Hectic lobbying for the Indo-US nuclear deal has begun ahead of the US Congressional hearing, which starts on Friday, for which the Bush administration is preparing aggressively. A number of US lawmakers have called for quick approval of the agreement.

South Carolina Republican Joe Wilson, co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, writes: “India has a sterling record of non-proliferation, a policy of no-first use for nuclear weapons, and the focus of the agreement is to promote peaceful civilian nuclear cooperation. Passage of this measure in an expedient manner will be beneficial to both of our countries.”

A similar letter has already been circulated to all the 435 members of the US Congress, signed by Democrats Gary Ackerman, Joseph Crowley and Frank Pallone as also Wilson and California Republican Edward Royce.

On the other hand, a group of non-proliferation experts have sent a petition to all 535 members of the US Congress, asking them to reject the Indo-US nuclear deal.

The petition has been piloted by the Arms Control Association, which had also sent a petition to the Nuclear Suppliers’ Group, asking them not to grant an exemption to India. The US administration is working towards getting the deal cleared by September 26, since during a meeting with Indian Parliamentarians at the State Department on Wednesday evening, Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice had remarked that after the meeting she was “rushing” to Capitol Hill for consultations with lawmakers on the nuclear accord.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee is scheduled to hear from Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs William Burns on the agreement on Friday. This comes as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is scheduled to visit the US and France between September 22 and October 2, where the civilian nuclear cooperation will dominate the agenda. Singh will go to France and also attend the India-EU summit.

... contd.