Debate on nuke deal shows polity’s division

RC Rajamani
The Statesman, 3 December

The high spot of parliament sittings last week was the discussion on the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal, an issue that paralysed proceedings for a good part of the monsoon session in July-August. After prolonged deliberations among different political parties it was finally agreed to have a short duration discussion that did not entail voting. This was much to the chagrin of the main Opposition BJP, which found in the issue an opportunity to attack the Congress and also embarrass its Left supporters. Had there been a discussion under a different rule entailing voting the Left would have found itself in a quandary. The Left, of course, would not like to be seen together with the saffron outfit, vote against the deal. The BJP would have then taunted the Left for its apparent Janus face on the issue.

The discussion held in the Lok Sabha went on clear party lines. The BJP-led NDA, AIADMK and the Left opposed the deal in its “present form” fearing “surrender” of India’s independent foreign policy to the United States. Seeking to clear the apparent smoke-screen over the country’s right to conduct nuclear tests in future, the prime minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, asserted that the deal did not bar India from carrying out nuclear tests in future.

Provoked by certain remarks by the leader of the opposition, Mr LK Advani, he said all that the government had done was only to reiterate what the BJP-led NDA government had done by committing itself to a unilateral moratorium on conducting nuclear tests. Mr Advani had expressed the fear that the terms of the 123 agreement with the USA would tie the hands of the government from conducting a nuclear test in future. He also made bold to say if the NDA got a fresh mandate then it would renegotiate the deal with the US and get the harmful provisions deleted. If it were not possible the deal would be rejected, he added. The Rajya Sabha will discuss the issue this week.

Mr Advani said the discussion should have been under Rule 184 to censure the government. He reminded that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had stated that a consensus in Parliament was a pre-condition in concluding the Nuclear Agreement. He criticised that the Left parties were playing a ‘flip-flop’ in opposing the deal because they wanted to avoid a fresh Parliamentary election.

Members, especially from Tamil Nadu, were agitated over reports of alleged harassment of ethnic Indians in Malaysia. The issue led to a brief, abrupt adjournment in the Lok Sabha. Being a diplomatic issue, government, however, responded with circumspection. Making a statement in both houses, external affairs minister Mr Pranab Mukherjee Said: “Government remains deeply solicitous for the welfare of people of Indian origin living abroad. As Members are aware, there is a large community of people of Indian origin in Malaysia who are citizens of that country. We have friendly relations with Malaysia and we are in touch with the Malaysian authorities in the related matter.”

The issue of the controversial Bangladesh writer Taslima Nasreen also caused frequent flutter in both houses as rival members sought to turn into a political battle. The BJP demanded a full-fledged discussion on the issue. Making another statement, Mr Mukherjee said that the writer would continue to get shelter in India but advised her to “refrain from activities that may hurt sentiments of the people” in India.

“Throughout history, India has never refused shelter to those who have come and sought our protection.” At the same time, he pointed out that those who have been granted shelter here have “always undertaken to eschew political activities in India or any action which may harm India’s relations with friendly countries.”