The Hindu Business Line : ‘India may face isolation if N-deal not through’

Kolkata, Feb. 3 India may find itself isolated in the global community and may even have to face sanctions if the country does not go ahead with the civilian nuclear deal with the US, according to the External Affairs Minister, Mr Pranab Mukherjee.

Addressing the 176th annual general meeting of the Calcutta Chamber of Commerce here on Sunday, Mr Mukherjee said India should not remain content with being just a part of the global community but must emerge as an important player in the global polity as well.

For this to happen, it would be imperative to ensure food and energy security.

“We cannot depend upon our coal reserves alone for our energy security. In view of environmental concerns, we must think of our future generations,” he said.

Nuclear deal

Referring to the Indo-US nuclear deal he said the “arguments against it are at a level at which computers were resisted in the 1970s and the 1980s”. He added that talks with those opposed to the nuclear deal would continue and “all problems on the energy front will be resolved”.

Mr Mukherjee said the Centre had put in place a policy framework that was “investment and industry-friendly”.

Given the fundamental strengths of the domestic economy and the foreign exchange reserves of the country, there was no reason why the domestic economy cannot growth at 10-11 per cent as projected in the 11th Plan, he said.

He said India was also set to emerge as a hub of economic activity with linkages to the ASEAN region as well as West Asia.

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