US-India Nuclear Pact Runs Into (Surprise!) Politics

Leaders in the US and India agree about a deal that would allow India to buy nuclear fuel and technology from the world market for its civilian energy program. But opposition parties in India question any strategic relationship with the US. Withdrawal of four small communist parties from the coalition with the ruling Congress Party in parliament would trigger a call for elections. Another deadline that threatens the deal is the 2008 US election and the possibility that incoming politicians have little vested interest in the deal. The delays and arguing do not mean the deal is dead yet, reports Somini Sengupta for the New York Times. Instead, feisty politicians in India could be holding out for concessions on unrelated domestic issues, such as improving social programs, enacting price supports for farmers and keeping labor laws intact. On the American side, analysts suggest the big achievement is an improved US-India relationship, which won’t vanish regardless of the outcome over the civil-nuclear deal. Any delays allow the opposition in both countries to gather strength: Opponents in the West worry about any proliferation of nuclear technology, and those in India worry about a loss of control over internal affairs. – YaleGlobal