"When a nation is on a rising trajectory it is under intense scrutiny in the international community in all fields of its endeavour – political, economic, strategic and military. More importantly its political apparatus and whether that political apparatus and its leadership exercise political propriety in the nation’s governance is under still more closer scrutiny. Political credibility of a nation flows from this and……this would determine crucial decisions on political and economic policies that key global powers would adopt towards India.” So wrote this columnist on November13, 2005.

Nearly three years down the line India’s global image stands battered not only by the Congress Government’s political timidity in not facing the blackmail by Indian Communist parties on the Nuclear Deal issue but far more by the ongoing political circus in New Delhi in which the Congress Party and its (Dis)United Progressive Alliance partners are running around like scared hares jittery of facing an early General Election if the Government falls over the Nuclear Deal.

In the last three years one has at regular intervals brought out in this Column the political and moral delinquencies of the Government in power. The Congress Party and nor its motley crowd of political allies seemed to be sensitive as to the continuing erosion that was taking place of India’s global image as a result of their actions.

So what is the picture today after four years of mis-governance? The Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh as per media reports has threatened to resign if the Nuclear Deal is not pushed through to the IAEA as time is running out on the finalization of the Deal. For the first time , it is reported that the Congress President Mrs. Sonia Gandhi has for the first time put her weight behind the Prime Minister despite some contrary voices within the Congress Party itself.

Rattled by the above development, the major Communist Party, the CPI(M) has once again threatened that it would bring about the downfall of the Congress Government by withdrawing support of the Leftist combine. In this Column, one had written that the Indian Communists indulge in a lot of barking but do not dare to bite enjoying their proxy political power without accountability.

Rattled also are the other coalition partners of the Congress fearing that this time the Congress Prime Minister has hardened his stance for a change and either he pushes the Nuclear Deal through to the IAEA or puts in his resignation in case it is delayed once again to appease the Communists. On both counts the Congress Government’s continuance in power is endangered. It could lead to early General Elections something which the (Dis)United Progressive Alliance is jittery to face. This also stands discussed in an earlier Column

The Prime Minister is also reported to have threatened that in case the Nuclear Deal is not pushed through to the IAEA he would not attend the G-8 meeting scheduled next month in Tokyo as India’s international image would have been greatly impaired by all that is happening and that it would be greatly embarrassing for him as he had invested so much of his personal prestige on the finalization of the Nuclear Deal.

The major issue at stake today is not the merits or demerits of the Nuclear Deal with the United States but the larger question as to whether the Congress Party and the political coalition with questionable credentials that it cobbled in 2004 are fit to lead India even for the remainder few months of their remaining tenure, leaving aside their prospects to lead India after the next General Elections.

At the time of concluding this Column, the Leftists are continuing with their brinkmanship with the Congress Government conscious that they have nothing to lose and the gains that they are looking for in terms of the next General Election is basically “communal”, namely to garner more support from their Indian Muslim vote banks who oppose any strengthening of India’s strategic relations with the United States.

Finally, the question that India must ask on the verge of the next General Elections is that with India’s global image being so badly battered by a callous political combine as the one at present, oblivious of the fallout of their actions, can they be entrusted with the governance of India for another term

June 29, 2008

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