PRAGOTI

In a shameful move, the pussyfooted, US-business-and-power-worshipping Congress led government of India has laid the stones for yet another grave injustice a la Bhopal; this time in a potential future Chernobyl or a Three Mile Island like nuclear disaster possible in sites featuring imported reactors from the United States.

Accompanying George Bush's presidential determination on Indo-US civil nuclear cooperation were documents that clearly laid out the fact that most of the clauses in the 123 agreement were actually in conformance with the notorious Hyde Act. Be it reprocessing rights or the condition on Iran, the US has interpreted whatever agreement it has made through the 123 with India to be suited exactly with the Hyde Act, putting paid to the Indian government's defence that the Hyde Act has no validity or influence over the 123. It makes immense sense therefore to discard the 123 agreement now, as there exist clear cut cases of violation of understanding or at-least deliberate misunderstanding between the two nations over nuclear cooperation. The Left parties, particularly the CPI(M) which was at the vanguard of the opposition to the 123 agreement, come up with a statement in the context of the presidential determination affair in the US. Attached also are the documents that accompanied the presidential determination.

The following is the text of the statement sent to the United States Congress for approval,by US President. The letter gives full detail of the US administration's determination to overturn the clauses of the signed 123 agreement.

Vijay Prashad addresses a western audience and explains the work of the Left Front in India over the past years vis-a-vis carving a space in the mainstream polity, addressing and articulating peoples' issues, the Nuclear Deal issue and the changed political situation since 2004. Article courtesy: Counterpunch magazine.