Mr. Jairam Ramesh wrote to the Prime Minister back home, which soon became public knowledge. He said India should accept the demands of G-7 as part of its obligations as member of the recently set up G-20. India and some other developing countries have been co-opted to the G-20. . This required that the majority of the developing countries in the once coherent G-77 should be ignored in negotiations on climate change. In addition, he also proposed that the Kyoto Pact for curbs on gas emissions in all countries should not be unconditionally accepted while USA has refused to be a party to this effort. Further, whatever action taken by India and other developing countries should be for reducing gas emissions and that this should be open for inspection and rectification by the group of developed countries.

These proposals are unacceptable even to some ardent economic reformers in India, who have sharply criticised Jairam's proposals. He has found it necessary to first explain them away and subsequently deny them brazenly.

If accepted by the Government, the Minister's proposal would radically change India's position on climate negotiations that governments of all political hues in India have backed since 1990 and which was defended at the recent UN talks on climate change in Bangkok earlier this month. The Minister justified the proposed shift of gears by repeating his argument that India need not be seen as a deal-broker with G-7 and should try to curb emissions in its own interest. He has also pointed at the advantages of this position — a permanent seat for India on the Security Council.

With the Congress party washing its hands of Ramesh's controversial pitch for a drastic change in the country's stand on climate change and Opposition mounting an attack, the environment minister was force to renew his adherence to the Kyoto Protocol. During his talks with visiting Japanese counterpart, Sakihito Ozawa, he stressed the importance of the Kyoto Protocol and the need for the developed countries to fulfill their emission reduction targets.

The statement came after Congress refused to be drawn into the controversy over Ramesh's attempt to change the country's stand on climate negotiations. 'Let us be very clear that clarification in this regard will have to be sought either from the minister or the PMO — it is not a matter about which the party would like to say anything,' Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhvi told reporters as the government came under attack from BJP and Left over the proposed switch to a negotiating track that was closer to the stance of the developed countries.

PMO sources, however, tried to downplay the import of Ramesh's suggestion. 'This is just one of the notes for discussion. The issue will be deliberated at the appropriate fora. The decision will be based on consensus and will be taken with the sanction of the country's Parliament,' PMO sources emphasised.

The need is for India's own research initiatives to measure and monitor climate change. Much of the data derived from Western sources is found to be biased. There's no primary monitoring done in India.

The fact that indigenous research and development should be pushed in the case of issues concerning climate change has been talked about in the government quarters. But there has been growing neglect of research and development in all areas. The very concept of import substitution in the development of modern industry has been derided and liberalisation of imports of readymade goods and services from the developed countries relied upon to push forward “efficient” market-driven economic growth. This policy orientation needs to given up and a return to indigenous effort for development in industry, agriculture, indeed all sectors of the economy is needed to secure India's national interests and ward off neo-colonial exploitation of the market consumers, labour and natural resources of India by multinational corporations of the G-7. (IPA Service)