Indo -US nuclear agreement controversy

[Nakeeran]

How come noone has yet opened any topic on this burning issue ?

The recent Indo-US nuclear agreement has snowballed into a major crisis at the centre with left parties having taken a diametrically opposite stand . Consequence >>>> an imminent threat to the Congress UPA government & all opposition parties are keenly watching the moves of CPM .

On March 2, the United States and India reached agreement on their controversial nuclear deal. The deal still must be approved by the U.S. Congress. The deal provides India with American nuclear technology and fuel; India, however, does not have to become a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (N.P.T.) and only has to open 14 of its 22 nuclear reactors to international inspections. [See: "Bush Visits South Asia and Offers a Nuclear Gift to India"]

The Bush administration's motivations behind this deal lie in Washington's strategy of convincing India to become a South Asian ally of the United States. The purpose of turning India into a U.S. ally in the region is primarily due to Washington's concerns over the growing power of China. There is recognition in Washington that China will pose a strategic threat to U.S. interests in the future. Nevertheless, Washington also sees India as a stable partner in a critical region. [See: "China's Geostrategy: Playing a Waiting Game"]

It is in India's interests to improve its relations with the United States. There are two primary strategic reasons behind this interest. For one, India faces an ongoing conflict with Pakistan. While weaker than India, Pakistan has received military equipment from China. In addition, Pakistan has become an ally of convenience to the United States. Relations with the United States are now important for Pakistan, especially for its current government of President Pervez Musharraf that keeps a tenuous grip on power. The relationship between the U.S. and Pakistan acts as a controlling factor in Pakistan's conflict with India. As long as Washington keeps control in Islamabad, the chances for conflict between India and Pakistan decrease. [See: "Pakistan: a Geopolitical Crux"]

India's second strategic interest for improving relations with the United States lies in New Delhi's relationship with Beijing. While there is much talk about the improving relationship between India and China, their relationship is still marked by rivalry. Both countries are competing in the energy field, with China seeming to have taken the edge. They have fought a border war in the past, and there is the possibility that the two countries will clash in the future. Therefore, by improving relations with the United States, India gains more leverage in its relations with China.

Additionally, improving relations with the United States does not mean that India has to limit its relationship with China. On the contrary, improving relations with the United States provides India the ability to balance more effectively between the simultaneous pressures placed on it by Washington and Beijing. There is, of course, the concern that by improving relations with the United States, India risks damaging its relations with China. Nevertheless, India has become a strong enough player to pursue its interests in the region, and its relationship with the United States will not prevent it from forging better relations with China if it pursues that foreign policy course.

One aspect of U.S.-India cooperation that has caused unrest in India is how the relationship will affect India's relationship with Iran. While India and Iran were on opposite sides during the Cold War, in the last decade they have improved relations dramatically. The two countries have engaged in joint military exercises, and they also have increased economic ties. However, as India and the United States improve relations, Washington has put pressure on New Delhi to weaken its relationship with Tehran. This has caused much domestic unrest in India, with lawmakers seeing the U.S.-India nuclear deal as placing too many restrictions on India's foreign policy. [See: "India's Interests Collide Over Iran"]

The Bush administration, however, apparently recognized India's interests in this matter and altered its position, stating that India can go ahead with a pipeline deal involving Iran and Pakistan. For instance, on March 4, Bush said in Islamabad, in a statement more directed at Pakistan, "Our beef with Iran is not the pipeline."

India's nuclear deal with the United States will prove valuable for New Delhi. In addition to the technical benefits of the deal, India also gains geopolitical leverage in the region. There are, however, some potential drawbacks to the deal. As India forges a closer relationship with the United States, it will cause China to become more concerned about its neighbor to the west and may cause Beijing to work toward better containment of India. [See: "China's Strategy of Containing India"]

Additionally, as India and the U.S. improve relations, it will also cause concern in Russia, a strong Indian partner. Currently, Russia is India's biggest arms supplier, and Moscow is keen on continuing this relationship for as long as possible. Their military relationship involves not just hardware, but expertise, training and spare parts. As the U.S. and India move closer together, Washington is interested in expanding its access to India's arms purchases. These conditions suggest that India will strike a balance in its defense needs between its steady partner and its new potential ally. This balance might not be easy to maintain, as various domestic factions will be competing with each other in order to gain dominance over U.S.-India and India-Russia security arrangements. As India and China seek energy access in Central Asia -- a region dominated by Russia -- India's close position to Washington may cause Russia to favor China or Japan in upcoming oil and gas exploration and pipeline deals.

http://www.pinr.com/report.php?ac=vi...&language_id=1

Anybody with a better knowledge on this topic , pl enlighten us . Looks like the union govt even may collapse wrf to this agreement !