Page 266 - Failure to Triumph - Journey of A Student

Front, whose support was crucial for the ruling United Progressive Alliance to prove its majority in
the Indian parliament, continued to oppose the nuclear deal and he described their stance as irrational
and reactionary. According to The Hindu, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee’s earlier
statement said: “I cannot bind the government if we lose our majority,” implying that United

Progressive Alliance government would not put its signature on any deal with IAEA if it lost the
majority in either a ‘opposition-initiated no-confidence motion’ or if failing to muster a vote of
confidence in Indian parliament after being told to prove its majority by the president. On July 8,
2008, Prakash Karat announced that the Left Front is withdrawing its support to the government over
the decision by the government to go ahead on the United States-India Peaceful Atomic Energy
Cooperation Act. The Left Front had been a staunch advocate of not proceeding with this deal citing
national interests.

On July 22, 2008 the UPA faced its first confidence vote in the Lok Sabha after the Communist

Party of India (Marxist) led Left Front withdrew support over India approaching the IAEA for Indo-
US nuclear deal. The UPA won the confidence vote with 275 votes to the opposition’s 256, (10
members abstained from the vote) to record a 19-vote victory.

IAEA Approval

The IAEA Board of Governors approved the safeguards agreement on August 1, 2008, and the 45-
state Nuclear Suppliers Group next had to approve a policy allowing nuclear cooperation with India.

US President Bush could then make the necessary certifications and seek final approval by the US
Congress. There were objections from Pakistan, Iran, Ireland, Norway, Switzerland and Austria at the
IAEA meeting.

NSG Waiver

On September 6, 2008 India was granted the waiver at the NSG meeting held in Vienna, Austria. The
consensus was arrived at after overcoming misgivings expressed by Austria, Ireland and New
Zealand and is an unprecedented step in giving exemption to a country which has not signed the NPT

and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). The Indian team who worked on the deal includes
Manmohan Singh, Pranab Mukherjee, Shivshankar Menon, Shyam Saran, M K Narayanan, Anil
Kakodkar, Ravi Grover, and D B Venkatesh Varma.

Formal Signing of the Deal

There was speculation the Indo-US deal would be signed on October 4, 2008 when US Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice was in India. The deal was to be inked by Indian External Affairs Minister

Pranab Mukherjee and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. The two leaders were to sign the
deal at 2 pm at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi. But Mr. Mukherjee announced that India would
wait for the US President to sign the 123 Agreement legislation first into law and address India’s
concerns on fuel supply guarantees and the legal standing of the 123 Agreement in the accompanying
signing statement.