People's Democracy

 Protest Against Sharon Visit

AT four different points in Delhi on September 9, with placards saying: “Stop appeasing killer Sharon”, “no to any America, India, Israel axis,” and expressing solidarity with the people in Palestine, hundreds of workers, women, youth, students, intellectuals participated in demonstrations against the Sharon visit to India. The central rally took place at Shahjehan road near the India Gate. This protest was jointly organised by the CPI(M), CPI, Janata Dal (S),  RSP, FB, CPI(ML) and concerned citizens and organisations.

While the main rally took place at Shahjehan Road near India Gate, people also assembled at various other points in the capital, due to the police caught in a government paranoia giving different venues where the rally could take place and stopping traffic and diverting it. The net result was that people assembled at different points like Jantar Mantar, Mandi House, besides the India Gate. Even the organisers were told of different venues for which permission would be granted.

The demonstration was addressed by Sitaram Yechury and Jogendra Sharma from CPI(M), A B Bardhan (CPI), Kunwar Danish Ali , Shoaib Iqbal JD(S), Abani Roy(RSP), Ram Pratap Sharma (FB), and Swapan Mukherjee CPI(ML).

PROTEST DEMONSTRATIONS

It was virtually red flags enmeshed with banners and buntings. And demonstrators were enraged over India's ''red carpet'' welcome to visiting Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon. It was mainly left party activists that today took to the streets and courted arrest, dubbing Sharon as ''an epitome of state terrorism'' who had earned notoriety for repression of the Palestinian people.

The protestors were detained at Tilak Marg Police Station and released after about 45 minutes.    The Israeli premier arrived here last night on a four-day visit to discuss ways and means to enhance bilateral cooperation in various fields, including defence and counter-terrorism.

Earlier, slogan-shouting, placard-wielding rallyists gathered near the Bikaner House at the India Gate Outer Circle and proceeded towards the hotel Taj Mansingh where Sharon is staying.

They were, however, restrained by the police from reaching their destination. The placards and banners bore anti-Sharon messages, like "Killer Sharon, Go Back", "Long Live Palestinian Liberation Struggle" and also the ones like "Vajpayee, stop appeasing the killer Sharon".

Many young persons raised slogans condemning what they called "betrayal" by the Vajpayee government of the country's long-standing tradition of supporting the struggle of the Palestinian people for national liberation and an independent state.

Speakers at the rally accused the BJP-led coalition government at the Centre of appeasing Israel at the dictates of the US.

In some areas demonstrators even burnt Sharon’s effigies and courted arrest near the Parliament Street Police Station.

The speakers branded Sharon as the " Killer of Saber and Chattel" and asked the NDA government to give a categorical assurance that it would stay out of the "axis of evil, terrorism of Israel and the US imperialism.''

Speaker after speaker strongly condemned Ariel Sharon for his brutal repression of the Palestinian people. As Israeli defence minister, they charged in 1982, he was directly responsible for the massacre of over 3000 Palestinians in Sabra and Shatila refugee camps in Lebanon. He was forced to resign as defence minister after this massacre. Recollecting his role in such acts of massacre the speakers charged Sharon of representing the most extreme section in Israeli politics which justifies the occupation of the Palestinian and Arab territories and the daily military attacks and targeted assassinations of Palestinian leaders and activists. The wrecking of the Oslo Accord and the recent peace initiatives are primarily due to the policies of the Sharon government, they said.

Setting the tone for the discussion CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Sita Ram Yechury condemned the Vajpayee government for having invited Sharon to India. This he said was a gross betrayal of India’s longstanding tradition of unequivocal support to the struggle of the Palestinian people for national liberation and an independent state. He further called upon the Vajpayee government to give up its policy of appeasing the brutal Zionist regime of Israel at the dictates of the USA, and in total negation of our foreign policy.

Yechury amidst cheers said that in a way it was natural that the killers of Mahatama Gandhi, had invited the killers of the Palestinian people but they had invited Sharon for wrong reasons starting from the dubious road map, to the fact that this hasty move could alienate support from the rest of the Arab world.

He further pointed out that an overwhelming majority of the people of India were for support to the Palestinian Liberation struggle and recalled how Hitler had to face humiliation at the end caught in his own wrong moves.

At the end of the day hundreds of people courted arrest. The protestors were detained in the Tilak Marg Police Station and later released.

SPRING DALES’ STUDENTS PROTEST

While demonstrations were taking in various parts of the capital, students did it their own way just before start of classes. It was anger with a difference that school children from the well-known Springdales school showed in unison and they did it with an open letter to Sharon shortly after he arrived. The message rang clear and was passed democratically at the school assembly. It said “There can be no peace in your region till you end the occupation of Palestine”. It was passed by over three thousand students and took the shape of an open letter.

Showing solidarity with the Palestinian movement for freedom under Mr Yasser Arafat Springdales’ principal Jyoti Bose summed up the feeling among her students saying, “we want peace for the Palestinians at any cost”.

To ensure that Sharon gets a feel of what the students thought of the Israeli occupation of Palestine the school took the unprecedented step of sending an open letter to the Israeli embassy, the day he arrived in the capital.

The open letter is directly addressed to the Israeli prime minister. The students in their letter have expressed anguish over the plight of the Palestinians. They mince no words decrying the Israeli occupation of Palestine—calling it unjust and an infringement of the human rights of Palestinians.

The letter begins on an explanatory note. “We are aware that it is unusal for school children to write an open letter to a visiting dignitary and especially since India is known for its hospitality.  We have chosen to do so because we feel this is the only way that our views can reach you.”

The letter goes on to state, “for more than 50 years the government of Israel has been keeping the Palestinian people under military occupation denying them their basic right to a homeland. Mr prime minister we wish to ask when is this unjust and cruel occupation going to end? Whole generation of Palestinian children have gown up in refugee camps, they have witnessed brutal massacres and raids on their villages and towns. Under your leadership in the name of fighting terror you have embarked on a programme of state inflicted terror of the worst possible kind.”

The letter further stresses that the Israeli government is ignoring the fact that what it is facing in Palestine is a resistance movement for freedom and justice.

The students have called upon Sharon to listen to the voice of the young generation.  “It is our conviction that there will be no peace in your region unless you agree first and foremost to end the occupation of the Palestinian people and negotiate for a mutually acceptable settlement of all issues over fair and level play ground”.