Manmohan Singh's Surprise

10

It is too soon to tell whether Manmohan Singh's robust and elegant defence of the Indo-US nuclear deal in last Thursday's debate in the Rajya Sabha marks a turning point in his prime ministerial tenure. Nonetheless, his impassioned address before the Upper House is an event of some significance. Perhaps not since Atal Behari Vajpayee's fiery parthian volley during the no-confidence motion that stymied his thirteen day government in 1996 has any other prime ministerial speech induced an equal sympathy. The prime minister's assertive intervention in the nuclear debate is important given the political background that preceded it. First, through most of the year, Manmohan Singh's isolation within the Congress party hasn't exactly been classified information. It does not take a "mole" to figure this out. In several areas of policy, some in the cabinet and in the Congress fold have had little hesitation in departing from prime....

Indo-US N-Deal: A Partnership for the 21st Century

10

The monsoon session of the current parliament has been brimming with a torrent of farcical activity. As MP's groggily recover from their current obsession of excessively pouring over a raft of 'manufactured' issues such as, the comical treasure-hunt for a mole and fretting over what a breach of privilege means, some urgent domestic and foreign policy issues that deserve parliament's attention are waiting on the anvil. The prospective Indo-US nuclear deal of civil nuclear energy cooperation is one such pivotal issue. Recently, the US House of Representatives approved the US and India Nuclear Cooperation and Promotion Act 2006 by an overwhelming margin (359 to 68). It now awaits the US Senate's consideration in September. In India, a high-pitched opposition to this deal has been expectedly led by the sanctimonious leftists, an insecure SP and a shrill BJP. While the left's opposition stems from their ideological aversion....