CPI(M) criticises nuclear energy deal with US

New Delhi, Mar 11 (UNI) The CPI(M) today described the civil nuclear energy cooperation deal with the United States as a compromise with the basic ethos and principles of the country such as non-alignment and independent foreign policy, and said by signing the deal India had become a party to the US' global geo-political ambitions.

Raising a discussion in the Lok Sabha on the statement made by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on March 7, 2006, regarding the Indo-US agreement in the context of the recent visit of President George W Bush, Mr C K Chandrappan (CPI-M) alleged that the basic interest of that country was to prop up India to counter the growing power of China.

He said the treaty entered into by India was of an ''unequal nature'' and expressed doubts over whether the US was sincere about implementing it, having a poor record in this connection.

Mr Chandrappan referred to the dubious record of the United States' involvement in nearly 100 cases of overthrowing of governments which did not toe its line, particularly in Latin American countries. He cited a few examples.

The member said the US was an unreliable partner and in any case the treaty would only be implemented after it is ratified by the US Congress.

Mr Chandrappan said while Jawaharlal Nehru as the Prime Minister had refused to shake hands with Mussolini as he was a fascist dictator in Italy, the UPA government had gone the whole hog to roll out a red carpet and the media had created an unparalleled hype for President Bush.

Dr Singh is scheduled to reply to the debate in the House at 1700 hours.

Mr Kharabela Swain (BJP) critising the Indo-US nuclear deal, said the government had surrendered to US pressure. He mocked the government for terming the deal ''historic'', while its own coalition supporters, the Left parties, were protesting against it. Mr Swain suggested that India should take a leadership role in nuclear disarmament in the region. He said countries like Japan and Germany had shown the way to how to remain committed to disarmament without acquiring any nuclear capabilities.

He, however, claimed that the BJP was the initiator of negotiations with US on the nuclear issue.

Defending the deal, Congress member Kapil Sibal said the dynamics of the present global scenario necessitated that the future of the country should be protected and government had done exactly that.

Recalling India's stand with regard to the nuclear issue and arms race, he said India had been the proposer of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty back in 1954. It could, however, not be realised.

Later, the Non-Profileration Treaty created a sort of nuclear aparthied between five nuclear countries and non-nuclear states, and despite the treaty 35,000 tests were conducted by nuclear states.

China's acquiring of nuclear weapons changed the whole scenario and it was pertinent for India to have the capacity to produce nuclear weapons for security purposes. This was why the country conducted a nuclear test for peaceful purposes in 1974, Mr Sibal said.

The growing demand for energy was another factor essential for development of the country and which guided the government to look for alternatives to oil energy which had been monopolised by only a few oil-producing countries.

He said the present demand of energy was going to be tripled by 2025. As the country was growing, the need for energy was growing too and and India could not depend on these oil producing nations, he pointed out.

Security and future energy needs therefore were the basic factors which prompted the government to go in for the agreement separating military and civil nuclear facilities, he said.