All commitments will be met, repeats Rice, but Left says concerns remain

The Government today said External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee would be making a statement in the House on the issue.

Holding the PM8217;s August 17 statement in the Rajya Sabha as the base, a Left leader said one of the key concerns relates to the requirement for annual reporting. 8216;8216;We don8217;t see the Prime Minister8217;s concern as espoused in Parliament reflected in the text of the final legislation,8217;8217; sources in the Left parties said, pointing out that while the earlier provision for 8216;8216;certification8217;8217; had now been changed to 8216;8216;reporting8217;8217; there was nothing essentially different in terms of the impact it would have.

The Left parties, that have positioned their opposition to the legislation from the standpoint of their anti-US politics, are in touch with nuclear experts even though they said they are not in agreement with all the concerns raised by the latter like the right to conduct more tests, building bombs and strengthening the nuclear establishment.

The concern comes against the backdrop of overwhelming support for the legislation by US lawmakers, where supporters say the requirement now has moved from an annual reporting by the US President to one of certification, and will not cast a shadow on nuclear trade with India that the new legislation paves the way for.

According to the Left sources, who said their formal response to the US legislation will be finalised by Monday, there are also serious concerns about the access to enrichment and reprocessing technology because of the perceived linkages with dual use technology. The sources pointed out that the Prime Minister had highlighted this fact in his August statement and it was important for India to take note of this. As of now, the US does not give enrichment and reprocessing technology to anyone, but after the Left parties raised this issue India also told the US that this had to be made available to India.

The Left8217;s present objections on the provision ought to be set against the view that the enrichment and reprocessing technology is actually being allowed to India, eve though under certain conditions, and this is an exception. In effect, this will mean that India would have the right to reprocess spent fuel as the latest US legislation is silent on the point. India is certain to underline this right to reprocess spent fuel in the 123 bilateral agreement.

Left sources said they have serious reservations that link the deal with extraneous factors 8212; foreign policy, proliferation and Missile Technology Control Regime issues, as also fuel supply. 8220;It is implied that if India violates MTCR, then fuel supply will be stopped. But the PM had also raised this concern and assured Parliament that such binding will not be acceptable to India,8221; Left sources said. They point out that the latest US legislation does not allow any strategic reserve only operational supplies of nuclear fuel. 8220;If the US abrogates on the deal, then everything gets endangered,8221; the sources said.

However, in the Indian establishment there are no anxieties on this count especially after Rices assurance that, 8220;The legislation headed for the President8217;s desk explicitly authorizes civil nuclear cooperation with India in a manner fully consistent with the US-India Joint Statements of July 18, 2005 and March 2, 2006. It advances this key strategic initiative and helps build a solid foundation for the enhanced, multi-faceted relationship we seek with India 8212; a country that is a rising force on the world scene.8221;

For now, the Left has advised caution on the way they perceive the Bill before finalizing the 123 agreement that will make the Bill operational. As the Left sources said, 8220;While we do believe that the concerns about energy security raised by the government are genuine, but we should not commit ourselves to a position on a nuclear issue that will hold us hostage to the US.8221;