House of Representatives pass Indo-US nuke bill

Washington, July 27: The landmark agreement on Indo-US civilian nuclear cooperation was adopted by the House of Representatives by a overwhelming majority of 359 to 68 votes late last night.

The voting on the legislation, which lifts a 30-year old ban on the export of American nuclear technology and fuel to India, came at the end of a five-hour debate.

It was largely a bipartisan vote with more Republicans and Democrats approving the legislation with as many as 359 members voting for it and only 68 against it.

The vote signals a major victory to President Bush and his administration which went against all odds to secure the votes to amend the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 giving India specific waiver from some of its regulations.

Before the final vote on the H R 5682 - Indo-US Nuclear Cooperation Promotion Act of 2006, Congressmen firmly rejected an amendment which was re-introduced as a last minute effort to change the bill. The amendment sought to bring India on board with the United States policy to oppose, Iran's controversial nuclear weapons programme.

The nuclear cooperation agreement, broadly based on what was envisaged by President Bush and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, would lift three-decades-long restrictions and allow the US to sell technology to assist India's civilian nuclear sector. In return, India would open up civilian nuclear plants to international inspection.

Of the six amendments offered by the Congressmen, four pertaining to the sense of the Congress were adopted while the other two which were termed ''killer proposals'' or ''deal-breakers'' were defeated by the House.

The Senate is expected to approve the legislation before it is sent to President George Bush to be signed into law. Supporters of the deal hailed the legislation as ''opening of a new era of strategic cooperation between two democracies, India and the US'' which would allow India to jump-start its search for alternative source of energy.

''This will be known as the day when Congress signalled definitively the end of the Cold War paradigm governing interactions between New Delhi and Washington,'' US Representative Tom Lantos, the top Democrat on the House of Representatives' International Affairs Committee, said before the vote.

He said passage of the bill would launch ''a new era of mutual respect and cooperation. Historians will regard what we do today as a tidal shift in relations between India and the United States.'' Mr Lantos, who was instrumental in drafting the House version of the bill, said during the debate on the bill ''Our legislation represents a non-proliferation victory for the United States. As part of the agreement, India has committed to continue its moratorium on its own nuclear tests. It will also adhere to international nuclear and missile control restrictions, and India has agreed to place its civil nuclear facilities for the first time under international safeguards.'' He went on to say ''this is not a perfect agreement. No agreement between two sovereign nations can ever be perfect because the agreements arise from hard negotiations. Compromise was necessary on all sides. But we must not let the siren song of perfection deafen us to this chance for dramatically strengthening an important and valued ally.'' New York Democrat Joseph Crowley said the accord will help solidify India's commitment to non-proliferation. ''We need to find a way to bring India into the tent of non-proliferators as she has always been a non-proliferating country. She has never once proliferated beyond her borders, unlike some of her neighbours,'' he said.

Mr Crowley said, ''Today we have begun the process of positively redirecting our relationship with India, a move that will bring both our nations closer and cement a critical partnership that will continue for decades.'' He described today's vote as ''a strong indicator of support to the goal of achieving a strategic and economic alliance between the world's largest democracy and the world's oldest democracy.'' 'I must also recognise the Indian American community for its incredible advocacy work done to educate members of Congress on the importance of this agreement,'' he said.

Detractors said, however, the US failed to obtain strong assurances from India regarding its nuclear programmes and fissile (bomb-making) material production. They are not convinced that India can be trusted to safeguard critical atomic secrets, or to refrain from using atomic material to gain an edge over neighbouring rival power, Pakistan.

Notable opponents against the deal were: Ed Markey Democrat of Massachusetts, Ohio Democrat Dennis Kucinich, Howard Berman Democrat from California, Brad Sherman, Democrat from California and Barbara Lee, Democrat from California. Ohio Democrat Dennis Kucinich said the agreement undermines the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). ''We are moving in the wrong direction. At this time of great crisis in the world, we should look towards nuclear disarmament, nuclear abolition, saving the world, not ramping up for Armageddon by nuclear proliferation,'' he said.

Florida Republican Ileana Ros-Lehtinen noted that the legislation underscores the need for India to help work against Iran's efforts to acquire a nuclear weapon capability.

Under the proposed deal, the United States will aid the development of civil nuclear power in India in return for New Delhi placing its civil nuclear facilities under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspections.

Critics also argued that the deal ''makes mockery of the world's nuclear non-proliferation regime.'' The extra nuclear fuel that the deal would provide, they said, could free India's domestic uranium for use in its weapons programme. Pakistan and China could respond by increasing their nuclear stockpiles.

The House version of the bill also required the agreement to be submitted to a second vote after the Bush administration sent the text of a final agreement to Congress.

Similarly, the Senate must approve not only its own version of the House bill, but also hold a second vote before the cooperation agreement can go ahead.

A US president could stop nuclear transfers if India exports equipment or technology in violation of international guidelines, or the international Missile Technology Control Regime. Congress would also receive extensive annual reports on compliance, including an assessment of whether India has used any civil nuclear assistance to enhance its weapons programme.

UNI

Related Stories