Editorial: Just sign

It is time for the government to say "Enough with pussy-footing", and go ahead with the Indo-US nuclear deal, stymied for many months by a Left that refuses to recognise the national interest. The time window available for pushing the deal through with the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Nuclear Suppliers' Group and the US Senate (in that order) is a small one, and is rapidly closing on India "" especially since there is every likelihood that the next administration in the US will be led by a Democrat, who in turn will be advised by a bunch of nuclear hawks who will not do any nuclear deal with India until it signs the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The change of stance on uranium supplies by Australia, as soon as a new government got sworn in there, is a foretaste of what changes can be expected in Washington with a Democratic president. In other words, India now has the historic opportunity to break through many barriers, and it would be a huge loss to the country if a deal that is in the bag is lost, perhaps for good. Admittedly, it is not as though it will be calamitous for India if the deal does not go through now, or that it will mark the end of fruitful Indo-US diplomacy. But there is no manner of doubt that the deal, if lost, will have negative consequences for India's energy programme and that it will be a serious setback internationally because world leaders will wonder how seriously to take India is as a country.

The government's reluctance to go ahead, irrespective of the lack of support from the Left, is understandable but must now be questioned. Manmohan Singh and the Congress would prefer to not alienate an ally whom it may need after the Lok Sabha elections, due in May. Also, since the BJP too has opposed the deal in its present form, it has been argued that the majority in the House does not support the deal. While the deal itself does not need a Lok Sabha vote, the government has felt that it would be improper to go ahead on such an important issue when the majority in Parliament is not in favour.

However, the fact is that the BJP has watered down its strong opposition to the deal. The Samajwadi party too has indicated that it may be softening its opposition. In other words, more elements in the political spectrum are beginning to recognise that the deal is in the national interest. It should therefore be up to the government to seize the moment and say: We will do what is in the country's interest, and even those opposed to the deal will come round to recognising its merits. The political risk is that the Left will withdraw support to the government, reducing it to a minority. However, the government could continue in office if no one presses a non-confidence vote. Even taking such a vote will require the monsoon session of Parliament to start in July. Any fall of the government once that happens will mean that elections can be held as late as January (the Constitution requires that Parliament meet at least once in six months). It should be worth losing the final four months of the government's five-year term in order to bring to fruition a landmark deal that should have been signed and sealed months ago. In short, the government must take the plunge.