New Delhi
22 August 2007
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday sought refuge in
poetry to explain away the rift between the UPA and the Left parties over the proposed
India-United States civil nuclear cooperation agreement. "If winter comes, can spring be
far behind?" he asked.
The Prime Minister, who was addressing a joint news conference with visiting Japanese
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, said he was confident that the "turbulence" over the nuclear
deal will be overcome. He went on to seek Japan's support for the India-US agreement
in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).
Prime Minister Singh was responding to a reporter who wanted to know how, having
earlier said in response to a question about seeking Japan's support in the Nuclear
Suppliers Group (NSG), he proposed to push India's case in the NSG given domestic
constraints and the Left parties's demand that he put all negotiations on hold for the
moment.
"That's a naughty question," Prime Minister Singh told the reporter amid laughter in the
Mughal Room of Hyderabad House, "but I'll try to answer it."
He said: "It is certainly true that we have I think some turbulence in the political air in
Delhi but I am confident we shall be able to overcome it." Then, recalling the quotable
quote from English romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley's "Ode to the West Wind", he
added: "As someone said, if winter comes, can spring be far behind?"
Earlier, responding to a question on India's expectation from Japan on the proposed
India-US civil nuclear cooperation agreement, he said that it was his sincere hope that
Japan will support India in the 45-member NSG so that India can become integrated in
the global strategic commerce.
He said: "India and the United States have reached agreement on cooperation relating to
civil nuclear issues. There are several stages still to be undergone if (pause) rpt (pause)
if agreement is to be operationalised. We have to go to the International Atomic Energy
Agency to get an agreed India-specific safeguards agreement. Then we will have to go to
the Nuclear Suppliers Group to relax the present restrictive attitude to trade with India in
nuclear material and equipment and technology. My sincere hope is that when this
matter comes before the Nuclear Suppliers Group we will have the support of the
Japanese government."
The Prime Minister has not commented in public about the impasse with the Left parties
since he made a statement on the nuclear deal in Parliament on August 13. The Left has
warned of "serious consequences" if the government decided to go ahead with the next
steps of operationalising the nuclear deal with the US.
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