The Hindu : National : Denial of global technology is denial of future: Rahul

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Denial of global technology is denial of future: Rahul

Gargi Parsai

NEW DELHI: Inflation is an issue, but the India-U.S. nuclear agreement will be one of the main planks of the Congress in the coming elections.

This became clear with most of the speakers, including AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi, in a one-day orientation workshop for Congress spokespersons here on Wednesday, asking the participants to propagate the benefits of nuclear energy across the country.

Mr. Gandhi, who strongly defended the deal during the debate on the trust vote in the Lok Sabha, said there could not be a disconnect between international technology and India. “If you deny now, you deny the future.”

Saying there was a social cost to thermal and hydropower, he pitched for nuclear energy, which, he argued, would create direct and indirect employment. He said the government was visualising an energy crisis in 20 years from now and was taking steps to tackle it. The Congress was bold enough to go ahead with the India-U.S. agreement, the results of which would be seen in another 15 years.

Congress leader Shakeel Ahmed allayed fears of Muslim opposition to the nuclear deal.

The participants raised several questions with experts and Mr. Gandhi on the deal. There were concerns about the impact the deal would have on India’s independent foreign policy, the availability of human resource and whether India would be free to conduct nuclear tests.

The speakers included External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan, Adviser to the Prime Minister on the nuclear deal Shyam Saran, Kirit Parekh of the Planning Commission and scientists G.R. Srinivasan and S.A. Pandit.

Other questions revolved round inflation, price rise and the Amarnath land controversy.

Finance Minister P. Chidambaram spoke on economic growth and inflation, while the former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad made a presentation on the issue surrounding allocation of land for the Amarnath shrine board and revocation of the order.

Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh gave a comparison between the tenure of the UPA government with the NDA regime.

According to the chairman of the media committee M. Veerappa Moily, Mr. Chidambaram apprised the meeting of the cause of inflation and the steps taken to hold the price line.

Almost all participants wanted Mr. Gandhi to visit their States and talk about the nuclear deal and inflation. Asked when the prices of essentials would come under control, he said: “Shortly.”

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