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External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said New Delhi was still trying to find ways out of the face-off with the Left parties, who have threatened to end support if the deal is pursued, but did not indicate how a solution could be found.
"No, I have not given up," he said in an interview. "We are working on how we can proceed."
"Of course time is running out," said Mukherjee, who heads a joint panel formed to resolve the dispute between the Government and the Leftists.
"But one cannot help it. Either you lose majority and if a government loses majority nobody is going to have an arrangement with a minority government."
The India-US civil nuclear cooperation agreement aims to allow New Delhi to access American nuclear fuel and reactors by overturning a three-decade ban imposed after India conducted a nuclear test while staying out of the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
It is seen as the centerpiece of a new, strategic relationship between Washington and New Delhi. The government hopes it will help India meet its soaring energy needs.
But its Left allies have rejected the pact, saying it compromises India's sovereignty and draws it into the geostrategic influence of the United States.
The stand-off almost brought down the coalition government in October, prompting the Cabinet to put the deal on hold.
In November, the Leftists softened their opposition amid hectic negotiations and allowed conditional talks with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to conclude a safeguards agreement needed to clinch the deal.
But they made yet another turnaround last month and asked the government to stop negotiations with the IAEA or prepare for elections, which are otherwise due in early 2009.
Besides the IAEA pact, the nuclear deal must win the approval of the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group and the US Congress, preferably before the US legislative calendar is cramped by presidential polls later this year.
Mukherjee dismissed suggestions that the deal would be on the backburner as the communists could step up pressure after the Congress' poll losses, saying, 'their position is not linked with electoral successes and reverses'.
He also sidestepped questions on a timeframe for concluding the deal, but hoped that negotiations with the IAEA should be completed by the end of this month.
when d deal 1st time discussed in india
when d deal 1st time discussed in india
when d deal 1st time discussed in india
About the nuclear agreement my opinion is that the Goverment of India must release a copy of 123 agreement to the people of India for review. We can do any contract with America but before we sign in it we must think about their agenda of imperialism. Please be more transparent on 123 agreement.We Indian should not be like slaves again
Now is the time for the Government of India to move forward to complete 123 agreement. After Gujarat and Himachal elections, no one from the Government coalition parties including left parties want mid-term election. The senior leadership from Communist parties would not allow young turks to destabilise the Government by resigning,under the circumstances.For the first time the industrialised countries of world are encouraging India to join nuclear club without signing NPT treaty. India needs clean electricity from nuclear reactors for its industry. It would create tens of millions of new jobs.Indian scientists would gain the latest knowledge form the world nuclear scientists regading uranium processing, and safty issuses.Now Government can pass all the economic improvement bills, before the next election in 2009. It would help Govenment to get elected again.
Deal or no deal...one thing is clear that there is a complete policy paralysis at the center. The last thing the people of rising India need is a Govt. unable to lift a finger.
Congress is more dangerous than Leftists. Manmohan Singh, the then Rajya sabha leader, condemned 1998 nuclear test by BJP/NDA govt. Such is his patriotism. No one can trust this man and his Italian master. During last three years, he has lowered the nation's image. People of Bharat has made a terrible mistake in 2004. I hope, they will rectify this worng in next elctions and dump this anti-national Congress. This party has now become Italian National Congress party, it has nothing to do with Bharat.
The Congress Government is already a minority government as far as the Nuclear deal is concerned. Such a government's insistence on the nuclear deal with the United States, in the face of universal opposition, raises questions of integrity and hidden motives of the individuals and leaders of the Congress, who have made no effort to bring out a consensus on the terms of such a deal, a deal which could compromise the future integrity and independent foreign policy of the country. Such conduct only raises more questions about the motives of Sonia Gandhi and her role in this bargain. She having bartered away nation's assets and integrity to criminals like quottrochi, it could very much be suspected that she and Man Mohan Singh are indulging in behind the scene personal deal with foreign governments like USA to barter away India.
Well said Shri Aggarwala. Why Congress want to push a deal, the nation don't want? Congress of Italian woman want to make Bharat subservient to West, de-nuclearise it and make permanent client-state of west. For Manmohan Singh, his chair is more important than the nation.
All these politicians who oppose the nuclear deal should now start giving explanations for load shedding which has started in most of the states. How do they propose to provide the public with cheap power in the near future. Their short sighted policy will start severe energy shortages
We should be ashamed of talking of cheap power, free power, theft of power, subsidised power etc terminologies. Think of ENRON! Do you know how much the nationalised banks have lost to set the plant in working condtion? First better to start to think that you will never get cheap power then load shedding etc will automatically vanish. Power is misused in which ever form. When each unit is charged and accounted then you will understand the meaning. If any govt. has guts to stop the nonsensence of free power, subsidised power to the people, then the advantage of nuclear / gas / steam / solar / wind power. Otherwise many more ENRONS only will be there in this country and poor nationalised banks will be falling sick under NPA's. Orelse poor middle class will suffer and pay from their nose and finally collapse under the weight of power. We fail to understand that the so called oxford /cambrdge trained etc economists do not have little house wife knowledge of economics i.e nothing is cheap. Also they do not understand the words produce,account,use judiously,conserve and finally save. Unless leadership and adminstrotors are made accoutable for each unit of generated/distributed power (with only 5% of transmission losses) then talk of various sources of power. Otherwise in future every risk of politician talking of issue of free power. If the politcal class /leadership, administrators, all highfi talkers and thinkers are charged for this mess then every power is acceptable to the people and price reasonabilty can be justified. Please see the roads, public places, banks, offices you name it, how much power is wasted. Like family planning power also to be planned effectively. Otherwise free power vote banks will mushroom like slums in urban areas. So be caution before supporting or opposing.Then the meaning for power of any kind to the mankind. Untill then don't talk in this country cheap power for slogan sake. You will be trapped in your own cell with out knowing how to come out?
when u know that honey is sweet, no wonder inspite of the terrible risk of being bitten by the honey bees you try your best to steel the sweet honey...yes likewise Indians know very well that Sonia whose role in many scams are a routine job will try to steel the Indian taxpayers' money (honey) to give to some american n-plant construction companies so that she might get "kick-backs" or billions of dollors which are as sweet as honey in your fingers when you lick them.
The following points are worth noting:-1.The Congress party had aleady thrown in the towel,earlier.2.It is pursuing due to the arm-twisting of the USA,against which MM Singh,Pranab Mukherjee etc are helpless and weaklings.3. In both the Houses of the Parliament ,the Congress party,the servant of the USA,was a minority.4.Despite this,the USA is arm-twisting MM Singh,Pranab Mukherjee et al,with utter contempt for India's traditions and Institutions of Parliamentary Democracy.5.Hence this is CAPITULATION to the USA's INTIMIDATION.6.This is DICTATORIAL,as Democratic norms are being contemptuously flouted.7.This is an extremely dangerous thing,and has grave ramifications as regards the SOVEREIGNTY of our nation,by being a Satellite of the USA.
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