By Seema Mustafa

India’s envoy to the United States, Ronen Sen, is fuming. So much so that he quite forgot that he represents all of India and not just a coterie as the Indian ambassador abroad, and used words to describe critics of the civilian nuclear energy deal, that Parliament has since made him regret. Those who criticised the deal were described by the envoy as “headless chickens” and it took CPI leader D. Raja to gently point out that he was neither a chicken nor headless. Parliamentarians were reminded that 60 years after Independence they were still insecure, words of wisdom that rocked both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, with both the minister of external affairs Pranab Mukherjee and Mr Sen himself regretting the remarks and apologising for hurting the sentiments of the House.

The point is not what Mr Sen has said. The point is why does even a little criticism of the deal drive Mr Sen, national security adviser M.K. Narayanan and Prime Minister Singh mad? Why is it that a hint of opposition has them mouthing words and using phrases that are not usually heard from them, with Dr Manmohan Singh claiming that those who supported the deal were patriots (meaning those who opposed it were not), the NSA wondering at those who opposed the nuclear deal, with “sources” describing the critics as insecure and paranoid, and now Mr Sen setting Parliament on fire with his ill-advised criticism of those opposed to the deal? Why are they taking criticism so personally? After all, it was just an agreement that the Prime Minister reached with US President George W. Bush, and an agreement that the Prime Minister can just as easily drop, now that most of India has made it clear that it does not want this agreement to be signed within the framework of the Hyde Act.

Why this refusal to heed the majority in Parliament? And why the anger against those who are opposing the nuclear deal that goes against the interests and sovereignty of the nation? And if the government is right, surely it should counter the opposition with believable facts and figures, and not by hurling accusations wildly. The note prepared by the government and distributed to the UPA MPs is just a reiteration of the Prime Minister’s assurances to Parliament before the Hyde Act was passed by the US Congress. These assurances have been rejected by Parliament now as being inconsistent not just with the Hyde Act but also the 123 Agreement reached bilaterally between New Delhi and Washington. Mr Sen has merely lent his voice to the cacophony seeking to drown the legitimate criticism of the deal that represents a strategic alliance that the government is firming with the US amidst denials and disinformation.

Shining India is once again being repeated, but this time by the Congress party. Unable to respect the opposition to the deal, the leadership of the party and the government is using a systematic disinformation campaign to attack critics, be they respected nuclear scientists or the elected representatives of the people, and to make out that those opposed to the nuclear energy agreement with the US were either stupid, or brainless, or motivated, or in the pay of “China and Pakistan.” The latest attack on the Left for being close to China, and now, interestingly enough, even to Pakistan, smacks of stupidity or desperation or both. Supposedly intelligent scribes are writing thousands of words seeking to point out to the Left that “even China” has done this, that or the other insofar as relations with the US are concerned. Where is the connection? Except of course, in the minds of the writers, all sharing the same desperation as exhibited by the Congress government since it started becoming clear that the deal might not materialise. At least, not without the government being reduced to a minority in Parliament.

Elections are a certainty if the Congress decides to operationalise the deal. And for those who do not read the printed word, let it once again be placed for the record: the first step towards operationalising the deal is when the government sends a team to the IAEA at Vienna to discuss the safeguards agreement. The 123 Agreement cannot be deemed to have been operationalised, if all that happens is the annual and routine visit by Atomic Energy Commission chief Dr Anil Kakodkar to the IAEA next month. The government knows that if it takes the next step, its term in office is over. And the country will go into a general election within six months.

It is also clear that if and when elections are held, these will be the first since Bofors swept the Congress off its feet where the country will be asked to vote for a major issue: for or against a strategic relationship with the US. It will be the first time, after years, that the people will be mobilised by new political realignments to give their verdict on whether they want India to carry her head high as an independent power, or whether they want her to allow the US that has invaded Iraq, is preparing to invade Iran, to dictate her economic, social and political policies. The campaign will be taken out of Delhi to the villages of India and again only a political novice will insist that the verdict will favour a strategic alliance with the US. The politicians opposing the deal in Parliament know this, even though those in power have still to realise this. India has deep-rooted pride in her sovereignty and will not allow this to be compromised by any power.

Strange kinds of polls are being conducted by television channels. Some have sampled only 500 odd voters in the big cities to reach the conclusion that India wants the nuclear deal. Senior Left leaders are being brought on to television to be pilloried. It is a strong campaign, as strong as it was when the NDA was insisting that India was shining. But the polls proved the spin masters wrong, and the BJP-led government was ousted from power. Today, when the campaign against the nuclear deal and a strategic alliance reaches rural India the verdict will shock the Congress party. The majority of the people will not support the deal, and the Congress that is currently isolated in Parliament will be isolated by the people as a pro-US party. The coterie around the Prime Minister and the Congress president does not realise this, or does not want to realise this, but there are the silent Congressmen who have begun to see the writing on the wall.

A hint of the campaign that will hit the streets once elections are certain, was visible during the short debate in Parliament for the recall of Mr Ronen Sen. Interestingly, Mr Sen sought to protect himself by saying he had not used the term headless chickens for the MPs but for the media! These words would have, even ten years ago, elicited a strong reaction from the journalists who would have insisted on an apology. Today, this attack is met with silence from the journalists who have long since sacrificed their freedom and independence for crumbs from the Establishment.

The fundamental questions remain: why are all of them so desperate to protect a deal that no one wants? Is a deal with the US more important than the government? Is the government more important than the nation?

- The Asian Age (Aug. 25, 2007)

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