Date:31/08/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/08/31/stories/2007083159160100.htm

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Committee to go into Left concerns

Gargi Parsai

“Operationalisation of the deal will take into account the panel’s findings”

— PHOTO: V. Sudershan

NARROWING DOWN DIFFERENCES: External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee briefing the media after he and CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury (right) met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi on Thursday.

NEW DELHI: The Congress leadership has accommodated the Left parties’ concerns on the India-U.S. nuclear agreement by putting in place on Thursday a (political) committee to examine their objections as well to give the assurance that “the operationalisation of the deal will take into account the committee’s findings.”

The composition of the committee will be declared shortly. Indications are that it will have 14 members — six from the Left parties and eight from the United Progressive Alliance (UPA).

Although the announcement made by the Congress leader and Minister for External Affairs, Pranab Mukherjee, did not clarify whether the government would put on hold the operationalising of the agreement and refrain from negotiating a safeguards pact at the forthcoming IAEA meeting, the Left s said it meant just that.

The Left parties were satisfied that the statement read out by Mr. Mukherjee before journalists took into account their demand for a written assurance that is made public. Mr. Mukherjee declined to take questions on the statement.

Forward Bloc leader Debabrata Biswas, however, said: “We are very clear that the deal will not be operationalised till the committee gives its findings.”

The announcement of the committee and its terms of reference came after a meeting at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s residence. Those who participated in the meeting were Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Mr. Mukherjee, A.K. Antony, Ahmed Patel and senior leaders of the Left parties, including Prakash Karat, Sitaram Yechury, A.B. Bardhan, D. Raja, Abani Roy and Debabrata Biswas. The UPA partners were consulted earlier.

Mr. Mukherjee said that “in view of certain objections raised by the Left parties on the India-U.S. bilateral agreement on nuclear cooperation, it has been decided to constitute a committee to go into these issues.”

The committee would look into certain aspects of the bilateral agreement; the implications of the Hyde Act on the 123 Agreement and self-reliance in the nuclear sector; the implications of the nuclear agreement on foreign policy and security cooperation.

Mr. Mukherjee said, “The operationalisation of the deal will take into account the committee’s findings.” No time frame has been set for the committee to come up with its conclusions. The finalisation of the committee came after hectic consultations among the Congress Core Group and with the Left parties. The Congress Core Group met in the Prime Minister’s chamber in Parliament to firm up the draft modalities of the committee and its terms of reference. Ms. Gandhi attended the meeting. Later Mr. Yechury met Mr. Mukherjee and was reported to have been briefed on the draft statement.

Soon after, the Left parties, including the CPI(M), the CPI, the Forward Bloc and the Revolutionary Socialist Party, met and approved the proposed statement, ending a three-week impasse.

The stand-off between the Left parties and the UPA government came after the Prime Minister was quoted by a newspaper as saying that the Left could withdraw support on the issue. The Left took the stand that the deal could not be operationalised till it was studied in all its ramifications, including its implications on India’s foreign policy.