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Anti-Imperialist Convention, 2003 |
Prologue
The issue of Iraq has uncovered the menace which US imperialism poses to freedom and sovereignity of every country around the world. The question exposes at once the hollow of all that bourgeois democracy claims, including its professed commitment to justice and peace. Here, as perhaps never before, the world is divided into two antagonistic sides : the imperialist powers, on the one, together with their capitalist allies who have everywhere thrown aside the banner of democracy ; and people of all lands, on the other, who have taken to protest and resistance in defence of freedom, peace and justice.
The governments of the majority of countries have taken sides with the US overtly and covertly, although they have contradictions too with the latter. The role of the India Government is all but open capitulation to the US, intent as it is to work with the US in global alliance for promotion of the Indian capitalist rulers’ interests. The highlight in this circumstance is the voice of protest of people all over the world.
At this crossroads, all who cherish whatever humanity stands for are called upon to play their roles in history. The All India Anti-imperialist Forum has taken the initiative to rally all anti-imperialist forces against the US imperialist occupation and exploitation of Iraq and its people. As a measure, the Forum called a convention in Calcutta on November 15 and 16, 2003, demanding immediate withdrawal of US-UK occupation forces from Iraq.
At this Convention, the Declaration which was adopted in conclusion, and named Calcutta Declaration 2003, has called upon all democratic and progressive forces to unitedly take on the task of giving an organized shape to the spontaneous upsurge of people’s spirit everywhere against US imperialist machination, aggression and occupation of Iraq. The Convention has also condemned the butchery of Palestinian people by Israel, the latter’s encroachment upon and forcible settlement in Palestine territory with US backing. It has voiced the Palestine people’s right to return to their homeland.
The Convention was called at a short notice, for which fraternal delegates from only a few countries could attend it : from USA, Syria, France, Algeria and Bangladesh. About 800 delegates came from different states from all over India. For two days deliberations took place on the prime issues involved, which roused immense enthusiasm among the participants who were united in purpose and unanimous in resolve to endorse the Calcutta Declaration 2003 as the guideline for the future course of struggle.
The Declaration, together with the addresses of the delegates and the messages received, are presented on these pages for propagation among larger sections of people. To the grassroots they are to be carried, to a widening frontier which they are to enliven.
The All India Anti-imperialist Forum, with its objective of building people’s militant peace movements against imperialist military, political, economic and cultural onslaughts, has been carrying on its task of organizing people in every walk against imperialist machinations and moves. It is striving to achieve unity and coordination with similar forces in other countries to give shape to a coordinated global anti-imperialist struggle. All who see in this a task worthy to pursue are called upon to join strength. People’s cause must not be betrayed, it must be safeguarded.
Voice of Protest
Calcutta Convention 2003
The All India Anti-imperialist Forum held its All India Anti-imperialist Convention in Calcutta on November 15-16, 2003, at the Calcutta University Institute Auditorium to demand withdrawal of US-UK occupation forces in Iraq and express its solidarity with the struggles of the peoples of Iraq and Palestine, ‘to discuss ways and means of building up fight against imperialism globally and to chalk out a concrete programme of action.’
Initially scheduled to be held in New Delhi, the venue had to be shifted to Calcutta at a short notice because of the impending elections to the Delhi State Assembly. Preparations were undertaken, including a drive for collection of funds, and a Press Meet was held in early November. Fraternal delegates came to attend from USA, France, Syria, Algeria and Bangladesh. About 800 delegates from different states all over India, including a host of dignitaries, came to attend sessions held on each of the days from 9-30 a.m. to 12-30 p.m. and 1-30 p.m. to 4 p.m.
The President of the All India Anti-imperialist Forum, Justice V. R. Krishna Iyer, being unable to attend because of his indifferent health, Dr. Sushil Kumar Mukherjee, the General Secretary and a renowned scientist, took the Chair to preside over the proceedings which began with the paying of respects to the valiant fighters who courted death in struggles against imperialism around the world. Floral wreaths were placed by the President at a Martyrs’ Column erected on the dais in the auditorium. A message of Justice Iyer was read out.
Messages hailing the Convention were received from Abu Majid, Commander, National Liberation Army of Iraq ; Abelarado Cueto Sosa of Embassy of Cuba in New Delhi ; Nina Andreeva, Secretary General of All Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks ; Arnljot Ask, International Secretary, Workers Communist Party of Norway ; Frank Flegel, Editor, Offensiv of Germany ; John Green of CP Alliance, UK ; Afaz ur Rahman, President, Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists ; Central Committee, Jordanian Workers Communist Party ; Wil van der Klift, International Secretary, New Communist Party of The Netherlands and Syed Vicaruddin, Chiarman, Indo-Arab League, India.
Manik Mukherjee, Vice-President of the Forum, placed the Approach Paper on the issues to be deliberated upon. The Resolutions were moved on behalf of the Forum.
