Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is desperately trying to salvage anuclear deal with the United States that would give his country accessto nuclear fuel and technology for its power plants, despite itsrefusal to sign the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty. Mr. Singh saysalthough there is some political opposition in India to the deal, hehopes to take a positive message to President Bush when he meets himnext week at the G8 summit in Japan. VOA's Ravi Khanna has more.

Manmohan Singh (file photo)

OnMonday, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh issued a public plea to hisleftist allies in parliament to let the deal move ahead. He wants tofinalize an agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agencybefore he goes to the G8 summit next week.

That agreement would mandate international inspections of India's civilian nuclear facilities.

After that, he says he will present the deal to Parliament, before it goes to the U. S. Congress for final approval.

"We have to go to the IAEA to get an India-specific (nuclear)safeguards agreement. Then we have to go to the Nuclear Suppliers Groupto relax their present restrictive attitudes toward trade with India innuclear materials," PM Singh said.

But communist lawmakers like Prakash Karat oppose the deal. 

"Thebilateral agreement negotiated with the United States administrationwill bind India into a strategic alliance with the US with long termconsequences," Karat said.

The communists say if the deal goes ahead, they would not support the ruling coalition in a no-confidence vote.  

Reports from New Delhi say Mr. Singh is trying to win the support instead of opposition parties.  

South Asia expert Walter Andersen, at the Johns Hopkins University, says he understands Mr. Singh's urgency.  

"Somethingliterally has to be done in the next week or two for the present U.S.Congress to take it up before the next Congress sits on January the20th. And the next Congress may be less friendly (toward the deal) thanthe present one," Andersen said.

He says if opponents in Indiacontinue to delay, time could run out and there will be no deal atall. He says the chances of a new U.S. administration approving thedeal are slim.

"Would a newadministration of Barrack Obama or John Mccain be as enthusiastic?Neither one has shown the same kind of interest that George Bush hasshown," Andersen said. "And in fact Obama has shown more interest in nuclearnon-proliferation measures."

In Washington, SenateForeign Relations Committee Chairman, Joseph Biden said Monday, ifIndia gets IAEA approval, he will work hard to get the deal approved.  

SouthAsia specialist at the Woodrow Wilson Center, Dennis Kux, says India'sfailure to clinch the deal could raise questions about its future as agreat power.

"This wassomething the government of India negotiated, the government of Indiagot what it wanted and then it does not appear to have the fortitude topush it through. That does not put India in the best light," Kux said.

Kuxsays considering India's growing economy, the country needs power, andthe deal will provide India not only with power, but clean power.