India's main federal opposition party and the ruling coalition's communist allies plan to grill the government on its civilian nuclear accord with the U.S. in the monsoon session of parliament that begins today.
The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, or the BJP, and communist parties want a review of the bilateral agreement, which ends India's three decades of nuclear isolation and gives power plants in the energy-starved country access to U.S. technology and equipment.
The BJP has described the so-called 123 agreement, which gives effect to the India-U.S. accord, as an “assault'' on the country's nuclear status. It has found rare support from the government's communist allies, who said the text of the agreement compromises India's sovereignty.
Although the accord doesn't require Indian parliament's approval, the government faces an unenviable task of convincing a hostile opposition and trenchant allies. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will attempt to win over the skeptics in his Aug. 13 statement on the pact, a key element of President George W. Bush's foreign policy.
“The nuclear issue will definitely create a big noise in parliament, as it has major domestic political implications,'' said Mahesh Rangarajan, a New Delhi-based independent political analyst. “The floor management skills of the ruling side'' will decide whether the government manages to contain the opposition to the agreement, he said.
The accord was held up by differences over whether India would get a perennial supply of nuclear fuel, be allowed to reprocess spent fuel and have the right to conduct nuclear tests. Both sides released the text on August 3 following agreement on the term of the bilateral accord.
`Press for Review'
“We will press for a review of the strategic aspects of the Indo-U.S. relations in parliament,'' said Prakash Karat, general secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), one of the four left parties whose support is crucial for Singh's government to retain parliamentary majority. Sushma Swaraj of the BJP said on August 8 that the opposition will voice its objections “forcefully.''
Singh's ruling Congress Party expects the government will be able to convince the allies that the deal was “in the best interest of the nation,'' spokeswoman Jayanti Natarajan said.
Floods, Prices
The session will also witness discussions on monsoon flooding, which has drowned vast swathes of South Asia, killing about 1,500 people. The annual rains have damaged about 2.3 million hectares of farm land.
“We will raise the issue of floods, the rising prices of essential commodities and the plight of unorganized labor,'' said Mohammad Salim, a communist leader from West Bengal state.
Salim said that the slowing pace of inflation is yet to be reflected in the prices of staple foods. “We will press for a review of the price situation,'' he said.
India's inflation slowed in the third week of July, staying below the central bank's target ceiling for the eighth week, as prices of lentils and fruits declined, the government said on Aug. 3. The wholesale price index was 4.36 percent in the week to July 21, compared with 4.41 percent the previous week.
The government plans to introduce 25 new bills in the monsoon session, including legislation to replace an ordinance that will allow the federal government to take control of the central bank's 59.7 percent holding in the State Bank of India.
