With the government readying to operationalise the Indo-US nuclear deal, Aditi Phadnis juxtaposes the common Left arguments with the official position.
A. The nuclear cooperation agreement should not be seen in isolation from the overall strategic tie-up with the United States -- the Logistics Support Agreement, the steadily escalating joint exercises and the inevitable demand that India purchase expensive weaponry from the United States ties India to the US.
Government: India has its own sovereign tendering and purchase systems. Interoperability of defence services -- which is what the Logistics Support Agreement is all about -- is the requirement of the day and boosts the ability of the armed forces to deal with common threats.
B. The bilateral agreement is bound by the Hyde Act. The Hyde Act is a "national law" which is there, at present, and will be there, in the future.
Government: The US has its national laws, as does India. This does not make Indian laws applicable to the US, or vice versa.
Image: File photo shows a US F-15C fighter jet escorting an Indian Air Force Mirage 2000 fighter during a joint Indo-US air exercise.
Photograph: US Defence Department/AFP/Getty Images
Also read: Coverage: Indo-US Nuclear Deal
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