Ronen Sen is a diplomat, and one of the best at that. He has also been part of an extraordinary negotiating team, which reasoned, persuaded and cajoled the tough US negotiators over the last two years, to extract from them in the detail what had been agreed to in framework at the highest political levels in both countries. This was to be done within the red lines laid down by the prime minister through his assurances to Parliament, and in consultation with them.

Of all the countries in the world, an exception was to be made for only one, India. Though India alone and steadfastly refused to accept the inequalities of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, technology and other sanctions imposed at the instance of the US by 44 other countries which had nuclear capabilities, were to be lifted, impacting not only the nuclear sector but other high-technology sectors as well. Thereby, India was to be enabled to participate in the nuclear trade and commerce, from which she had been cut off for 30 years. The team had to achieve this while keeping India’s strategic nuclear programme unaffected. (It is important to remember that it is not just the US that does not approve of our nuclear weapon programme, but many of our “friends” in the developing world have refused to acknowledge India as a nuclear weapon state. And of course, China.)

Even with India’s inherent strengths, such a task was breathtakingly daunting. It was accomplished by the team, which includes our ambassador to Washington, Ronen Sen, with élan and distinction — as even some of the more graceful members of the opposition parties acknowledged, at first. That there would be doubts, apprehensions and requests for clarification was expected, if only to check whether the PM’s assurances to Parliament had been kept. However, the reactions, actions and counter-reactions snowballed into a political controversy — where it was not clear, to the public, at least, of whom I am one, whether the intention of the critics was to destroy the deal or the government itself or both. In this politically tense situation, what appears to be a report of a conversation on telephone between our ambassador in Washington and a journalist hit the headlines.

... contd.