People's Democracy

Huge Anti-War Marches Rock Tripura

HOLDING aloft once again the anti-imperialist tradition of Tripura, all sections of the state’s population sent on March 27 a spontaneous and spirited signal of their solidarity with the worldwide movement against the hegemonist holocaust unleashed by Anglo-American imperialism. Huge marches were held on the day all over Tripura against Anglo-American war on Iraq. These marches were joined by the people of all sections of society, and reverberated with anti-war songs and slogans.

The biggest of such marches in Tripura took place in state capital Agartala, at the call of a joint platform of 56 mass organisations. At first, the processions of these organisations, representing various sections ranging from bank and insurance employees to day-labourers, from college and university teachers to students and women, poured into the Astabal Maidan under their respective banners. The congregation was then addressed by chief minister Manik Sarkar, Manik Dey (state convenor of the said platform of 56 mass organisations) and information minister Anil Sarkar who presided over the massive peace rally. At the end of this rally, a spectacular and colourful massive march ensued from the rally ground and paraded through a long, circuitous route in the capital town, transforming it into a tumultuous centre of anti-imperialist agitation aimed to counter the inhuman ferocity of imperialism with the unity of the people. For several hours together, Agartala thus resonated with slogans for peace.

Addressing the rally at Astabal Maidan, chief minister Manik Sarkar urged for holding aloft the flag of universal brotherhood and struggle against imperialist war-mongers as part of the world’s toiling masses’ struggle for life and livelihood. He said the ongoing Anglo-American aggression on Iraq is part of the pre-planned supremacist drive of US-imperialism unleashed anew in phases since the extremist attack on World Trade Centre, the first phase being the devastation of Afganisthan and establishment of a puppet government there. The latest war is nothing but a sequel to the US of America’s drive for hegemony over the entire world. A worldwide boycott of America, alongwith its world coalition partner Britain, can defeat the formidable force the US now represents, Sarkar maintained. Under the circumstances, he pointed out, the anti-war movement in India is a two-fold movement against the Bush-Blair combine on the one hand, and the Vajpayee-led centre on the other, which is soft and subservient to imperialism and its game plans and at the same time tries to dilute the countrymen’s anti-war and anti-imperialist movement through communal distraction. He affirmed his faith that, ceaselessly struggling at the cost of their immense blood and bereavement against the imperialist sponsored extremists and their political masks, the people of Tripura would not fail to further intensify their all-out struggle against US imperialism and its sinister design for worldwide domination.

Reports also speak of similar huge rallies in other parts of Tripura. (INN)