People's Democracy

PB STATEMENTS

On Israeli  Satellite Launch

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) issued the following statements on April 24, 2009

THE Congress-led government has been surreptitiously forging a deep security and military collaboration with Israel. The launching of Israeli spy satellites is just one aspect of this collaboration which is part of the overall India-Israel-US axis. The launch of an Israeli-made spy satellite and the trilateral joint naval exercises off the coast of Japan are the two latest instances.

The Israeli-made satellite, RISAT-2, launched by ISRO on April 20 has raised many questions. It may be recalled that in January 2008, ISRO had launched an Israeli satellite TECSAR which the Israelis are using for surveillance of their neighbouring countries.

At that time, the UPA government refused to confirm what is widely known that India had entered into an agreement with Israel for the launch of three of its spy satellites.

The RISAT-2 satellite has been made by the Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) which has been given a Rs 10,000 crore contract for missile production recently.

The RISAT-2 satellite has been parked in the same orbit of 41 degree inclination as the earlier TECSAR satellite which is being used by Israel for surveillance of the Middle-East, including Iran. It has the SAR technology used in TECSAR.

The Manmohan Singh government cannot obfuscate the issue. It must answer clearly :

1. Is this launch part of the agreement arrived at with Israel for launching its three spy satellites?

2. The government claims that RISAT-2 is meant for surveillance of our borders but then why is this satellite in the same orbit as the earlier Israeli TECSAR satellite?

3. Is the launching of the RISAT-2 a joint venture which involves sharing intelligence with Israel?

Trilateral Naval Exercise

A JOINT navel exercise with the Indian-US-Japanese navies will be held off the coast of Okinawa in Japan in the end of April. This is part of the ongoing efforts by the United States to have a trilateral military cooperation with India and Japan. In 2007 too, such a trilateral exercise was held.

The Manmohan Singh government has, through the Defence Framework Agreement, opened the way for India to be coopted into the US military strategy in Asia. The CPI(M) strongly opposes such moves to make India an appendage to the Pentagon's military strategy in Asia. The Congress-led government has betrayed the country's sovereign interests and an independent foreign policy. It is essential that the new government formed after the election reverses this course.

On Sri Lankan Situation

THE Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) expresses its deep concern at the plight of the thousands of Tamil civilians who are trapped in the war zone in northern Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan government should heed the call of the UN Security Council and take urgent measures, including cessation of hostilities, to rescue civilians who are being forcibly held by the LTTE. The Sri Lankan government should allow relief agencies, including the Red Cross, to access the war zone.

The CPI(M) considers the saving of the lives of the civilian population as of paramount concern. The LTTE should stop its futile resistance.

The government of India has to impress upon the Sri Lankan government that it cannot carry on military hostilities in a situation where the lives of thousands of people are at stake.