People's Democracy

USS NIMITZ GO BACK !

Powerful Demonstration By CPI(M), CPI

CPI(M) state secretary N Varadarajan along with others leading the demonstration in Chennai on July 2.

A A Nainar

WELL before the USS Nimitz, the nuclear powered US Naval aircraft carrier approached the Chennai port for its sojourn, the anti- imperialist and democratic minded citizens and organisations in Tamilnadu along with the Left Parties voiced their powerful opposition to the port call of USS Nimitz. The general secretary of the CPI(M) Prakash Karat, during his visit to Tamilnadu in connection with the state committee meeting of the Party, gave a briefing to the press at Tirunelveli and later at Kanyakumari, vehemently opposing the visit of the warship. He brought to the knowledge of the public that it was a notorious war machine which had been instrumental in killing thousands of people in Iraq war, intimidated soverign countries like Iran and Afganistan. He added that it was a threat to peace and sovereignty of nations and had further said that it is having nuclear weapons and aircrafts including F16s and F18s which could be used for launching nuclear attacks on any country that questions the supermacy and the US interests in this part of the globe. He also stated that the CPI(M) and CPI will conduct protest demonstrations throughout the state on July 2, 2007 against the visit of the USS Nimitz.

There was lots of information pouring in through the press about the ship. It had reached the shores of Chennai on July 2. Even before its arrival, a big public relations exercise was conducted by the US consulate and the USIS to prepare the minds of the people to appear as if it is a goodwill visit to foster friendship and military relationship between the two big democracies. In order to allay the fears of any nuclear leakage or possible damage to the environment because of nuclear radiation, they had planted selective scientific opinion by ‘experts’ and the news reports were overflowing with such information. Selective band of journalists were taken for a jolly trip to the USS Nimitz and concoction and fabrications started flowing in the vernacular dailies too, to catch fascinating imaginations about the magnificentness, esthetic built up and unforeseen and unimaginable facilities available.

In spite of all these, the opposition to the visit and the protest could not be stopped. On July 2, 2007, a powerful demonstration took place in front of the Chennai Port Trust office in the evening. Though the call was given by the CPI(M) and the CPI, various democratic organisations had also voluntarily joined the protest. Right from 4.00 pm, people were shouting slogans seeking the warship to go back. It reached a crescendo when the leaders of Left Parties reached to address the protesters. The entire first line beach road was blocked and an effigy of George W. Bush was burnt on the road. The protestors were carrying Party flags, placards and cartoons.

N Varadarajan, secretary of the CPI(M) and D Pandian, secretary of CPI, Tamilnadu state committees addressed the gathering. They had ridiculed the claim of David C Mulford, US Ambassador to India, said the invitation for the visit of USS Nimitz was extended by the Indian government. The conceit and folly of the US foreign and military policy stood exposed when Mulford and the captain of the ship refused neither to confirm nor deny the presence of any nuclear arsenals in the ship. The foreign policy of India is being compromised by the UPA regime without any concern to Indian interests and its sovereignty, the speakers informed the gathering. On behalf of the people of the state, they had sought that the Indian government immediately withdraw if there were any such invitations and order the notorious vessel to go back from Indian waters.

The demonstration was led by T Nandagopal, T K Shanmugam CPI(M) district secretaries and Veerapandian district secretary of the CPI. The CPI(M) leaders T K Rangarajan, V Meenakshi Sundaram, D Lakshmanan, P Selvasingh, N Srinivasan and A Soundararajan were present on the dais along with leaders of various mass and class organisations. The middleclass organisations have planned for a protest demonstration on July 5. Incidentally the AIADMK leader Jayalalitha and PMK leader Dr Ramadoss were other political leaders who had condemned the visit of the USS Nimitz.