CPM still beats the Hyde act to berate nuke deal

The CPM Politburo issued the statement a day after the IAEA unanimously approved the India-specific safeguards agreement, which was hailed as “historic” by the Congress.

Other Left parties have already attacked the agreement, saying it does not recognise India’s nuclear weapon status nor does it protect its interests on issues like uninterrupted fuel supply assurances.

The Left parties, which withdrew support to the Government on the issue last month, have been stridently critical of the Hyde Act which they allege would affect India’s sovereignty and strategic autonomy.

The CPM noted that the safeguards agreement has made it clear that 14 Indian civilian nuclear facilities will come under perpetual IAEA safeguards from 2009.

“That the interpretation of the Indian government regarding the corrective measures mentioned in the Preamble of the Safeguards Agreement providing for a check against disruption of fuel supplies does not hold has been made clear by the IAEA,” it claimed.

Citing a statement from IAEA Director General Mohamed El Baradei, the party said it implied that nuclear facilities could be withdrawn from safeguards only after they are no longer usable for any nuclear activity.

“This belies the Prime Minister’s assurance in Parliament that India’s civilian nuclear facilities would be put under perpetual IAEA safeguards only under the strictly reciprocal condition of uninterrupted fuel supply guarantee,” it said.

Besides, CPI(M) added that neither the 123 Agreement with the United States provided any such fuel supply guarantee nor can the IAEA ensure interrupted fuel supply since the Vienna-based body is only a monitoring agency.