal in the US throw India open to the risk of sanctions if it does indeed exercise that right. Does any Government of the day have the right to expose the country to such draconian international rules while ceding in perpetuity its rightful place in the nuclear world order?
<span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>Unlike Mr Vajpayee who sought to build a bipartisan consensus before mortgaging India's security interests to the nuclear sharks, Mr Manmohan Singh has served the Opposition and allies alike with a series of faits accomplis since July 2005, not allowing for any dissenting voice to disturb his inscrutable march towards nuclear cooperation with the United States. As the matter reaches the NSG later this month, one thing is writ large: India is on the verge of signing away its nuclear sovereignty. </span>
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Pioneer.com
Shobori Ganguli
Never before in the history of independent India has a foreign policy issue or a national security matter ever divided the political leadership of this country in a manner in which the India-US nuclear deal irrevocably has. Be it the four wars with Pakistan, or the one with China, be it the issue of CTBT or nuclear sovereignty, India has always spoken in one voice. The reason: Never in the past has the impression gained ground that the Government of the day is submitting India's sovereign right to determine an independent foreign policy to certain global powers or is severely compromising its national security.
One only need recall Mrs Indira Gandhi's diplomatic and military coup in 1971 in getting Bangladesh liberated which had inspired Opposition leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee to describe her as Durga. Admittedly, despite intense international pressure -- even the very imminent threat of the United States attacking India -- Mrs Gandhi had done what she thought was best in India's national and security interests. And Mr Vajpayee's comment was an unambiguous indicator that the country was united in its effort to steer India along a course that furthered the interests of the country, not that of any individual or any political party. Protected solely by Soviet support in the international arena, Mrs Gandhi with that one act of defiance had proved to the world that India was determined to safeguard its strategic interests in a manner it deemed fit.
Since then, adversity or otherwise, the country has indeed spoken in unison on various matters of national security and foreign policy, in the belief that the Government of the day places the highest premium on national interest. However, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in disregarding Opposition concerns and clandestinely pushing the nuclear deal through to the IAEA has proved that matters of India's national security have been perilously mortgaged to the whims of one individual and his political party.
Today, the Congress is running a Government that is seen as being overly supine to the Americans, untouched by and deaf to the serious voices of concern that have brought the Left and the Right on the same side of the nuclear debate. Step after step of deception and obfuscation has been taken to commit India to a highly discriminatory international nuclear non-proliferation regime, all in the name of ensuring India's energy security. Indeed, the country is on a precarious edge as far as energy is concerned and it should be looking to tap every source it can find. However, there is a disturbing trend in the manner in which the Manmohan Singh Government is feverishly chasing the nuclear energy mirage with the United States and shying away from credible energy partners like oil-rich Iran.
After every step of deception -- that, the India-US nuclear deal would not impinge on India's right to conduct further nuclear tests, that recognition by the IAEA would result in "India-specific safeguards", that India's negotiations with the Nuclear Suppliers Group will be conducted in its capacity of a nuclear power -- what has become increasingly apparent is that the Prime Minister is binding India to a discriminatory international non-proliferation regime in perpetuity. From the bilateral 123 Agreement with the United States to the safeguards agreement and Additional Protocol with the IAEA, the Manmohan Singh Government has systematically signed away India's legitimate right to belong to the exclusive club of the five nuclear haves. It now faces the Nuclear Suppliers Group later this month armed with documents that boldly underline India's non-nuclear weapons status with provisions for severe penalties if it conducts further tests.
It may be recalled that when the United States was mounting intense pressure on India to sign the CTBT in 1998 after Pokhran, <b>then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had clearly stated that even though it was not binding on his Government to seek bipartisan consensus within the country on the issue, he would nevertheless do so because it concerned the country's security fabric. The main concern voiced by the Vajpayee Government was that signing the CTBT would bring India under the NPT regime and deny India its new-found status as a nuclear power. No amount of pressure from the Americans, and there was considerable pressure, could force Mr Vajpayee's hand to join the CTBT</b>. While India was in favour of total disarmament, the Vajpayee Government was worried that signing the CTBT would only further the non-proliferation goals of the nuclear five. India made its position well known and the Americans grudgingly reconciled to it.
Little has changed in the NPT regime since although the global security environment has altered greatly. There are genuine concerns, therefore, about placing India under a non-proliferation regime at this juncture which could prevent it from further nuclear tests if the security environment so demanded. While the UPA Government has repeatedly claimed that the nuclear deal does not impinge on India's right to further tests, the documents that are leading up to the ratification of the deal in the US throw India open to the risk of sanctions if it does indeed exercise that right. Does any Government of the day have the right to expose the country to such draconian international rules while ceding in perpetuity its rightful place in the nuclear world order?
<span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>Unlike Mr Vajpayee who sought to build a bipartisan consensus before mortgaging India's security interests to the nuclear sharks, Mr Manmohan Singh has served the Opposition and allies alike with a series of faits accomplis since July 2005, not allowing for any dissenting voice to disturb his inscrutable march towards nuclear cooperation with the United States. As the matter reaches the NSG later this month, one thing is writ large: India is on the verge of signing away its nuclear sovereignty. </span>
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