TEHRAN (Press TV) -- One of the outstanding features which distinguish India from other world nations is its independent domestic and foreign policy.

In the recent decades as a cradle of democracy, India has managed to master modern technologies which have fueled the economic boom in the country.
During this period, India adopted an independent foreign policy and was one of the founders of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in the Cold War era, an organization that played pivotal role in the world politics, distancing itself form both communist East and capitalist West.
The country has been a source of inspiration for many Third World states which did not belong to either bloc.
But in recent months, a change could be seen in the trend with New Delhi getting closer to the U.S. Conducting joint military exercises with the U.S. and clinching a nuclear cooperation deal with Washington signal these U-turn in India's foreign policy.
Some Indian independent parties, including the communists have vigorously protested the emerging strategic alliance between Washington and New Delhi. The parties in India have stepped up pressures on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as the two sides are to finalize the nuclear deal.
The communist parties whose support is crucial for the survival of Singh's government argue that the growing ties between New Delhi and Washington undermine the independence and sovereignty of their motherland.
The deal faces opposition in the U.S. too, where some in Congress, believe that by providing nuclear fuel to India, the made in U.S. fissile materials might end up in nuclear warheads and it could spark an arms race among Asian countries. The speculations may not be far from the truth, if one considers the tension between Pakistan and India and the delicate balance of power in the volatile region.
Under the agreement, India is allowed to import uranium to meet its energy needs. But if it uses the imported uranium for developing nuclear warheads it would potentially be able to build several dozens of A-bombs a year.
It implies that Washington has shown green light to New Delhi to produce nuclear bombs as much as it desires without any limitations, a move which is blatant violation of the non-proliferation regime.
In India, the nationalists are also pressuring Singh into revoking the accord, saying that the accord could undermine the country's sovereignty. The pressures prompted Singh to tell U.S. President George W. Bush last week that his government faces difficulties to finalize the agreement.
The Indian PM knows that the support of the leftists is vital for the survival of his coalition and if he insists on pushing ahead with controversial deal, he must gamble on his political future.
The government has no option but listening to the voice of critics, otherwise, it should prepare for early elections.
In fact the growing opposition and the shadow of early elections prompted Singh to signal his policy change by saying that it was ""not the end of life"" if the agreement didn't go ahead.
Despite the challenges, U.S. officials have remained publicly upbeat about the prospects of the deal, and do not show their intention to reconsider the implementation of the controversial accord.
It seems that the Indian government, at least for the moment, is not willing or capable of doing such a hard job and time is not ripe to conclude the deal.
However, the political measures taken in this particular juncture by the Indian parliamentarians, which predominantly demonstrated the will of a nation that must be admired -- irrespective of labeling them as communist or nationalist -- are significant and it is a great victory for the nation and big blow to the U.S. administration.