The Hindu Business Line : Rajya Sabha debate on Nuclear Deal

Dr Manmohan Singh's Rajya Sabha speech left MPs and eminent scientists who were deeply uneasy about the nuclear deal satisfied and reassured. Nuclear power may or may not be the answer to India's energy needs, but Dr Singh certainly removed the unease about a sell-out, says B. S. RAGHAVAN, terming his speech a notable piece of Parliamentary performance.

The gentle, soft-spoken Dr Manmohan Singh was at his scintillating best replying to the day-long debate on the India-US nuclear deal in the Rajya Sabha on August 17.

It was indeed a newly minted Prime Minister that the world saw, taking on sceptics and critics frontally, and holding them spell-bound with his forceful defence of the deal.

He brought to bear on the measured presentation of his case all the skills of a professional for clinical analysis and his personal qualities of manifest sincerity and courage of conviction.

The impact of the speech was enhanced by evocative personal touches such as his hailing from a family of freedom fighters, and being subjected to vilification as an "American agent" when he launched the new era of deregulation in 1991, some detractors going to the extent of taunting that his Budget was prepared in the US.

The Charge

The charge that opponents to the deal (including myself) had been making was essentially on two counts. The first, as Dr Singh himself put it, "India's strategic nuclear autonomy is being compromised and India is allowing itself to be pressurised into accepting new and unacceptable conditions that are deviations from the commitments made... to Parliament"; and the second, "by engaging in discussions with, and allegedly acquiescing in the demands made by the United States, we have compromised the independent nature of our foreign policy." Dr Singh's exposition was clear-cut, comprehensive and convincing on both counts, leaving no aspect, however sensitive, untouched (See Box).

He was emphatic that India's foreign policy will not become hostage to the global and strategic interests of the US.

Firmly declaring India's unswerving commitment to an independent foreign policy, the Prime Minister was categorical in asserting that, "Our foreign policy is determined solely by our national interests. No legislation enacted in a foreign country can take away from us that sovereign right.

Thus there is no question of India being bound by a law passed by a foreign legislature.

"Our sole guiding principle in regard to our foreign policy, whether it is on Iran or any other country, will be dictated entirely by our national interest."

Consensus and differences

At the same time, he did not fail to point out " the complexities present in an increasingly inter-dependent and multi-polar world," adding, "While we recognise that the United States is a pre-eminent power and good relations with the US are in our national interest, this has not in any way clouded our judgment.

There are many areas of agreement with the United States, but at the same time there are a number of areas in which we have differences and we have not shied away from making these known to the US, as also expressing them in public."

It was altogether a notable feat of a parliamentary performance that left MPs cutting across parties and the eminent scientists who had earlier given vent to their deep uneasiness in an open letter to Parliament with a sense of satisfaction and reassurance.

Nuclear power may or may not be the answer for India's energy needs (justifying all the hassles attendant on the deal merely to increase the installed capacity from less than 3 per cent of the total at present to 10 per cent at the most in the next 20 years), but Dr Singh's speech certainly succeeded in removing the unease about a sell-out.

Even the BJP's somewhat graceless griping must have been for the record and not seriously meant. Nobody in future will dare mistake Dr Singh's mild and modest exterior for weakness or indecisiveness.

In short, the morphing of Dr Singh as a leader who thinks through issues and cannot be pushed around bodes well for a more effective governance in the years still left of the United Progressive Alliance in power, if only he leverages his authority to cleanse the Augean stables elsewhere in the Government.

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