People's Democracy

US Defeat in Korea Recalled

Suneet Chopra

THE All India Indo-Korean Friendship Association (AIIKFA) and the embassy of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in India organised on July 17 a colloquium on Imperialism Today, in collaboration with the UGC Academic Staff Collage, Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi. The day marked the 60th anniversary of the armistice agreement entered into by the United States after its defeat in the Korean war in 1953.

Suneet Chopra, general secretary of the AIIKFA and a member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)’s Central Committee, presided over the colloquium. CPI(M) Central Secretariat member Joginder Sharma, AICC secretary Captain Praveen Dawar, Abani Roy (former member of parliament and a senior leader of the Revolutionary Socialist Party), Eduardo Quintano, minister councillor of the Cuban embassy, and Ms Capaya Rodriguez, chief minister councillor of the Venezuelan embassy, spoke on that occasion.

The chief guest Pak Kyong Son, ambassador of the DPRK, explained the situation that led to the Korean war and the armistice agreement that ended the war by dividing the Korean peninsula and imposing US military presence on the southern part. Joginder Sharma highlighted the importance of how the US was forced to sign an armistice by the resistance of the Korean people and how it continues to make efforts to gain control of East Asia in its ongoing thrusts for world domination. India has an important role to play in resisting it but the government of India is not doing what it should. Captain Davar stressed the importance of the role of Jawaharlal Nehru’s intervention on the Korean issue and its importance in the evolution of the non-aligned movement, an inheritance India ought to develop further and not backtrack on. Abani Roy stressed the importance of our solidarity with the DPRK as part of struggle of the Indian workers and peasants. Edwardo Quintano highlighted the importance of the lessons the Cuban people learned being at the door-step of the USA, especially on how the USA was not invincible and socialism could be defended. Capaya Rodriguez highlighted the wind of change in Latin America and the firm support of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela with the DPRK.

Apart from the guests, Dr Mujtabha Khan, director of Jamia Academic Staff college, Dr Sonia Gupta from the institute of Hispanic studies in Jamia, and Professor Anisur Rehman from academic staff collage and other lecturers and readers intervened in the debate.

At the end of the colloquium, Suneet Chopra proposed a resolution passed on behalf of the special meeting of the Indo-Korean Friendship Association to mark the 60th anniversary of the victory of the Korean people over US imperialism, which was passed unanimously, greeting the head of state of the DPRK, Marshal Kim Jong Un, The Workers’ Party of Korea, the Korean People’s Army and the Korean people on the sixtieth anniversary of the defeat of the USA and its allies that was marked by the Armistice agreement of 1953, the first ever signed by the USA.

They also saluted the stable leadership of Comrade Kim Il Sung, the Great Leader of the Korean People, who led the struggle against Japanese militarism, the Axis Powers and US aggression successfully and put the Korean people on the stable socialist path of development based on self reliance, self-defence and progress. They recalled the manner in which Com. Kim Jong Il carried forward the tradition of struggle, independence and progress of the DPRK that has made it what it is today and reaffirmed their support to the peaceful reunification and defence of the sovereignty of the DPRK.

The meeting also distributed the text of an Open Letter to the United Nations Secretariat, questioning the legality of the UN Security Council resolutions on non-proliferation and Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. It called for an end to sanctions against DPRK that violate not only human principles but also the sovereignty of all member states constituting the UN.