People's Democracy

        Kashmir Convention Against US Manoeuvres

THE Communist Party of India (Marxist) J&K state committee organised a convention against US invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan and its blatant support to Israeli aggression and genocide against Palestinian people. This well-attended meeting was presided by O N Trisal, CPI(M) state secretariat member and senior advocate. Professor Aijaz Ahmad, an internationally acclaimed writer and expert was the main speaker at the convention.

In his scholarly discourse on new Imperialism, Professor Ahmed said that after the fall of the Soviet Union, no other power had the capacity to challenge the US, which assumed more aggressive postures. It was using its huge military machine to destabilise various regimes. He traced how the US had assumed the leadership of the world capitalist system, after the end of the colonial system. He said the 20th century was a century of collapsing colonial rule and of the socialist struggles. However, after the fall of the Soviet Union, the US has become much more belligerent.

The professor warned that after Iraq, there could be many more targets, like Syria, Iran etc. He graphically indicated the growing hatred of common people against US, with the people of Saudi Arabia topping the list with 99 per cent. He said that the unity of the common people could be the best reply to US designs, as it relied on creating divisions and then ruling using these divisions.

M Y Tarigami, state secretary of CPI(M), in his speech called upon the people of the state to beware of the black deeds of imperialism, many of which he enumerated. He said both India and Pakistan will have to learn lessons of history in order to save their people from imperialist depredations. He wanted both countries to make united efforts to solve the pending problems, if they want to avoid the fate of Iraq.

Others who addressed the convention included M Khalil Naik (MLA), Mohd Maqbool, Mohd Yaqoob, Abdul Hamid Wani,  Ghulam Nabi Malik of CPI(M) and A R Takroo (MLC) of  CPI.

A resolution was moved by G N Malik asking the UPA government to undo the damage wrought by the previous BJP-led central government to the anti-imperialist foreign policy of India. It was passed unanimously.

ANTI-IMPERIALIST DAY OBSERVED

In Jammu, a dharna was staged by the CPI(M) activists and leaders in front of the Divisional Commissioner’s office demanding the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq. This was as part of observing September 1 as anti-imperialist day at the call of the central committee.

Carrying placards and chanting slogans deriding US president George W Bush, the participants said that the CPI(M) was totally against the ‘suppressive policies’ of US and strongly condemned the ‘unwarranted attack’ on Iraq launched by the US. “Those who support US have no regard for humanity because its brutality in Iraq shows that for it establishing its hegemony is the top priority”, they said.

Warning of the danger to the sub-continent from US imperialist designs, the leaders who addressed the gathering called upon the people to unitedly resist these efforts.

Among those who addressed the dharna included S P Kesar, Kishore Kumar, Dharam Singh, Raj Slathia and Madan Mohan Gupta. (INN)