People's Democracy

Indians Express Outrage Against Israeli Aggression

Protestors at a demonstration near Israeli embassy in Delhi

AMIDST a variety of Red flags and despite heavy rain that lashed the capital on July 27, 2006, the Committee Against Israeli Aggression organised a demonstration at the Israeli embassy to protest against Israel’s brutal aggression on Lebanon. 

Hundreds of people participated in the demonstration, which was led by CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat and CPI secretary D Raja. Besides activists of the Left parties, the participants also included several well-known intellectuals, artists and prominent personalities. The demonstrators marched in a procession down Shahjahan Road till the UPSC office where police had put up barricades. A protest meeting was held there.

This protest meeting was addressed by Prakash Karat, D Raja and Phul Singh (RSP). Vijender Sharma, former DUTA president presided over the meeting.

Prakash Karat in his speech demanded the Indian government to immediately sever all military ties with Israel. “India is the largest customer of the Israeli arms today. So, it is the responsibility of our government to stop buying arms from a nation which is devastating both Lebanon and Palestine”, he asserted. Karat assured that the struggle by progressive and democratic people of our country in solidarity with the Lebanese and Palestinian people would continue. He concluded by demanding immediate withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon.

D Raja also stressed that the latest aggression on Lebanon was an imperialist design, which cannot be justified under any pretext and demanded that the UPA government take a forthright stand against the Israeli aggression. (INN)

BENGAL EXPRESSES SOLIDARITY WITH THE PEOPLE OF PALESTINE & LEBANON

Biman Basu addressing a packed rally in Kolkata against the Israeli aggression

A ROUSING cry rose all over Bengal calling for an immediate imposing of international sanctions on Israel for the barbaric acts committed on the people of Palestine and Lebanon. Meetings, conventions, rallies, and processions were organised across the state on July 23 at the call of the Bengal unit of the CPI(M).

A packed rally was held at the Yuva Kendra near the Moulali crossing in downtown Kolkata. The principal speaker here was state secretary of the Bengal unit of the CPI(M) and Bengal Left Front chairman Biman Basu. Central committee member of the CPI(M) Benoy Konar presided over the meeting, which saw an important address by another central committee member, Mohd Amin.

In raising the resolution of the meeting, later adopted unanimously, Benoy Konar pointed out that the people of Bengal must stand by the side of the people of Palestine and Lebanon and collect funds to help them. The meeting paid its homage to the people of Lebanon and Palestine killed by the indiscriminate Israeli bombing and raids.

Biman Basu began by placing a brief sketch of the history of Palestine and the struggle of its people. Biman Basu could summarise succinctly the root cause of the Palestinian crisis by pointing to the divide and rule policy of the US imperialists which created a rift and a cleavage between the Arabs and the Jews in Palestine.

From the year 2000, in particular, the forces of Israel with support from the US, has indulged in countless assaults on the Palestinian territory. The people of Gaza and of West Bank have virtually been out under an interminably long siege. Children have died in their thousands because of lack of food, medicine and even water. The victory of Hamas has prompted the Israeli ruling classes to redouble the intensity of attack on Palestine and Lebanon, said Biman Basu.

Biman Basu was scathingly critical of Israel for the barbaric attack of late on Lebanon. He said that when the largest part of the world saw burgeoning movements and struggles peace and sovereignty, the US imperialists were involved in conspiracies to clamp down a uni-polar hegemony over Middle East, Asia, Latin America, and Africa. 

The Congress-led UPA government has remained mysteriously silent on the rampaging role emoted by Israel and the US. The article of the Common Minimum Programme that had called for an independent foreign policy by India was not followed. Biman Basu was also very critical of the military cooperation between India and US.

Mohd Amin said that US was clearly intent on tightening its grip on the strategic West Asia. The vast oil fields there provide a point of fatal attraction for the US and its lackeys. Amin lamented the fact that at a time anti-imperialist movements were getting ever stronger across the world, the UPA government was continuously making friendly noises towards the United States. A strong movement must be built up nationwide against this outlook and policy.

In his address, Benoy Konar said that the events of Palestine depicted the harsh reality as to how cruel an imperialist power could get to satisfy its lust for hegemony. The forces of imperialism, Benoy Konar recalled, attacked not just the Communists and the Left but also forces of nationalism. It is not possible to root out the reactionary forces in any country without waging struggle against imperialism. The anti-imperialist struggle was a task of great political importance, concluded Benoy Konar.

(B Prasant)