In July 2005, US and India reached an agreement on civilian nuclear energy cooperation which aimed at warming US-India relations, lift the US moratorium on nuclear trade with India, provide US assistance to India’s civilian nuclear energy program, and expand US-Indian cooperation in energy and satellite technology. With this deal US recognized India’s history of imposing voluntary safeguards on its nuclear program. It also recognized that India has a good record on proliferation. Although it is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-proliferation (NPT) treaty, India has maintained strict controls on its nuclear technology and has not shared it with any other country. 

But India’s own political parties, all this time, had been thinking the other way. Some of these have never been happy with the US and now using this nuclear treaty as a weapon, they have raised voice over Indian government’s increasing relationship with the US. In this week, they have asked the government to stall the agreement and demanded an immediate review of all strategic aspects of the agreement  And if it not done, they have threatened mass protests across the country and also a re-look at its relations with the ruling United Progressive Alliance.

The left front is asserting that using this deal, US is putting pressure on India to buy fighter planes, helicopters, radars and artillery involving multi-billion dollars investments of Indian forex reserves. The left front says, this deal for US alone, is a strong “commercial advantage”. 

Pakistan & the deal?

Pakistan though a strong alliance of US since 9/11 happenings, has not received a similar deal on from Washington. Some critics say this apparent U.S. favoritism toward India could increase the nuclear rivalry between these two nations, and potentially raise tensions in the already dangerous region. 
Pakistan is worried that this will possibly feed the Indian nuclear weapons program and therefore weaken deterrence. Some experts feel these two countries, both already nuclear, will now deal more cautiously with each other. Pakistan is already exposed as a proliferation risk. Pakistani nuclear scientist A.Q. Khan’s illicit nuclear network, revealed in 2004, had shocked the world with its trade of nuclear technology. These experts therefore has a reason to worry worry that this US-India deal could even prompt Pakistan to go elsewhere for a similar nuclear deal. 

China & the deal? 

Some analysts feel that China’s rise in the region is prompting US to seek a strategic relationship with India. The US is trying to cement its relationship with India to counter balance China. The US administration is hoping that improving ties with India is the only way to politically deal with China.

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