THE EXCEPTIONAL RELATIONSHIP:

India aglow as nuclear pact approved (Siddharth Srivastava, 10/03/08, Asia Times)

[M]any observers see India's admission to the Nuclear Suppliers' Group (NSG) as the global "nuclear exception" and a reward for a nation that has been rooted to democratic values and responsible international behavior.

This is unlike countries such as Pakistan, North Korea, Iran and Iraq, which are not perceived well by the West due to their dubious proliferation records, alleged promotion of terrorism and extremist elements.

India's eligibility to access nuclear power technology and fuel from the international market while maintaining an independent nuclear weapons program has come about despite New Delhi's refusal to sign the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

It has been a tortuous path to the impending culmination of the India-US nuclear deal. There have been periods when the deal was thought dead, and India's Manmohan government was almost voted out of power over its aggressive backing of the pact.

New Delhi faced a no-confidence motion in July after the anti-American left coalition withdrew its support, claiming the pact impinged on India's sovereignty and right to an independent weapons program

Only last-minute political deals cut by Congress party president Sonia Gandhi with regional parties saved the Manmohan government from collapsing.

Defying domestic political opposition and a reported attempt by China to derail the waiver at the NSG, India's nuclear exemption is a victory for New Delhi's diplomatic and strategic initiatives. It was helped along by a Washington government eager to check China's influence in the region.