politics | india politics

The deal is done. And it's a big deal for India. It has gained the unique status of being the only nuclear weapons country to be included in global nuclear commerce without signing either the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty and Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty - - until now a precondition for entering mainstream nuclear trade.
When the NSG "adjusted its guidelines'' for India on Saturday, after 76 hours of high-voltage drama, to waive the precondition and open the door for New Delhi to join the world nuclear high table, a delicious piece of irony was enacted -- the NSG was formed 34 years ago as a response to India's 1974 Pokharan test and that very body was bending its rules to mainstream India's nuclear ambition.
The NSG's approval was also Manmohan Singh's moment. The Prime Minister, who had quietly worked out the architecture of the Indo-US nuclear deal with US President George Bush, clinched a piece of history on Saturday for salvaging a deal after staving off a huge threat to his government and his political career. Singh described the NSG waiver as a "forward looking and momentous decision''. Bush praised Singh for his "strong leadership'' in ensuring success at Vienna.
The deal will not just give India access to nuclear fissile material and technology with which it can mount a credible nuclear energy programme, it will also open up certain key technologies for India -- hi-tech that is used by a number of industries like pharma, IT, space and defence, but is also used for nuclear technology and is hence barred for those outside the nuclear club.
The implications of the deal will be beyond energy and technology. In strategic terms, it now brings India much closer to the US and several European countries.
WHAT IT MEANS?
UNIQUE STATUS: Ends 34-year nuclear isolation following 1974 Pokhran test. India now gets N-technology, keeps its nuclear program, doesn’t sign NPT, CTBT
N-MAINSTREAM: India can carry out nuclear trade, gets options for nuclear power and access to sensitive hi-tech that serves industry but is also used for nuclear technology; will help sectors like IT, space, pharma, defence, manufacturing
RISING POWER: Shows India as an emerging power. Waiver also came as India seen as a stable democracy and growing market economy
STRATEGIC SHIFT: India comes closer to the US. As also France, Germany, UK, other European countries, Russia, Japan, Australia. Indo-China ties could get frosty
GREAT DIVIDE: De-hyphenation with Pak complete. India now in category of responsible N-powers with impeccable non-proliferation record
WHAT NEXT?
US Congress expected to take up Indo-US 123 pact when it meets on Monday. It must be approved by Sept 28, when the session ends
Bush expected to ask Congress to skip mandatory 30-day period required for putting up pact for approval. Would like to see it through without re-look
Both sides may sign pact when PM goes to US at month’s end. India will then sign similar pacts with other N-suppliers Now, N-scene shifts to US
Vienna: The exception NSG has made for India on Saturday did not come easily but, at the end of the day, came largely because of the recognition of India as a strong emerging power, with a stable democratic system, growing market economy and business appeal. India’s earlier unilateral moratorium to nuclear testing — made by the Vajpayee government and cited by foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday morning — of course helped winning over the last few naysayers at NSG.
Now the scene will shift to the US for the final ratification of the Indo-US nuclear civil cooperation agreement by an up-down vote of the US Congress which meets on Monday. The Bush administration is expected to persuade American lawmakers to pass the pact before the session ends by September 26 by not insisting on the mandatory 30-day session period required to present the agreement for approval. If all goes well, Manmohan Singh will sign the agreement with President Bush in Washington towards the end of the month.
Back on NSG’s decision, it came Saturday morning after two days of bruising diplomacy that saw the last of the conscientious objectors wilting under sustained US pressure. Six of the last objectors, Austria, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, Netherlands and Switzerland, relented after India went the extra mile to reassure them on its nonproliferation commitments, and the US, France and UK sat hard on them.
Until Friday night, when the NSG sat, exhausted through round after round of talks until 2.30 am, two things happened. A modification was made in the waiver text that had been circulating for a week, but with which some countries still had problems. Here, India’s statement earlier in the day came in handy, and a link was made between India’s commitments and the adjustment of the guidelines.
The amendment, which was agreed by the US and India, arrived on their tables at 1 am Saturday morning. After that, the objections melted away. The change reads thus: “Based on commitments in the political declaration of (India’s foreign ministry), “ participating states have decided on .... This was the only change that India permitted in the draft. There was a clamour for more changes, but India had already reached its bottomlines. In the past few weeks that had become very clear to the US.

Labels: India N-abled, Indian Politics