In fact, NAM has so long desisted from using such language in forums where India too is participating and would have to be consulted before framing a common position.

This being an NPT meeting, India and Pakistan — the two NAM countries that have not signed the NPT — were not there. Among individual countries, Egypt strongly objected to nuclear cooperation between NPT countries and non-NPT members “regardless of the motives declared and the intentions stated” while Iran associated itself to the statement by Indonesia on behalf of NAM, saying that it “fully supports the positions reflected therein”.

Ironically, while the Left has always asked the UPA government to develop a position closer to that of the NAM on pressing nuclear disarmament issues as a mark of independent foreign policy, NAM members have called for upholding the NPT and tightening the screws on countries like India by not showing any exception to the NPT regime.

What is worrying officials here is the growing confidence with which other countries are beginning to make statements that negatively impact the nuclear deal that has been held up for domestic political reasons.

For the past three years since the deal was agreed to, sources said, developing countries have been cautious not to annoy either India or US through any remotely negative statement despite grudging opposition among many of them.

But the first indication that the problem in domestic politics was derailing the momentum built internationally came when Egypt, a key member of the NAM, came out strongly against the exception being made for India at this year’s session of the UN Disarmament Commission last month.

... contd.