On PM's announcement on Paris Agreement on Climate Change

Date: 
Tuesday, September 27, 2016

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

Prime Minister Modi's announcement that India would ratify the Paris Agreement on Climate Change is both surprising and violative of the assurance that this BJP government had given to parliament.

Soon after the Paris Summit the parliament was assured that India would not ratify the Paris Agreement until the national laws relating to environment, forests and energy are examined in the light of their capacity to implement the various provisions of the Paris Agreement. Parliament was assured that this BJP central government will not violate the "red lines" drawn up by parliament during the detailed discussion following the Copenhagen Summit.

Further, at the recent G20 Summit India had turned down the suggestion that it shall ratify the Paris Agreement. It must be noted that the European Union and many other developed nations who are much bigger source of carbon emissions than India have not yet ratified this agreement. At the Seoul NSG meeting India had linked its membership in the nuclear suppliers group with
the ratification of the Paris Agreement. Earlier in June after the Obama-Modi meeting, Indian foreign secretary informed the media that the process of examining India's national laws was underway and until that is completed there is no question of ratifying this agreement. Likewise recently Niti Ayog head had said that India is not yet ready in terms of domestic actions and hence could not ratify this agreement immediately.

The Prime Minister's announcement now in this background is a clear indication that India is becoming a supplicant of US global strategic interests and has committed this volte face surrendering to US pressure, bartering away India's much needed energy requirements.

The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) strongly denounces this announcement by the Prime Minister as it is not in the interests of India and its commitment to eradicate poverty and provide the required energy for improving the livelihood of the vast majority of our people. Having given earlier assurances to parliament the Modi government must subject this decision of ratification of the Paris Agreement to a parliamentary discussion and approval.