New Delhi: The diplomats pursuing the 123 Agreement feel that there is plenty of a sideway to maneuver. However, the government will quietly follow its own nuclear course.

“The operationalisation of the deal will take into account only the committee’s findings,” said, Pranab Mukherjee, External Affairs Minister.

The Left wanted the government to take a pause, but the government will move slow for now. The credit goes to the crafty use of language. Strategic Analyst, K Subrahmanyam, said, “Operationalisation of the deal will happen only when the two foreign ministers sign the deal. All the steps before that, are leading to the operationalisation of the deal.”

The government will met Left through the newly formed high powered committee. It will put the ground for a safeguards agreement with the IAEA.

The special Envoy Shyam Saran will uphold his buttonholing missions with the nuclear supplier countries. When the panel gives its report and if the Left agrees:

The government will try to make formal safeguards with IAEA by November 22. UPA government will also seek a formal NSG clearance by December and the Congress vote early next year. If the Left disagrees with the findings of committee, the government can still technically look to make formal safeguards and seek NSG clearance, because it can argue it is not bound by the findings of panel.

What if the Left chooses to discontinue? Subrahmanyam said, “By that time, it is possible that you have the IAEA/NSG process completed by then. Here is a deal more or less seen through by an elected government, when it had the full authority to do it and I don't think it wil be hampered in the worst case scenario.

That means, if only a US Congress vote is left, a minority UPA government or even a caretaker government will want to push that through. But Manmohan Singh will hope that it doesn’t.
Finally, both sides claimed their victory and made a joint statement.