SEVERAL security experts and political commentators have underlined the need for the Congress and the BJP to set aside their differences over the nuclear deal and to forge a common front to defeat the communists who, they believe, are undermining national interests. They are not suggesting an alliance or coalition between the two parties?that, in any case, is not possible at this juncture?but a common understanding on broad framework of foreign policy and security concerns so that India can maintain continuity in policies on sensitive and crucial issues. What appears to have provoked several well meaning intellectuals to make almost identical proposals at different forums is the disillusionment with the Left parties? all-out efforts to derail the process of building Indo-US strategic partnership. They bemoan lack of adequate communication between these parties on major issues, particularly Indo-US civil nuclear deal. K. Subrahmanyam, a noted defence analyst went to the extent of urging nationalist parties to forge a common front against the Left parties in Parliament on the issue. This is most unlikely to happen not because there are fundamental differences on the issue between these parties but because of the Congress party'sinherent fear of losing Muslim support if it were seen close to the BJP on any major issue. That partly explains why the Congress never tried to seek BJP support on its policy of liberalisation. The result is a major set back to economic reforms that is perceived to be Dr. Manmohan Singh'sprimary concern.
Although there were sharp differences between the Congress and the BJP in 90s when the Congress ran a minority government under P.V. Narasimaha Rao, the then Prime Minister maintained cordial relations with the leader of the Opposition. Quite often during that critical period, he persuaded the Opposition to bail out the Government on crucial issues. The motivation was not to allow the national interest to suffer at the hands of competitive party interests. This informal arrangement collapsed after Rao used the ?hawala? cases to trap his detractors and critics in the Opposition as well as his own party. During the NDA rule, the Opposition didn'trespond to Government'sattempt to build national consensus on major security issues. Pokhran II was a bold and strategic move that called for national consensus. Unfortunately, several senior Congress leaders bitterly attacked the Shakti tests accusing the BJP of undermining national interests. The criticism was uncalled for as successive Congress Prime Ministers had played a role in building nuclear arsenal and Pokhran II was a defining moment in our post-Independence history. It was the starting point for India to be taken seriously by the international community.
On the nuclear issue, BJP has serious reservation over the manner in which the Government is conducting the negotiations. The party has time and again said that its major concern is the impact the Hyde Act may have on building our nuclear arsenal. It wants to be assured that no provision in the deal would destroy or weaken the integrity of our nuclear weapon programme. However, BJP is equally concerned that nothing should be done that would affect nation'scredibility among the international community. It also wants that the process of Indo-US strategic relations set in motion by it when it was in power should be taken forward. The party is equally interested in liberating India from technology apartheid that has hurt our economy and development for decades. Former National Security Advisor Brajesh Mishra, who played no mean role in the shift in India'sforeign policy during NDA rule, says he is not happy with the manner in which UPA dealt with the Opposition on the issue. He admits that Government kept him informed about the negotiations with US on the deal but regrets that his repeated requests to deal with the political leadership in the BJP was ignored. Recently, the Government has made efforts, albeit belatedly, to reach out to the principal opposition party to address its concerns. US too launched a diplomatic offensive to convince the Opposition of the merits of the deal. It is, however, unclear if these moves would be able to break the deadlock.
Prakash Karat'slatest stand on the deal articulated in a structured speech he recently delivered at Kolkata is revealing. He made it absolutely clear that the Left parties? opposition to the deal is not on technical grounds. Its opposition, he says, is based on its policy to prevent a strategic partnership between US and India to frustrate American design to encircle China. He finds it intolerable that an ?imperialist? power is using a ?bourgeois? country to hurt the interest of a socialist country. The Communists perceive it their bounden duty to prevent such a catastrophe. Those who are aware of Communists? track record are not surprised for it is not the first time that the Communists are betraying national causes to serve international communism. They are the one who came up with ideological justification for the country'sPartition and followed it up by blaming India when Pakistan attacked Kashmir in 1965. The communists were out of sync with the national mood during the Quit India movement and sided with British imperialism to serve the cause of erstwhile Soviet Union. Pro-China elements in the CPI opposed the Government in the wake of Chinese aggression in 1962. It led to a split between pro-Beijing and pro-Moscow factions. The Communists welcomed China'snuclear tests in 1964 that posed a grave danger to our national security but were extremely upset when India became a nuclear power and blamed the BJP for disturbing regional peace and stability by conducting tests. Karat says his party'swould do all in its power to block Indo-US cooperation what to talk of strategic alliance between them. While Communists are worried about American strategy to encircle China, they never blame China for its strategic moves to encircle India. They have not uttered a word of criticism for what Chinese are doing in Tibet to threaten India'ssovereignty and territorial integrity. They see no reason to be concerned about Chinese moves to encircle India by establishing naval bases all around it to monitor its naval movements. Patriotic forces need to join hands to frustrate Communists? dangerous moves.
Those who are aware of Communists? track record are not surprised, for, it is not the first time that the Communists are betraying national causes to serve international communism. They are the one who came up with ideological justification for the country'spartition and followed it up by blaming India when Pakistan invaded Kashmir.
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