KOLKATA: witnessed yet
another historic rally with hundreds of thousands of people marching against
imperialist aggression and protesting the growing intervention of US imperialism
in India. The rally, held on September 1, was organised by the Left Front.
People, mostly from the
districts of South Bengal, participated with full of enthusiasm to mark their
protest against US aggression and to commemorate the Anti-Imperialist
Day of 1st September. The state leaders of Left Front led the rally that
started at 1 pm fromRani Rashmoni Road. It took more than two and half hours
for the rally to reach Deshbandhu Park, even as the end part of the
rally was still waiting at Rani Rashmoni Road. The rally was fully
decorated with flags, festoons, and most importantly the mobile tableaus that
remained the most attractive part of the rally. It was exactly
4:30 pm when the last tableau along with people reachedDeshbandhu Park in
the northern end of the city. People from all walks of life participated in the
rally. Thousands marched with Red flags, once again registering the nature of
protest in West Bengal.
The rally raised voice
against US imperialism’s thirst for natural resources in the world, its war
crimes in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, its interference in South Asia,
particularly in Indian economy through FDI in retail sector, privatisation of
insurance sector, pension funds etc. The rally raised the voice for defending sovereignty
and independent foreign policy of the country.
Addressing the huge
gathering at the end of the rally, CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Buddhadeb
Bhattacharjee gave a backdrop of USimperialism to correlate the magnitude
of the contemporary imperialist aggression in the world. Having mentioned the
Atom Bomb attack over Hiroshima and Nagasaki as a birth of
today’s US-led imperialism, Bhattacharjee explained the contours of imperialist
aggression from Vietnam to present day Iraq. Now the danger of
imperialism comes in a different direction when US and allied countries target China and
try to set base in India. We won’t tolerate US base in India to
blockade India and would launch bigger protests, he said.
Bhattacharjee said that India is
trying to set up a strategic partnership or alliance with USA. “What
strategic alliance is this? We will protest against any such alliance. US secretary
of state Hillary Clinton had made her visit to West Bengal. It was
unprecedented for her to visit Writers’ Buildings? Why did she go
there”, he questioned. The state government has also expressed its inclination
to invite US president for the youth festival in the state.
Bhattacharjee warned of strong resistance if any such eventuality took place.
Left Front chairman Biman
Basu while congratulating the people for making the rally a great success said
that US corporates are using our markets to meet their internal crisis. “They
are trying to control our economy. So we must keep our struggle on against such
imperialist aggression. If any of US official comes to commemorate the 150th
birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda on 12th January next year, the state
will definitely revolt”, asserted Basu.
Siliguri too witnessed
an impressive anti-imperialist rally on the day where at least 10,000 people
participated.
