N-Deal: Left gives nod to Govt for talks with IAEA

“The Government will proceed with the talks and the outcome will be presented to the committee for its consideration before it finalises its findings,” said a statement read out by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee after a 90-minute meeting with Left leaders.

“We have come to an understanding that the government will go to the IAEA. The outcome of these talks will be brought to the committee for its consideration. The text will not be initialed before the committee considers it and gives its findings,” CPM general secretary Prakash Karat said.

The forward movement for the government comes a week after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chaiperson Sonia Gandhi had crucial talks with Left leaders Karat and CPI general secretary A B Bardhan last week when the government sought the allies’ clearance for approaching the IAEA on the condition that it would not initial any agreement.

The safeguards agreement is one of the requirements for operationalising the civil nuclear cooperation agreement with the US, which the Left parties are still strongly opposed to.

The outside allies had been blowing hot and cold in the last few weeks, virtually threatening the government with serious consequences if it went ahead with the deal, an euphemism for withdrawal of support.

The government statement said, “the committee has discussed the implications of the Hyde Act on the 123 Agreement, on foreign policy and security matters. After further discussion it was decided that the impact of the provisions of the Hyde Act and the 123 Agreement on the IAEA safeguards agreement be examined. This will require talks with the IAEA Secretariat for working out the text of the India-specific safeguards agreement.”

Left leaders appeared divided on whether their green signal to the government to approach the IAEA for a safeguards agreement was a change of stance.

While Forward Bloc leader Debabrata Biswas admitted that there was indeed a change in the Left position, CPI general secretary A B Bardhan dismissed such suggestions saying it was a stage by stage process.

Asked whether going to IAEA meant operationalisation of the agreement, Bardhan merely said, “they (government) are saying it is not.”

However, Karat conceded that the Left parties have made a change because of the Government assurance that the text of the safeguards agreement will not be frozen before the Left-UPA committee takes a stand on the matter.

Referring to the discussion in Parliament, the CPM general secretary said the debate would show that the majority was against the 123 Agreement with the US. “All this will help the government to take a correct decision,” he added.