Indo-US N-Deal: India gets NSG waiver

India powers its way into nuke biz

India on Saturday powered its way into the global nuclear fold after the Nuclear Suppliers’ Group (NSG) rewrote its guidelines for resuming nuclear trade with New Delhi. The decision to admit India came after three days of intense diplomacy by the US in the nuclear cartel that controls the global flow of nuclear fuel and technologies. ( Watch ) The NSG’s acceptance of the US proposal to drop the ban on nuclear trade will now put the Indo-US nuclear deal on the fast track. The deal will now go to the US Congress for up-down approval before it adjourns in end September for elections. Having failed to use its proxies effectively, China had come out in the open with its opposition to the deal. In a bid to prevent China hijacking the proceedings, US President George Bush wrote a letter to Chinese President Hu Jintao asking Beijing to support the India waiver. But the real opposition came from the non-proliferation ideologues — the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, Ireland, Austria and New Zealand — who were persuaded one by one until Austria remained the last country standing against the waiver. The last minute changes to the draft combined with the softening of position of others finally wore down Austria’s resistance. Austria had been asking for auxiliary measures to be added in the draft. “There is a sense of relief. I am particularly happy that the waiver (for India) meets with international nuclear non-proliferation architecture,” reports from Vienna quoting Peter Launsky, Austrian foreign ministry spokesman said.

Domestically, the development is a major shot in the arm for the UPA government and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as the nuclear deal will give it a constructive issue to run on between now and 2009 election. While the BJP has been engaged in fierce finger-pointing and blame-casting over the agreement, the hypersensitive people with overactive imagination in the Left have been concocting nightmares. A setback on the waiver would have complicated matters for both the ruling side and the prime minister. Calling the waiver “a forward-looking and momentous decision,’’ the Prime Minister thanked the US and members of the NSG for granting the waiver “It is a recognition of India’s impeccable non-proliferation credentials and its status as a state with advanced nuclear technology,’’ Mr Singh said. US President George Bush praised the leadership of the PM and appreciated the way he handled the negotiations. President Bush placed a call to Mr Singh soon after the waiver was announced in Vienna. The two leaders also discussed the next step of getting congressional approval for the 123 agreement. External affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee, who has played pivotal role in the domestic battle on the deal, said that the waiver was consistent with the commitments given by the government to Parliament. ( Watch )
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