WASHINGTON, Nov 14: The Federation of Indian Associations in the United States has asked the International Relations Committee of the US House of Representatives to back the Bush administration’s decision of transferring civilian nuclear technology to India. In a letter addressed to the Chairman of the House International Relations Committee, Republican Congressman Henry Hyde of Illinois, Mr Parikh said that Indian and US interests had converged and overlapped in recent years.

Mr Parikh said that India had not allowed proliferation despite having an advanced nuclear energy programme for decades and should be given its due.

“On the other hand, India’s neighbours — Pakistan and China — have been the main source of proliferation of nuclear and missile technology to countries like Iran, Libya and North Korea,” he said.