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Left cannot lower guard on nuclear deal: RSP

Vinay Kumar

NEW DELHI: Though the Left parties have forced the UPA government to review its decision to proceed with the civilian nuclear deal with the U.S., the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) on Friday said the danger was far from over and the Left could not lower its guard.

The RSP, which is part of the Left parties supporting the government from outside, said “disturbing signals” were coming from Washington and the Left “should not agree to further proceedings even after the U.S. presidential elections.”

In his address, read out in absentia at the three-day 18th national conference of the RSP which opened here, general secretary K. Pankajakshan said: “If we are not fully satisfied that India is free to pursue its nuclear options without hindrance,” the Left should not agree to the government proceeding further on the deal.

Noting that the RSP was the first to articulate strong objections to the provisions of the deal and the Hyde Act, he said it was also the first to take the position that “if need be the Left must not hesitate to withdraw the support being extended to the government on the single issue.”

The RSP leader cautioned that the government was still “bent” on clinching the deal and taking steps to open negotiations at the level of the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Nuclear Suppliers Group.

In a draft report and thesis on the political situation, the party said the fundamental question was whether India should make its supreme law-making institutions, its security and its very sovereignty subservient to the interests of a foreign nation and accept laws enacted by that nation. In addition to this “is the evil design of the U.S. military-industrial complex to create and grab opportunities in what the U.S. sees as the future Indian nuclear market.”

The draft report said the RSP had time and again raised its differences with the CPI(M) on various issues and programmes and made it clear that the support to the government was not unconditional and would be available only as long as the UPA leadership remained committed to the implementation of the National Common Minimum Programme.

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