New Delhi
23 October 2007
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday took time off from his
busy schedule to discuss the state of play of the nuclear negotiations with a visiting
delegation of Indian-Americans.
The Prime Minister did not tell the delegation that the nuclear deal is off, as is being
demanded by the Left parties. He assured the delegation that his government was trying
to work its way through the domestic opposition to the deal.
The message from the Prime Minister's Office to the Indian-Americans who called on him
on Tuesday evening was that the nuclear deal has only been paused, not stopped, and
that efforts are on to iron out differences with the Left parties.
The delegation comprising office-bearers of the US India Political Action Committee
(USINPAC) and representatives of other Indian-American organisations is visiting New
Delhi for a first-hand account of the status of the nuclear deal.
It has held discussions with the Congress party and the US Ambassador to India David
Mulford. The delegation hopes to interact with the Left parties, the BJP and a nascent
Third Front before concluding their visit to India.
When contacted, USINPAC Chairman Sanjay Puri told this newspaper that the delegation
is on a fact-finding mission. It will report back to the members of the US Congress and
the Senate, who they have lobbied for smooth passage of the deal.
"We enlisted their support for the deal but the uncertainty and confusion surrounding it is
making them ask questions. The Indian-American community wants answers too,
because it has put in money and time into lobbying," Mr Puri said.
He feared that the US lawmakers could accuse the Indian-Amercians of crying wolf if their
support was sought again on issues like India's quest for a permament seat in the
United Nations Security Council. "Nobody will believe us [in future]," he said.
Some members of the delegation had met with US Assistant Secretary of State for South
Asia and Central Asia Richard Boucher before coming to India. Mr Puri said that the
delegation will hold a briefing for the US lawmakers upon their return to the US.
Sources said that the Indian-Americans, numbering about 25 lakh in the US, have
invested human, political and financial capital into lobbying Capitol Hill to support the
proposed India-US civil nuclear cooperation agreement.
With over 100 billion dollars are riding on the nuclear deal, the Indian-Americans, having
close links to Corporate America, want to ascertain the state of play of the negotiations
and report back to the Congressmen and women with their findings.
The Left parties's opposition to the nuclear deal has made the US corporates and
lawmakers impatient and the Indian-American delegation hopes to take back answers to
the questions they have been posed by the US lawmakers.
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