Bengal Tells Bush To Go Back!

B Prasant

Marching in Kolkata against Killer Bush

THOUSANDS of rallies and marches were held in al the districts of Bengal over 27 February -2 March under the aegis of the Bengal Left Front condemning the US imperialist designs and strongly reproving the US president George W Bush.  Bengal roared out in one voice: ‘Bush, go back!’ 

Countless effigies of Bush were put to the stake amidst cheering.  Posters, banners, placards, and graffiti told the US president that he was not welcome in India.  Mock-ups of US missiles and guns were burnt down.

Anti-imperialist rallies were also held at the call of the left TUs, and the Left students’ and youth organisations statewide. 

The horrendous deeds of the US imperialists in Iraq and elsewhere were highlighted in impromptu exhibitions of photographs.  People from every section of the society came forward to participate in the anti-imperialist programmes keeping in tact the glorious anti-imperialist tradition of Bengal.

The area opposite the US information centre in downtown Kolkata turned into a sea of humanity as people poured in the city and from adjoining districts from early in the afternoon of 2 March to make a big success of the rally organised there by the Bengal Left Front to condemn Bush and to reject US imperial designs.

In his address, Bengal Left Front chairman Biman Basu identified Bush as the hated symbol of imperialism, and spoke about the unprecedented campaign of terror and hate that Bush and his brigade have started to direct against the world, especially against resource-rich and strategically located Third World countries.

Biman Basu was sharply critical of the deviation in India’s foreign policy from the decade of the 1990’s and pointed out that the UPA government was stepping into the shoes of the reactionary and pro-US NDA government that had preceded it for all practical purposes.

Biman Basu spoke about the effects of US domination on the country’s sovereignty and on the nation’s economy.  Biman Basu condemned the UPA government for letting the independent foreign policy stance of the country be eroded, and for towing the US line against Iran over the nuclear imbroglio.

Anil Biswas, secretary of the Bengal unit of the CPI (M) dwelled on the central theme that the US designs in Asia had deeper implications than those that were apparent. 

Biswas argued strongly and with hard data to back his argumentation that US targeted China and wanted to go in for the Cold War strategy of ‘encirclement’ and ‘roll back’ against China.  The US was always hopeful of enlisting the support of India and that is why, the US president was going all out to woo the Indian prime minister.

Anil Biswas said that the strategic partnership that both Singh and Bush had started to talk about had the hidden agenda of using India as the launching pad for the move against China. 

The Left, asserted Anil Biswas, were all for the peaceful development of nuclear energy but would always strongly oppose US pressure on India on the nuclear issue. 

The present US pressure on India to open this score virtually put India at par with Iran, which, too, was being made to suffer mounting pressure to ‘open out’ its nuclear installations for the inspection of US-tutored inspectors of the IAEA.

Strongly vocal against the UPA government’s stance vis-à-vis the US administration, Anil Biswas underscored the fact that there was a concerted attempt by certain stakes within the Congress and the UPA to isolate the anti-imperialist elements.  Biswas called the removal from the ministry of external affairs of Natwar Singh as unfortunate. 

The statewide protest against US imperialism, asserted Anil Biswas, was also a protest against the pro-US stance being increasingly resorted to by the Congress-led UPA union government.  Biswas was critical of using terrorist methods to protest against and condemn US imperialism, as exemplified by the Karachi blasts. 

Anil Biswas said that imperialism and terrorism were but both sides of the same coin.  And they fed off each other, gaining strength all the while.  Anil Biswas said in conclusion that the anti-imperialist struggle all over the world would gain strength in the days to come and that the people of Bengal and India would a part of that democratic struggle.

Among others who addressed the rally were: Manjukumar Majumdar (CPI), Kshiti Goswami (RS), Naren Chatterjee (FB), Moni Pal (WBSP), Mihir Byne (RCPI), Biren Chakraborty (FB-Marxist), Ratanlal Agarwal (DSP), and Umesh Chaudhuri (Biplabi Bangla Congress ).