M A I L B A G

PM must go ahead with the deal

The editorial, “Save the deal: Nation’s credibility is on the line” (Aug 21) and Premvir Das’ backgrounder in the same issue on the Oped Page entitled “Anti-Americanism blinds the Left” provided illuminating reading on the “dialectical” unreason behind the deal.

Having shut their eyes on the challenge of global warming and the obligations and compulsions of transforming countries like India to seek alternative sources of energy, the Left parties are wasting the Union Government’s precious time and enjoying good media coverage. It is a typical case of tail wagging the dog.

However, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is a paragon of patience, tolerance and rare statesmanship. Needless to say, proper vigilance must be exercised on the import of nuclear fuel when the US Congress approves the 123 agreement and nuclear apartheid against India is lifted as cautioned by G. Parthasarathy in his article (Aug 23).

Prof MOHAN SINGH, Amritsar

II

As the Left and the BJP are having a negative approach towards the Indo-US nuclear deal, your editorials have rightly advised them to see reason and act accordingly.

In principle, the Communists are allergic to anything that is American. Similarly, the NDA, which was always ready to cooperate with the US when it was in  power, is now opposing the agreement for the simple reason that it doesn’t want to give due credit to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the deal.

The Prime Minister has rightly said that for achieving 10 per cent growth rate in the economy and to meet the energy demand by 33 per cent, the Centre is committed to the development of nuclear energy. The people are aware of the benefits of the deal and, thus, are surprised over the stand of the Left and the NDA.

Every right thinking Indian supports the Prime Minister in his resolve to pursue the 123 agreement to its logical conclusion. He should go ahead with the deal.

Otherwise, India’s international creditability will be at stake. Let us not give an opportunity to China and Pakistan to laugh in their sleeves.

DILBAG RAI, Chandigarh

III

The deal will help both India and the US. Ideally, any deal of such crucial importance must be  executed after a thorough discussion in Parliament. On issues of national interest, no party affiliation or ideology should come into play.

The government should conduct itself as the proper guardian of national interest. It must eschew ego or false prestige.

No one’s prestige or interest is above the nation. The Opposition, too, should take things in proper perspective and refrain from doing anything that would embarrass the government in the comity of nations and harm national interest.

In the present agreement, if there is nothing cryptic and the benefits of the deal to the nation are crystal clear, the government should take into confidence the responsible leaders of national parties and fully enlighten them about the agreement. Suffice it to mention, the Centre should dispel all doubts and apprehensions first before going ahead with the deal.

HARI OM GOEL, Amritsar

The pangs of Partition I read with interest Kuldip Nayar’s version of leaving his home town Sialkot in 1947 (Aug 12). His experience is not different than that of millions of others who also left their homes in similar or worst conditions. I for one walked on the road littered with bodies, bare footed from my hometown Lyallpur. I crossed the Wagah Border in Amritsar on October 1, 1947. I left India in 1964 as a disappointed young lawyer to seek refuge and a better life abroad. Since then, I never looked back. But then, I have never forgotten to observe fast on every Independence Day for hundreds of my countrymen who were not lucky like me. It won’t be sufficient, as Mr Nayar suggests, for both India and Pakistan to say sorry to each other in their respective Parliaments to bury that painful past. Will it bury the four Indo-Pak wars, Pakistan’s continued demand to occupy Kashmir, the creation of Bangladesh and the rise of Islamic terrorism? A fierce war to eliminate The Taliban in Pakistan and Afghanistan is on. If Pakistan does not behave and forge the hand of friendship towards India, both nuclear India and Pakistan might see some surprises in their region as we all saw in 1947. AMAR CHAND THAKAR, London