Win-Win Nuke deal and Modi musters US ‘snub’ against Pakistan

What has Narendra Modi achieved by visit of ‘Barack’ and the vice versa?

The breakthrough in Nuclear deal owing to 'personal chemistry' between the two leaders would be virtual life saver for the Americans as this would help create much needed jobs in the US and help grow the drooping US economy.

For India this means ending a three-decade ban on nuclear trade. This means the US and India can engage in nuclear commerce, and cooperate on major international security issues. India actually would provide the US market access for peaceful nuclear technology worth over $150 billion.

Experts say by promoting nuclear energy, the U.S-India Nuclear Deal will ease global demand for crude oil and natural gas thereby lowering oil prices too. In two decades time as the world-wide demand for power will increase manifold, the Indo- U.S. Nuclear Deal will help in the fight against global warming by providing a viable, cleaner alternative for electricity production over coal.

Barack Obama, world’s most powerful President, has played a perfect guest. In the end the joint statement gave in the ultimate mileage the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been trying to achieve vis-à-vis the relationship with the United States ever since he came to power winning a huge mandate.

The biggest take away for Modi from the President Obama’s visit is perhaps more in the sub-continent level context, that is counter terror front against Pakistan than the hyped media reportage about the ‘breakthrough’ in the stalled Nuclear deal – that would unlock billions of dollars in nuclear trade. 

The para 41 of the Joint Statement by both sides stating that both “the leaders reaffirmed the need for joint and concerted efforts to disrupt entities such as Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, D Company and the Haqqani Network, and agreed to continue ongoing efforts through the Homeland Security Dialogue as well as the next round of the U.S.-India Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism in late 2015 to develop actionable elements of bilateral engagement” – actually gives enough reason to the Indian side to take pride about.

If this was not enough, the subsequent portions reading: “The President (Obama) and the Prime Minister (Modi) further agreed to continue to work toward an agreement to share information on known and suspected terrorists” seals the deal.

It’s a real test case of win-win situation for the Modi regime, which is undoubtedly building enough international pressure on Pakistan where both alleged non-state players and state agencies namely the ISI and the military over the decades have given support to terror groups.

Obama endorses 'Chae pe charcha'

This could provoke some heart burns in Pakistan and also certain strong reactions from across the border.

Besides the counter terror front, of course the nuclear breakthrough would mark a major salient feature of the bonhomie.

The new deal resolved differences over the liability of suppliers to India in the event of a nuclear accident and U.S. demands on tracking the whereabouts of material supplied to the country. Apparently till the last minute the official level interlocutors could not thrash out a unanimity and it required one-on-one between the two nation heads to achieve that over Modi’s ‘Chai pe charcha’.

As expected, the Congress practicing politicians and apologists for the grand old party have got busy singing laurels of Dr Manmohan Singh’s initiatives on the same in 2008 when he even staked the very survival of his government and had annoyed the communists. But that’s a history even if on positive realm and since UPA-2, Dr Siingh had failed to carry it forward.

Thus, despite reservations of the anti-Modi campaigners, the incumbent Prime Minister deserves the kudos.

Signaling warmth and determination to take ties to a higher level, Modi has left the gory past of 2005 Visa row much behind. "Meri aur Barack ke bich dosti ban gayi.....hae.(I have able to stuck a personal friendship with Barack Obama...personal chemistry matters)", Modi said

The United States has hailed the Obama visit and breakthrough in the stalled civil nuke deal calling it potentially transitional if not transformational moment for the relationship.

For its part, over the last few years the US has been often frustrated with the slow pace of India’s economic growth especially under Dr Manmohan Singh and typical unwillingness to side with it. A crisis-ridden economy that America is today, the United States views India as a vast market and hopes the potentials would be tapped now.

That is the significance of Indo-US deal.  

"The nuclear deal announced today makes billions of dollars in trade possible for US companies that want to build and invest in India….That creates jobs in the US and helps grow our economy," aptly said Congressman Ami Bera, part of the US presidential delegation to India. (ends)