Nuclear Deal: Left Will Never be Ready

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Left_not_ready_for_N-deal_Karat/articleshow/2888545.cms#write

http://www.southasiaanalysis.org/%5Cpapers24%5Cpaper2330.html

Prakash Karat’s statement conforms to the Resolution adopted by the Left on 20 Aug 2007. Interestingly, this time he has made the effort to reason out the rigid stance taken by the Left on Indo-US nuclear deal. Reasons for this change are not far to seek, and generally conform to the change in the attitude of the Chinese. Of late, while Chinese Government spokespersons have avoided outspoken comments on the Indo-US nuclear deal, they have found other means to criticise the deal and to discourage India for going ahead with it. The Left is an obvious proxy for the Chinese.

This negative attitude is caused by the Chinese suspicion that the Indo-US nuclear deal was the US' quid pro quo for an Indian willingness to co-operate with the US in countering the growing Chinese power in the Asian region. This suspicion was strengthened when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh decided not to attend the summit meeting of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation (SCO) as an observer at Shanghai in June, 2006. The SCO is a Chinese initiative with a focus on countering drug-smuggling and terrorism.

Pakistan initiated a campaign to counter the Indo-US deal at two levels. First, they said it will be discriminatory to Pakistan if it was not made applicable to it too. Second, it will create a military nuclear asymmetry in the sub-continent by enabling India to divert its domestic stock of fuel for military purposes, while using the imported fuel for civilian purposes under international safeguards.

Musharraf requested the Chinese leaders during his State visit to China in February 2006, for Chinese assistance in the construction of six more nuclear power stations, with a capacity of 600 or 900 MWS each. The Chinese reportedly agreed in principle to supply two stations of 300 MWs each to be followed later by four more. This again figured in the General's bilateral discussions with Mr.HU in the margins of the SCO summit in June 2006.

Since then the Chinese have come round to declare that the Indo-U.S. nuclear deal is a bilateral issue between India and the US. The more guarded Chinese position to the bilateral discussions between President George Bush and Mr.Hu at Hanoi in the margins of the summit of the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) Organisation on November 18 and 19, 2006. During these bilateral discussions, Mr. Bush is believed to have pointed out to Mr.Hu that the Chinese supply of new nuclear power stations to Pakistan could not be projected as a continuation of the Chinese assistance to Pakistan under a 1985 bilateral co-operation treaty under which CHASHMA I and CHASHMA II were given and hence would need the clearance of the NSG. Mr Bush was also reported to have referred to the Pakistani rejection of repeated requests from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to hand over Dr. A. Q. Khan for an independent interrogation and pointed out that the Chinese supply of the new power stations could encourage Pakistan's non-cooperation with the IAEA.

Beijing, which has been projecting itself as a responsible and co-operative interlocutor of the US, Japan and South Korea on the question of North Korea's nuclear test and has won praise for its role in bringing North Korea back to the negotiating table, did not want this positive image to be dented by disregarding the reservations of Mr Bush relating to the supply of new power stations to Pakistan. It, therefore, changed its stance at the last minute.

Against the overall backdrop of the emerging strategic picture, it is interesting to see the Left take on the mantle on behalf of the Chinese and continue their obduracy in opposing the Indo-US nuclear deal. At the same time, with an eye on elections next year the Left leaders have very smartly decided to credit the people of India with some intelligence and decided to back their opposition to the deal with some reasons too. Should the Congress come up with satisfactory explanation to objections raised by the Left, Prakash Karat, Sitaram Yechury, D Raja and AB Burdhan will collectively come up with still more objections to the deal, with active assistance of the Chinese, naturally.