Indian Americans lobby for N-deal

The USPAC hopes to convince parties to forge a consensus on the pact

NEW DELHI: Fearing  that the landmark civil nuclear deal may be on hold permanently, a powerful Indian-American lobby group has rushed here to try and salvage the pact.

Sanjay Puri, chairman of the US India Political Action Committee (USPAC) and director Robinder Sachdev had worked round the clock on Capitol Hill to convince US lawmakers both Republicans and Democrats to back the nuclear pact and an all comprehensive strategic relationship with India.

Having succeeded in getting bipartisan support for the N-deal in the US Congress, the USPAC is now hoping to convince Indian political parties to forge a consensus on the pact. But they realise that the going will be tough.

But both Puri and Sachdev shy away from admitting they are on a rescue mission.

Instead they say they want to understand the situation in India and why the deal is stuck.

From faraway America this sudden about-turn is all very confusing.

The USPAC  wants to explain  to US  lawmakers as well as the Indian Americans who spent time and energy  to lobby, a first hand account of the opposition to the deal.

"We need to brief our constituency, the Indian-American community, as well as Capitol Hill,'' said Sachdev .

He admitted that the purpose is also to “request, push and nudge the leadership to find a way forward”. He also  added that what is needed is innovative thinking to reconcile differences.