India's ruling coalition and its biggest communist ally are seeking to narrow differences over the Indo-U.S. civilian nuclear accord, which may place the government's survival at risk.
Prakash Karat, who heads the Communist Party of India (Marxist), met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today. Singh tried to address concerns of critics of the accord in parliament yesterday, saying it secures India's energy needs without compromising its right to conduct nuclear tests or its independent foreign and military policies.
“Karat and the Prime Minister reiterated that efforts would be made to sort out the issues,'' Sanjaya Baru, Singh's spokesman, told reporters after the meeting in New Delhi.
The communist parties, whose support is needed for the coalition government's survival, and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, usually bitter rivals, both said they want a review of the accord, which seeks to end three decades of India's nuclear isolation and give power plants in the energy- starved country access to U.S. technology and equipment.
While the agreement doesn't require approval of the Indian parliament to take effect, Communist resistance to the accord could destabilize the centrist administration that needs the support of lawmakers of four communist parties to rustle up a simple majority in the 545-member house.
The ruling United Progressive Alliance coalition, led by Sonia Gandhi's Indian National Congress, has 226 seats in the lower house or Lok Sabha, 47 short of a majority, and the communists have 59 seats.
Gandhi's Support
Gandhi defended the nuclear accord, which is also a key element of U.S. President George W. Bush's foreign policy.
“The objectives of technological self-reliance and national sovereignty have been and will continue to be fully protected,'' Gandhi told federal lawmakers from the Congress party today.
Political opposition to the agreement is centered around the so-called Hyde Act, a U.S. law that the opposition says will ultimately force India to abdicate its strategic interests to ensure the survival of the civilian nuclear alliance.
Karat's colleagues are scheduled to meet later this week to consider his discussions with Singh.
“Our opposition on the nuclear deal will continue,'' Mohammad Salim, a lawmaker from the Communist Party of India (Marxist), said today, while refusing to comment on the possibility of his grouping pulling back support from Singh's coalition. “We want a review of the deal.''
Future Weapons Tests
The accord had been held up by differences between India and the U.S. over the supply of nuclear fuel, the right to reprocess spent fuel and the right to conduct nuclear tests.
While the agreement steers clear of references to weapons testing, it gives India reprocessing rights in facilities under global safeguards, leaves the military program out of its purview and promises uninterrupted fuel supplies to the civilian nuclear program.
The agreement legitimizes India's status as a nuclear power, while opening up the market for suppliers of fissile material, technology and equipment. Areva SA, the world's largest maker of nuclear power stations, and General Electric Co. are among four companies poised to share $14 billion of orders from India as nations led by the U.S. prepare to lift a 33-year ban.
Toshiba Corp.'s Westinghouse Electric Co. and Russia's atomic energy agency Rosatom will probably also win contracts to each build two 1,000-megawatt reactors, Nuclear Power Corp. of India Chairman S.K. Jain said earlier this month. India will be able to purchase equipment after the accord with the U.S. is approved by the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group.
Before the deal can be implemented, India has to negotiate accords with the Nuclear Suppliers Group and the International Atomic Energy Agency, after which President Bush will seek Congressional approval.
