People's Democracy

India Must Not Kneel Before The US Imperialists: Buddhadeb

THE UPA government led by the Congress must decide whether it would allow India to kow-tow before the US imperialists, or resist the pressure and stand tall, head high, sovereignty intact. As citizens of an independent nation, no Indian would allow the sovereignty of the country to be put on the line; and the Left-led anti-imperialist struggle would continue apace.

This was how Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee criticised the stand of the union government on the issues of the 123 agreement, and the joint naval initiatives with the US off the coast of the country. Buddhadeb was addressing a big rally of state coordination committee of government employees in Kolkata recently.

WHY THE KNEEL-DOWN

Pointing to the naval manoeuvres, Buddhadeb pointedly asked as to who would stand to benefit from these moves and against whom were these initiatives unleashed. ‘Would these endeavours serve the interests of India in any manner?’ asked the CPI(M) leader rhetorically. There are no instances where the US has actually come forward to help and assist a Third World country. On the other hand, examples unbound where the US has ruined developing nations. India is a leader of the non-aligned movement. It is a big nation itself. What is the reason then for it to rush and kneel before US dictates?

Attacking the concept of strategic partnership, a word currently much bandied about in certain Indian and US circles, Buddhadeb said, the strategy was the US desire and effort to build up a completely uni-polar world where its hegemony would have the final say over national independence and sovereignty. Partnership meant subservience in every sense of the term.

US troops, on the ground, in the air, and across the seas were gradually widening their net of active influence over the community of nations. The US has already warned India against any oil deal with Iran. ‘We have asked the prime minister the reason why India must accede to the US threat, and the answer was not to our satisfaction.’ The Left has always been against imperialist forays and the anti-imperialist struggle in India shall continue with fervour in the days to come.

DEVELOPMENTAL SCENARIO IN BENGAL

Shifting to the developmental scenario in Bengal, Buddhadeb noted that while considering the imperatives of development, the prime focus of the CPI(M) and the Left Front remained affording adequate protection to the poorer sections of the working people, forcibly marginalised in the demonic process of imperialist globalisation. Industrial growth, institutional development, and increased pace in the process of creation of assets were in the forefront of the Bengal Left Front government’s priorities.

Emphasising that an important component of industrial development was the generation of employment along with lessening pressure of population dependent on agriculture, Buddhadeb went on to say that, the state LF government was keen on setting up manufacturing industries.

Importance is also attached to employment-intensive industries that had rich and useful downstream and midstream components: petro-chemical, and chemical. Haldia hosts industries run by Mitsubishi and Haldia Petrochem. More than 700 downstream and ancillary industrial units are running full steam, employing thousands upon thousands of people. Stress is given on the process of setting up small and medium industries because these, too, are employment-intensive.