A group of experts on South Asian issues have asked the US Senate Majority leader Harry Reid to quickly schedule the Indo-US nuclear deal for a vote, saying a failure to get a legislative nod for the accord would mark a setback to the strategic ties between the two nations.
In a letter to Senator Reid, against the backdrop of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee marking up the Bill of Approval to the US-India agreement by a whopping 19 to 2 vote, the Group of South Asia hands termed the issue as the "most vital to the future of the Indo-US relationship".
"No issue is more vital to the future of the US-India partnership than this legislation... Now that the hard work of negotiating has been done, both bilaterally and internationally, it is essential to seize the moment and pass the implementing legislation," the Group said.
A failure on the part of the Congress to take final action over implementing the agreement, the letter said, would be a severe setback to the strategic gains both the US and India hope to gain from their partnership.
"It would also put US industry at a deep disadvantage, now that other states can freely participate in civil nuclear cooperation with India," it said pointing to the business aspect of the civilian nuclear agreement and its importance for American firms.
"This is the time to move forward, decisively and fast. This agreement is too important to be defeated by letting the clock run out," the writers said.
Among those who initiated the letter are Walter Andersen of the Johns Hopkins University, Harold Gould of University of Virginia and Ashley Tellis of the Carnegie Endowment.
