El Baradei visit loses its sheen

NEW DELHI: The Left Front’s opposition to negotiations with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will take the shine off Mohammed El Baradei’s trip to India beginning Tuesday.

In normal circumstances, the IAEA chief's visit would have been a good opportunity for the government to showcase the significance of the landmark civil nuclear deal it has negotiated with the US.

But after Friday’s assurance by Congress leaders to the Left that the government will not push the IAEA negotiations during El Baradei’s visit nothing much can be expected on this front.

El Baradei is a staunch supporter of the India-US pact and agrees with the Bush administrations argument that New Delhi’s entry into nuclear commerce will strengthen the non proliferation regime.

El Baradei is an Egyptian and not known to take dictation from the US. So his approval for the deal would have sent reassuring signals to sceptics in India. But going by domestic political sensitivities, the IAEA boss will be careful not to make any indiscreet remarks about the deal. So, even that advantage will be lost to the government.

The IAEA chief will arrive in Mumbai on Tuesday and  meet the atomic energy establishment. In Delhi, he will call on the PM, NSA MK Narayanan and external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee. Though there will be no negotiations it is certain that when El Baradei is in India there will be informal talks on safeguards.