NRI push for N-deal
Seema Guha, Thursday, July 03, 2008 03:53 IST

NEW DELHI: While the government is all set to push through the India-US nuclear deal, the Indian-American community, which played a significant role in getting the 123 Agreement passed in the US Congress, is trying to ensure the deal in both the Congress and the Nuclear Suppliers’ Group (NSG) goes through. The Indian-American lobby has already done preliminary work with several of the 45 nations which currently make up the NSG.

“We launched a soft campaign one-and-a-half years ago. But after political complications, we hit the pause button,” says Robindra Sachdev, who spends his time between India and the US. After many false starts, the Indian-American lobby want to ensure that the government finalises the India specific safety agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency before getting into the swing of things.
Work in the NSG is being coordinated by Imagindia Institute, a think tank and lobby group, which promotes the India story worldwide and particularly NSG-member nations. It takes care of the campaign outside the US.

“Imagindia Institute has been making small efforts and running a soft campaign in targetted NSG-countries to energise and activate NRI populations in those countries to engage with their opinion leaders and create awareness about India’s energy needs, and most importantly, about the ridiculous scenario that India is under sanctions by the NSG,’’ says Sachdev.

This lobby plans to hold an event in Vienna, where discussions on the need to get India on board the non-proliferation lobby will be projected. Japan and the Netherlands will also be on the agenda to promote India’s case at the NSG.

Meanwhile, US lawmaker Gary Ackerman, once a part of the India Caucus and a supporter of the N-deal, said in Islamabad that the deal cannot passed by the US Congress during president Bush’s tenure. He arrives in India late Wednesday and will meet the Indian establishment on Thursday and Friday. “The clock has run out on our side of the border, because the clock has run out on their side,” Ackerman, chairman of the House of Representatives subcommittee on West Asia and South Asia, was quoted by Reuters as saying.