28 June 2006

Press Statement

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement:

The CPI(M) has serious  reservations and apprehensions  on the basis of the media reports  on the US and India  Nuclear Cooperation Promotion Act of 2006  draft Bill presented before the US  House  International Relations Committee.  A more substantive response will be issued  when the full details are known. 

Firstly, the Bill says  that the presidential waver will “cease to be affective” if India  conducts a  nuclear test.  India’s unilateral moratorium  on conducting nuclear tests cannot be subservient  to such US   conditionalities.  India’s sovereignty on these matters cannot be compromised. 

Secondly,  the Bill makes a specific reference to securing India’s, “full and active participation”  in the US efforts to “dissuade, isolate and if necessary sanction and contain Iran” for seeking nuclear weapons.  This clearly  substantiates the CPI(M)’s apprehensions that through this nuclear deal, USA will arm twist India  to change its foreign policy to kow tow  to  US strategic  global designs. 

Thirdly,  the Bill seeks to  enforce  India to comply  with the Fissile Material  Cut-off Treaty (FMCT) which India had in the past  refused to  sign on the grounds of it being discriminatory. 

Fourthly,  the Bill states that the US president must first determine  that India  and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have “concluded a safeguards agreement  requiring the application of IAEA safeguards in perpetuity.”  This runs completely contrary to the assurance given by the Prime Minister in both the Houses of Parliament that India  will approach the IAEA for safeguards only after  the USA  endorses  the July 18, 2005 nuclear deal. 

The CPI(M) is of the firm opinion that the above  apprehensions  completely contradict  the assurances given by the UPA government to the Parliament and the country that India will not become prey  to  USA’s “carrot and stick policy”. 

The CPI(M) calls upon the UPA government  to uphold India’s sovereignty in all these matters and not  deviate from its stated foreign policy commitments and positions under US pressure.