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The corporate media is full of paeans of praise for the Indo-US Nuke Deal which according to them represents a brave new world of civilian nuclear technology “transfer” and “trade” between the U.S. and India. The ‘123 Agreement’ between India and the US is being discussed in Parliament today. What a shame that on the eve of the 60th anniversary of Indian Independence, the UPA Government is going all out bind India in perpetuity to a humiliating Deal that is a blot on India’s sovereignty and hard won Independence.
Let us recap what the Nuke Deal really implies for India:
· Threat of US disruption of fuel supply will affect India’ sovereignty: A key section of Article 5 of the 123 Agreement permits the United States unilaterally to disrupt future fuel supplies to India and the only consequence of such a disruption for the U.S. under this unequal agreement is that... it will convene a meeting of other NSG nations! India will be forced to bend to US’ dictates on foreign and domestic policy under threat of disruption of fuel supply.
· Threat of US Military Intervention in the Name of “Return’ of Materials: Even more dangerously, the agreement in Article 14 grants the U.S. a unilateral right at any date “to require the return by the other Party of any nuclear material, equipment, non-nuclear material of components transferred under this Agreement and any special fissionable materials produced through their use....
The “right of return” section even goes so far as to allow for “the removal from the territory or from the control of the other Party” of this equipment and materials rather than the return. Isn’t this a clear authorization of a physical military intervention by the US in India, in the name of confiscating equipments and materials?
· Nuke Deal is subservient to US Laws: Manmohan Singh claims that the Nuke Deal is an international treaty and so does not need ratification from Indian Parliament. But the United States Supreme Court has held that as a legislative act of the US, even one passed subsequent to a treaty, can override an international treaty! India’s 123 Agreement, unlike the parallel US Agreement with China, contains no safeguard against the over-riding of it by the US’ Hyde Act or any subsequent legislation. Contrast India’s 123 Agreement with Article 2.1 of the parallel agreement the United States negotiated with China in 1985 which states:
“The parties recognize, with respect to the observance of this agreement, the principle of international law that provides that a party may not invoke the provisions of its internal law as justification for its failure to perform a treaty.”
The U.S.-Indian agreement contains the identical language in its Article 2.1, except that the italicized sentence does not appear. The failure of the Indian negotiators to obtain recognition of the elementary international law principle that U.S. obligations under the treaty cannot be superseded by U.S. domestic legislation speaks only to a colonial lack of self-respect.
Clearly according to the Agreement, the U.S. openly gains the power to threaten to deny ongoing fuel supplies (and even the forcible removal of supplies previously given) in order to control future Indian policy. Is this a remote speculation? We must recall that in the 1970s the U.S. unilaterally cut off all fuel supply to Tarapur, in material violation of the previous “123” agreement between the U.S. and India of 1963.
But this is only one aspect of a larger issue. This deal is a part of an ongoing project to absorb India into the U.S. imperial sphere of influence as a “strategic” junior partner.
The recent case of the nuclear powered aircraft carrier Nimitz anchoring in Chennai port followed by the Joint U.S.-Indian naval exercises in the upcoming months in the Bay of Bengal point to increased US military presence on Indian soil. The reassurances from Manmohan’s men could not mask the real purpose of USS Nimitz’s presence in Asian waters—to threaten the Persian Gulf with its deadly cargo until war is declared on Iran.
Despite verbal fireworks in parliament, regimes dominated by both the BJP and by Congress have worked with equal commitment to render India a client to the US. Manmohan Singh has issued an insulting challenge to the CPI-CPI(M)-led Left supporters of the UPA Government, challenging them to withdraw support if they dare. His arrogance is emboldened by the fact that in the past three years, the Left, despite occasional barking, has never really applied a bite on the range of anti-people policies peddled by the UPA Government. In fact on matters like the Patents Act and the SEZ Act, the CPI-CPI(M) have cheerfully passed them in Parliament and have displayed full commitment to these Acts.
Will the CPI-CPI(M) fulfil the historic call of the martyrs of 1857 and of Bhagat Singh by going beyond lip service and dramatics, calling a halt to colonial subservience and ensuring the defeat of the Nuke Deal on the floor of Parliament? Will they give a fitting reply to Manmohan’s arrogance by withdrawing support from the UPA Government which has misled the nation and Parliament on the Nuke Deal? Will they expose the hypocrisy of BJP’s opposition to the Nuke Deal by showing up its pro-US colours? Or will it limit itself to a walk-out from Parliament that leaves the field free for the Nuke Deal to be passed? All this remains to be seen.
AISA calls upon JNU students to join a Protest Demo at Parliament Street tomorrow, demanding that Indian Parliament scrap the Nuke Deal. This demo is part of the all-India Protest being observed by the CPI(ML).
CPI-ML's National Protest Day : PROTEST at PARLIAMENT 14 Aug 11 am Jantar Mantar
Reject Indo-US Nuclear Deal ! Resist UPA's Surrender To US Imperialist Diktats !! Defend
1 comment:
Never let these dalal's of power to sign the humiliating nuclear deal.
I believe that the students of JNU fully subscribe to the future implications of such a deal for India.
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