Broadly, sources said, the government is keen on impressing upon the Left that it should judge the nuclear deal after the IAEA safeguards agreement has been negotiated. Given that scientists of the Department of Atomic Energy will negotiate this agreement, sources said, doubts over guarding sovereignty ought to be settled if these officials come up with an acceptable document.

Moreover, the government will underline that a safeguards agreement is a must for civilian nuclear cooperation with any country, be it Russia, France or China. This aspect was also addressed in detail through a presentation at the last UPA-Left meeting,

While the safeguards agreement is part of the nuclear deal, sources said, the Left will be told that without this agreement, efforts to expand India’s nuclear power capacity through international cooperation will come to a naught. It may be noted that many top Left leaders have said they were not against nuclear power.

Sources said it is important for Left to realise that to stop India’s cooperation with a multilateral body for the sake of a bilateral agreement will hurt India’s prestige and credibility. The government is open to discuss actual implementation of the nuclear deal, but is against going back on commitments that could show the country in “poor light”.

Despite these arguments, not many in the government are hopeful of a breakthrough. The overall assessment is that the Left appreciates these details but has taken a political — and ideological — call from where it’s showing no signs of retracting.

... contd.