Contradicting Bharatiya Janata Party's views on the nuclear deal with the United States, former National Security Adviser Brajesh Mishra has said India should go ahead with the agreement, failing which the country will have a 'severe loss of face' and suffer a setback to its atomic programme.
Mishra, who served in the previous BJP-led government, said the deal should be concluded during the tenure of Bush administration as change of government in the US would make things difficult.
Noting that he had talks with government representatives and scientists, Mishra said he is convinced that the deal will not affect India's strategic programme.
"This deal does not stop us from continuing our strategic programme. There is no doubt about it that there is no bar on India undertaking nuclear tests," he told Karan Thapar's Devil's Advocate programme on CNN-IBN.
Mishra's comments fly in the face of BJP's contention that the deal will impact upon India's strategic autonomy, the country's nuclear military programme and its independent foreign policy.
Though there is no ban on future atomic tests, Mishra agreed that 'exercising that option means a lot of hardships -- economic and otherwise -- because sanctions will inevitably follow.'
'We are not barred from undertaking tests if we are ready to pay the cost of sanctions,' he said and noted that the deal has to be signed 'now' as it will be difficult after change of government in the US.
When asked about opposition to the deal on the premise that it bars India from conducting tests, Mishra said: 'In my view we are not restricted from carrying out tests, and more or less, the programme we had devised before we left the NDA government is on-going.'
Specifically asked whether the government should proceed with the deal despite opposition from BJP and Left parties, he said 'that is a political question. My personal view is that given the harmful effects of not going ahead, perhaps we should go ahead and do it.'
He said failure of the deal will be a 'severe loss of face' for the India both domestically and internationally.
'Having promoted the deal in India and abroad -- after all, our negotiators have been talking to various countries in the NSG -- having promoted the deal so much and so strongly, not to go through with it is a loss of face for the government of India and for India,' he said.
Mishra said the country's three-stage nuclear programme will also 'suffer a setback' if the deal with the US fails.
'Obviously, dual-use technology will not be available to us if we don't go through with this and, of course, it is a setback,' he said.
Mishra pressed for conclusion of the deal during the Bush administration when asked about the prospects of the deal under the next administration if it cannot be completed now.
"The new administration, whether Democrat or Republican, may have some other ideas with regard to this. So, it will become very difficult to renegotiate the treaty and have the same treaty for you to sign,' he said.
Mishra was also of the view that India will have to sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and the option of nuclear tests is bound to be closed.
"CTBT is equal for all. There is no discriminatory treatment in it. Which is why if the other 40-odd countries mentioned in the treaty ratify India can't hold back. India will have to sign it and we will have no argument to go against it," he said.
To a question on Pakistan, he said India should try to have a coordinated approach with the US, European Union and China to try and see that the armed forces are fully with the democratic forces in that country.