The Hindu : National : PMO obsessed with nuclear deal: Natwar

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Saturday, Feb 23, 2008
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PMO obsessed with nuclear deal: Natwar

S. Rajendran

Bangalore: The former External Affairs Minister, K. Natwar Singh, has said the ‘obsession’ of the Manmohan Singh government with the India-U.S. nuclear deal has damaged the national consensus on foreign policy and the onus now was on it to rebuild it.

Mr. Natwar Singh, who quit the Congress and his membership of the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, told The Hindu here that “the nuclear deal has for the first time in 60 years damaged the national consensus on foreign policy and to rebuild that consensus is the duty and responsibility of the government. The Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of External Affairs are obsessed with the nuclear deal. In the bargain we also seem to have lost interest in managing good relations with our neighbours.”

He said it was also regrettable that the Prime Minister and the External Affairs Minister “keep repeating that the nuclear deal will be approved by the UPA government. The UPA government is in a minority in both Houses of Parliament. What can we say if the government wants to disregard Parliament? ”

This had relegated to the background other important issues relating to foreign policy. “We have lost interest in the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline. So too Iraq, about which no statement has been made for many months. India has an important role to play in world diplomacy, although it does not mean that we have to pursue an aggressive policy.”

Secondary role

Mr. Natwar Singh said that in the last few months, the Prime Minister had assigned “a secondary role” to foreign policy. The composite dialogue with Pakistan, which had made headway between 2004 and 2006, “just withered away,” he said.

“We cannot be indifferent to what happens in our neighbourhood. The situation in Pakistan at the moment is very fragile, and all well-wishers of Pakistan hope that the transition from military rule to democracy will be smooth,” he said.

Pakistan scenario

He welcomed the decision taken by Pakistan People’s Party leader Asif Ali Zardari and Pakistan Muslim League (N) leader Nawaz Sharif to work together.

When the new government was formed, Mr. Manmohan Singh should call up his counterpart and seek to strengthen bilateral relations.

“The new government in Pakistan should tackle terrorism with a firm hand,” he said.

On the relationship with other neighbouring countries such as Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, the former External Affairs Minister said it was “similar to Pakistan.”

“We have to take greater interest in the well-being of our neighbours. We seem to have lost interest all because of the focus on nuclear deal.”

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