People's Democracy

A BIG gathering is slated to be held on November 9th ,2001 in Chennai as part of the SAY ‘NO’ TO WAR campaign. It will be co-sponsored by the Frontline and Asian School of Journalism. The speaker will be Noam Chomsky, celebrated author of various books and an authority in linguistics. Serious preparations are underway for conducting the meeting successfully involving all trade unions and mass organisations in Chennai city.

Recently and well before the war broke out, on October 6, in a largely attended public meeting in Chennai, Prakash Karat, CPI (M) Polit Bureau member explained the likely situation that might develop in view of the mindless and inhuman terrorist attack on WTC and Pentagon in USA. While paying homage to the memory of those who had passed away in the attack, he urged upon the need to combat terrorism and apprehended that the haste with which America is proceeding with the war preparations without regard to the international laws, would further complicate the situation than solving it.

Prakash Karat very graphically narrated the background of the international situation which breeds terrorism, both individual and state-sponsored, as a means of conflict resolution. The proposed American war, for that matter any war, will maim and kill thousands of innocent civilians and ruin the economies of  the concerned war inflicted states. America, announcing on September 11th itself that "It (the terrorist attack) is a war declared on them",  was only expected to react this way.

Prakash Karat condemned, the American war, code-named first as ‘Operation Infinite Justice’ and later 'Operation Enduring Freedom' saying that it would only heap injustice on those who have nothing to do with terrorism and that it is only an operation aimed at establishing its hegemony over the world. He contextually brought to focus the Indian government’s response to the so-called Global Initiative Against Terrorism and its likely impact on the internal situation of our country.

All that he spoke has come true with missiles and warheads landing at targets in Afganisthan, provoking fierce anti-war protests world wide.

As per the call of the left parties, while throughout India anti-war demonstrations are taking place, in Tamilnadu, in view of the local bodies election campaign being at its peak, CPI (M) had conducted a poster campaign against the war.

Movement against Nuclear Weapons (MANW), Journalists Against Nuclear Weapons and Scientists Against Nuclear Weapons together conducted a hall meeting today in Chennai, which was addressed by N.Ram, Editor, Frontline, Samir Nazareth(Peace activist), N.T.Vanamamalai (Peace activist) and Dr.Shankar  (Indian Scientists against Nuclear Weapons)