Liability sharing

This prime ministerial diffidence is becoming a problem,as the nuclear liability bill is put on hold

In a sudden climbdown,Manmohan Singh has indicated that his government is ready to retrace its steps on the civil nuclear liability bill. The bill is now being seen as too hot to handle,with clauses that appear to unfairly cushion American suppliers and place most of the burden of legal liability,in case of an accident,on the government. Opposition parties have been relentless in their attack,and a cowed UPA could not even introduce it in Parliament.

Without his partys solid backing,the prime minister risks appearing like a feather for every wind that blows. It should go to the standing committee where all possible divergence of opinion can be resolved, said Manmohan Singh. In effect,the bill will be put on ice for another session. Harmonising opinion is a fine thought,but one that the Congress has traditionally sucked at. The partys discomfort with the opposition is palpable. It holds them at a stiff distance instead of drawing them into consequential conversations on policy that matters. After all,if properly handled,the nuclear liability bill is a purely technical issue,with little room for ideological polarisation. Instead of putting in the political legwork to share the bills contents with the opposition and persuade them of the patent need to push it through,the Congress dithers and stalls. By forcing the PM into this embarrassing two-step,it undermines his office. After all,this bill would finally cap Manmohan Singhs biggest labour,the Indo-US civil nuclear deal that he staked his government on. Surely it was worth expending some political capital to ensure that the nuclear liability bill doesnt lose momentum at this last stage.

There was reason to expect that things should be different with UPA-II,with its clear mandate. The PM,however,looks even more tremulous and cautious this time unlike that display of steel during the nuclear bill. Manmohan Singh can no longer get away with appearing to constantly defer to

his partys political calculus. This backtracking has made him look as bad as his party.