ANDHRA PRADESH

Convention For An Independent Foreign Policy

‘UPA Govt Must Not Succumb To US Pressure’

                                                                M Venugopala Rao

Prakash Karat addressing the convention in Hyderabad

LEADERS of different political parties, including the CPI(M) and the CPI, demanded the UPA government to pursue an independent foreign policy in tune with the spirit of the non-aligned movement, without prostrating before the US.  At a state-level convention on “Protection of Independent Foreign Policy” organised by the Hyderabad city units of the CPI(M) and the CPI, following the call given at the national level by both the parties and RSP, Forward Block, Samajwadi Party  and Janata Dal(S),  they warned the government of India of launching an agitation if it does not follow an independent foreign policy in consonance with the interests of the country. 

State secretary and Polit Bureau member of the CPI(M)  B V Raghavulu and state secretary of the CPI Dr K Narayana presided over the convention organised on November 20 at Gandhi Bhavan in Hyderabad.

Prakash Karat, general secretary of the CPI(M),  found fault with the UPA government led by the Congress party for acting contrary to the commitment given in the national common minimum programme of pursuing an independent foreign policy.  He accused the government of backstabbing non-aligned and independent foreign policy.   Karat demanded the government to make its stand clear on the nuclear issue of Iran at the meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) scheduled to be held on November 24. He felt that the parliament, the winter session of which is commencing from the 23rd of this month, is the appropriate forum for announcing the stand of the government. Accusing the government of India of changing its approach as a result of the pressure brought on it by the USA, Prakash Karat explained that  India had signed the resolution supporting the US stand to refer Iran’s nuclear programme to the security council of the United Nations on September 24, fearing that its agreement with the US on cooperation in nuclear power generation would not work otherwise. Pointing out that, in the total generation of power in the country, nuclear power constituted 5 per cent only, Karat made it clear that it would not be wise to alienate a country which has been supplying 70 per cent of petroleum products required by our country.  Furthermore, the country’s energy requirements could be met only with oil and gas and it could not afford to sever its ties with oil-producing countries, he said.

Prakash Karat further pointed out that the US was against the cooperation between West Asia and South-East Asia as their synergies would help form a major energy grid in the region.  While India was proceeding towards setting up a gas pipeline with Iran via Pakistan, the US had threatened the latter with sanctions if it permitted the gas pipeline, he recalled. Deviating from its earlier stand on insisting that Iran’s nuclear programme be settled in the IAEA through consensus, India overnight supported the stand of the US to refer the issue to the security council, thereby virtually betraying its foreign policy as well as the decision of other non-aligned countries like Nigeria and South Africa not to condemn Iran, explained Prakash Karat. He made it clear that they would protest, both inside and outside parliament, if the government does not follow independent foreign policy, without interference from other countries.

Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy, member of the central secretariat of the CPI and MP, asked the government to continue to pursue the non-aligned policy.  He asked the Congress leaders to remember that the first prime minister of the country, Jawaharlal Nehru, was one of the architects of the policy of non-alignment. Sudhakar Reddy reminded that with strong opposition coming from the people and political parties to its move to send our armed forces to Iraq, which was under occupation of the US armed forces, the then NDA government led by the BJP was forced to give up that move. 

RSP leader Manoj Bhattacharya pointed out that after destroying Afghanistan and Iraq, the US was now concentrating on Iran with a view to keep the oil-rich Gulf  region under its control.  He accused the Congress of acting in such a way as to force the Left parties to withdraw their support to its government by lending support to the US, which has been violating human rights.  However, he made it clear that the Left would not withdraw its support to the government but would bring pressure on it to follow independent foreign policy. 

Amar Singh, general secretary of the Samajwadi Party, wanted the government to follow the non-aligned policy formulated by Nehru.  He pointed out that the political parties had come together to bring pressure on the government not to kowtow before the USA.  Jagadish Yadav, state president of Samajwadi Party, also participated in the convention.  State council member of the CPI, V Ramnarasimha Rao, welcomed the gathering and M Srinivas, city secretariat member of the CPI(M), proposed a vote of thanks.