THE Left parties had opposed the Indo-US nuclear deal because it was an agreement which would have compromised India’s strategic autonomy and independent foreign policy.  It was a deal initiated by the United States to get India aboard on a military and strategic alliance. It had no real value for India’s energy security.

More than a decade later, events have confirmed this. There has been no expansion of even a megawatt of civilian nuclear power in the country. All that has happened is that India has become a subordinate ally of the United States with close military ties.

The Left parties took this stand keeping in mind the concern for India’s sovereignty and strategic independence. It had nothing to do with China. The Left parties took such a stand even though China eventually supported the exemption given by the Nuclear Suppliers Group to India.

The comments in Vijay Gokhale’s book of China influencing the Left on this matter are completely baseless.  Probably, he does not know that the major opposition party at that time, the BJP, had also opposed the nuclear deal in parliament.