People's Democracy
(Weekly
Organ of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)No. 13
March 30, 2003
(Weekly
Organ of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) |
Vol.
XXVII
No. 13 March 30, 2003 |
Angry Protestors Reach US Embassy
Denouncing War
THE brimming anger of the people against
the inhuman, illegitimate and totally unjustified war on Iraq found expression
in front of the highly guarded, fortified US embassy in New Delhi on Saturday,
March 22. Even as thousands of
protestors broke the cordon while marching towards the embassy of the rogue
superpower, United States, unknown to many including the hundreds of police
personnel present on the spot, a group of 22 protestors silently slipped away
from the crowd and reached right upto the highly fortified embassy gate.
Immediately they chained themselves to a fence just opposite the embassy and
shouted anti-war slogans, throwing the entire security into a tizzy.
Not only was this incident a significant breach of security, more importantly it
reflected the growing determination of the people to express their unmistakable
opposition to this barbaric imperialist hegemonic war. The police had to call in
for help and, after much time and trouble, they got the chains cut using heavy
cutting equipment. They then arrested the brave protestors.
Without knowledge about this secret operation, thousands of other protestors,
which included youth, students, women, workers, artists, intellectuals etc,
assembled in front of the Teen Murti Bhavan under the aegis of the `Committee
Against War On Iraq' to begin their day long sit-in protest. They began by
marching towards the US embassy. The police had, on the day, erected two rows of
barricades. There was a long tussle between the angry protestors and the police,
and at one stage the barricades were almost breached. The leadership asked the
protestors to retreat so that the protest meeting could continue. The plan was
to have another go at it after the meeting.
After three hours of sharp speeches, skits and poems, the protestors made a
determined bid to breach the cordon to show their anger not only at the rogue US
but also at the spineless stand of the Vajpayee government on the issue of this
war. They succeeded in breaking the barricades and surged forward towards the
embassy. The police, which had tough time controlling the protestors, finally
arrested and took them away to Mandir Marg police station.
Laloo Prasad Yadav
(president, RJD) reached the venue after the all-party meeting, courted arrest
and joined those arrested in the
police station.
‘TEACH
AMERICA
ALL the speakers at the sit-in condemned
the US war on Iraq. They expressed their anger at the fierce bombardment of
Baghdad and other cities. They demanded that the Vajpayee government stop
appeasing the Americans and come out clearly in strong condemnation of the war.
CPI(M) general secretary Harkishan Singh Surjeet, in his speech, urged the
people to intensify the anti-war struggle in the coming days and make it clear
to the Vajpayee government that the people are not with the wishy washy stand
taken by it. He said as humans it is our duty to express solidarity with the
suffering people of Iraq. “Only people’s militant opposition will make
America think twice before daring to eye any other country,” said Surjeet.
CPI leader D Raja said there is need for the United Nations to assert its
authority.
CPI(ML) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya said last night when the US
bombed Baghdad, it was not just Baghdad but the entire world which was burning
with anger against the US.
Well known author and activist Arundhati Roy, in her short speech, said the US
should be expelled from the United Nations for its blatant violation of
international law. She too wanted “people’s sanctions” imposed on America
in the form of boycott of their goods.
Others who addressed included I K Gujral (former prime minister), Romesh Bhandari (JD-S), Sehba Farooqi, and Aijaz Ahmad. (INN)
