People's Democracy

Killer Bush Go Back

As George Bush entered Delhi, countrywide protests by the Left and secular parties echoed all over, with West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura demonstrating massive protests.

TRIPURA

Sharing the national sentiment, people of Tripura took to the streets in protest against Bush’s visit. All the sub-divisional towns, block headquarters and the capital city of Agartala witnessed the strongest popular protest against Bush who was called as a demon of the world peace, notorious aggressor of Iraq and Afghanistan, killer of more than one lakh innocent people of both the countries, blatant violator of human rights as revealed in several torture camps including Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo recently. The people gathered in the rally expressed their bitter rage by burning effigies of Bush and brought out several tableaus depicting his misdeeds against the world humanity.

In Agartala, at the call of the National Platform of Mass Organisations, a long procession shouting anti-Bush slogans spiraled round the city, and culminated in a huge gathering at Shakuntala Road, the heart of the capital. Various sections of people including workers, students, youths, kisans agricultural workers, women, employees and the transport workers of the Agartala massively joined the central procession and marched on spreading the message of anti-Bush campaign.  NPMO joint Convenor Pijush Nag, General Secretary of CITU Tripura State Committee, Ashesh Debroy, both state committee members and Gautam Das, state secretariat member of the CPI(M) addressed the rally.

The speakers explained the imminent danger to the world humanity due to imperialist aggression of Bush whose only aim is to usher world hegemony by way of economic globalization or by brute power. Such a hated person like Bush should not have been welcomed to a country like India, they said. The speakers also warned the central Government not to lay down country’s independent foreign and economic policies at the altar of Bush’s visit in exchange of latter’s allurement of nuclear power resources. The people of the country would not forgive the central Government if they compromise on the sovereignty of the country or show subservience to such a hated power, they cautioned.

Democratic Youth Federation of India and Tribal Youth Federation and cultural workers organised innumerable small and big demonstrations, market place meetings, squaddings, street corner meetings, processions and performed anti-imperialist songs, recitations and street dramas throughout the state.

ASSAM

Massive demonstrations against Bush's visit were organised in different parts of Assam. Some places, including Guwahati, witnessed angry demonstrations and unwarranted police action.

In the capital city, the anti-Bush demonstration was jointly organised by the Assam units of six left and democratic parties - the CPI (M), CPI, CPI (ML-Liberation), RSP, Janata Dal (S) and Samajwadi party.  The state units of the parties called upon the people of Assam to join the nation-wide protest.

In Guwahati, large number of protesters assembled in front of the Judges' Field at 1 p.m. and shouted anti-Bush and anti-imperialist slogans. Prominent cultural and literacy activists, social workers, intellectuals also participated. The district administration deployed large contingent of police force only to prevent the protesters from organising demonstrations and processions. However, in spite of administrative obstructions, hundreds of slogan shouting protesters came with flags, banners and placards. An attractive tableau depicting Bush's imperialist designs and cruelty against humanity was also presented.

Addressing the protestors, CPI (M) Central Committee member Hemen Das thundered against 'killer' Bush and US administration on the charge of crime against humanity. CPI (M) state secretary Uddhab Barman also participated in the action programme against Bush visit.

The protesters were addressed, among others, by Dambaru Borah (CPI), Rabul Sarma (CPI-ML-Liberation), Ratneswar Gogi (RSP), Harendra Dev Goswami (Janata Dal -S), Syed Gulam Akbar (Samajwadi Party) and noted singer and legendary cultural activist Dilip Sarma.

When the swelling number of protesters started to take out a procession from the Judges' Field, strong contingent of armed and lathi yielding police personnel tried to block the procession and hastily built barriers. However, the slogan shouting angry protesters stormed the police barricades and advanced. Police also tried to stop the defying volunteers at several places in the city but failed. However, the police picked up and arrested a few protestors.

At Bongaigaon also police arrested 18 CPI (M) activists when anti-Bush demonstration was organised.

The CPI (M) also organised protest meetings and demonstrations at Jorhat, Nagaon, Tezpur, Biswanath Charall, Sorbhog, Rangla, Silchar, Karimganj, Dhakuakhana, Naharkatia etc. In some places effigies of George Bush were also burnt. The administration and police put obstructions in many places.

The CPI (M) state committee strongly condemned the state administration for curbing democratic rights of the people and arresting the demonstrators at several places.

MAHARASHTRA

The Azad Maidan in Mumbai saw a one lakh strong rally. The rally was organised by the CPI(M), CPI and the Samajwadi Party. Several NGOs and independent Muslim organisations also mobilised for the rally in a big way. Those who spoke at the meeting included Ahilya Rangnekar, Ashok Dhawale, K.L Bajaj, Mahendra Singh and Sayeed Ahmed of the CPI (M), Abu Azim Azmi of the Samajwadi Party and Prakash Reddy and A.D. Golandar of the CPI.

All over Maharashtra at the district and tehsil centres, big demonstrations and mobilisations took place.

TAMILNADU

In Chennai, at the call of the ' Oppose Bush Visit Committee' a protest march was organised. The 5000 strong march began from Munroe statue and reached the Cosmopolitan centre where it converged into a rally. Apart from the CPI (M), CPI, CPI (ML) and the AIFB, central trade unions like the CITU, AITUC and employees from banks, insurance, BSNL, teachers and others participated in the rally. The meeting was presided over by Nandagopal, district secretary of the CPI and was addressed among others by N.Varadarajan, state secretary of the CPI (M), D. Pandian, state secretary of the CPI, A.S Kumar of the CPI (ML) and Ponkrishna Gandhi of the AIFB.

Big protest demonstrations were also organised at Coimbatore, Madurai, Salem, Trichunipally. The rally at Trichy was addressed by CPI (M) Polit Bureau member, K. Varadarajan.

Various mass organisations and associations of employees held separate demonstrations. The AIIEA organised demonstrations in front of their offices during lunch hours throughout the state.

RAJASTHAN

Protest demonstrations were held in many places in Rajasthan. In the capital Jaipur, demonstrations were organised by the CPI (M) and other Left parties and mass organisations. The procession began from the Khasa Khoti Circle and turned into a meeting on reaching Badi Choupad. The participation of women was significant in the rally. The meeting was addressed by CPI (M) state secretary, Vasudev and MLA Amra Ram. CPI leader D.K. Chagani also addressed the rally.

MADHYA PRADESH

CPI (M), CPI and the Samajwadi Party organized a joint rally against Bush’s visit in Bhopal, the capital of the state. At the rally at Neelam Park, CPI (M) state secretary Bahadur Singh Dhakad, CPI state secretary Mahendra Vajpayee and Samajwadi Party state president Gauri Yadav termed Bush as the most hated terrorist who could twist the arms of poor nations and slaughter lakhs of people for oil and other plunderous designs. They stressed the need for organising the whole world against such a nation instead of inviting its president to the country.

CHATTISGARH

All Left and democratic parties organized a big dharna at Moti Bagh in Ranchi against Bush’s visit. The participants were addressed by, among others, CPI (M) state secretary M K Nabi, Dharamraj Mahapatra and Vakil Bharati.

UTTAR PRADESH

Thousands of protestors held a demonstration in Lucknow, the state capital.  The huge procession started from Subhash Chowk and passing through Hajrat Ganj culminated at Gandhi Statue.

The rally was organized jointly by the CPI (M), CPI, Forward Bloc, Indian National League, Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Lok Dal, Nationalist Congress Party and other democractic organizations.