Fraternal delegates then rose from their seats one by one to address the audience — Heather Cottin Gervasi of International Action Centre of USA, Ahmed Chahine from Palestine, Khalequzzaman, Convenor of Socialist Party of Bangladesh, Alexander Moumbaris, Editor, Democrite of France, M. Nafeh Bouzan, Polit Bureau member of the Communist Party of Syria, Ms. Chandana Bose from Non-Aligned Students and Youth Organization. It was then the turn of dignitaries from the different states of India to place their views on the issues. Justice S. M. Daud from Maharashtra, Prof. N. A. Karim from Kerala, Kirit Bhai Bhat from Gujarat, Prof. Ravi Verma Kumar from Karnataka, Prof. Manoronjan Mohanty from Delhi, Prof. K. R. Chowdry from Andhra Pradesh, Prof. O. P. Jaiswal from Bihar, Kosala Ramadas from Kerala, Prof. J. Kheezar from Karnataka, Prof. Ramkishore Prasad from Bihar, Prof. Narendra Sharma from Delhi, Prof. Sudhangshu Malaviya from Uttar Pradesh, Prof. Jainal Abedin from Assam, Prof. Vijay Kumar Piyush from Jharkhand, Dr. Ramesh Nayak from Orissa and Niranjan Deb from Chhatisgarh. Many a delegate from various states participated in the deliberations, giving their observations, moving amendments to Resolutions, placing new resolutions, conveying greetings from their organizations.
Finally, the Resolutions, so enriched, were adopted. It was decided to publish all the documents adopted at the Convention under the title — Calcutta Declaration 2003. Dr. Sushil Kumar Mukherjee, in his concluding address, congratulated all the delegates, reminding them of the necessity of building up people’s power to resist imperialism.
Prof. Sunanda Sanyal, eminent educationist and President of West Bengal State Committee of the Forum, proposed the vote of thanks. Now Heather Cottin brought out her guitar to sing We Shall Overcome, which the delegates joined in chorus. Slogans followed in a thunderous strain : Hands off Iraq ! Hands off Palestine !!
Several of the fraternal delegates from abroad visited the office of the Forum in Calcutta on 18 November 2003 and discussions were held on the activities of the Forum.
INAUGURAL SPEECH
Dr. Sushil Kumar Mukherjee
Friends,
On behalf of the All India Anti-imperialist Forum, allow me, at the very outset, to convey fraternal greetings to the Delegates, more particularly those from abroad and other members of the audience joining the Convention. The chief objective of the Convention, I should tell you, is the immediate withdrawal of the US forces out of Iraq.
I would like to recall at this moment what we promised at our 1995 Convention to do as one of our principal responsibilities, namely, to organize world-wide resistance movements whenever the imperialists interfere in the affairs of other countries. This occasion has arisen in all its monstrosities with the invasion of Iraq by US imperialist forces.
Imperialist US falsely try to implicate Saddam Hussain, the autocratic but secular ruler of Iraq, in the production of weapons of mass destruction and get the UN to institute a long arduous and painful enquiry. Even though the UN experts found no trace of weapons of mass destruction, the UN was made to pass a resolution on the strength of which the US forces attacked Iraq with very powerful bombs killing thousands of not only soldiers, but also civilians amongst which there were children, women and the sick. Amongst the targets were hospital, schools and other civilian installations. The fact is that the US is interested not in weapons of mass destruction, which all the imperialist countries possess in good numbers, but in Iraq’s rich source of oil on which the imperialists eyes are set.
With the aim and contemptuous idea of wiping out Saddam from the memory of Iraqis, the American army thought that the occupation and future administration of Iraq will be very easy. Even the murder of Saddam’s sons in public could not do it. On the other hand, opposition to American occupation has intensified.
American forces occupying Iraq has set up the Iraqi Governing Council with members chosen from the minority of anti-Saddam people in order to show how generous the American people are; heavy loans have been promised by US and some puppet countries to rebuild Iraq according to the Iraq Governing Council’s plan. Money so collected will be no doubt be spent but the rebuilding of Iraq will remain incomplete. Iraq will be forced to repay this loan with its oil on which the eyes of the American imperialism were set from the very beginning.
It is extremely hopeful that the American General of Occupied Iraq has admitted that an extensive plan of guerilla war is on. Some of the recent anti-US occurrences are proof of the existence of the guerilla forces.
We are of the view that no military power is strong enough to subdue people’s power. Let us strengthen the power of the people and in no time American imperialism will lose its hold and be forced out of Iraq. This Convention is fully wedded to this idea.
We are totally convinced that aiding and abetting one country against another, provoking tension between nations, creating war-like situations and engineering local wars are exclusive features of the imperialist machinations throughout the world today.
The invulnerability of people’s power has been proved beyond doubt. Even the most aggressive force will find it difficult to overwhelm it. People’s power is the only weapon capable of destroying imperialist designs. It is the principal responsibility of Anti-imperialist Forum to mobilize people’s power throughout the world.
With these few remarks, I have great pleasure to inaugurate this Convention and to wish it all success.
MESSAGES
National Liberation Army of Iraq
Dear Brothers,
We had the honour to be informed about your important Convention through a trusted brother of ours, Who, as we know, is in regular contact with you. We are therefore convinced that your Convention is very crucial at a time of criminal, bloody imperialist-Zionist onslaught all over the globe.
Therefore, we have the honour of sending you our warmest, militant and brotherly greetings in a sacred spirit of struggle against imperialism and Zionism. We are saluting your Convention with the sacred bullets of our rifles directed against the dirty, unbelieving imperialist occupiers of our beloved homeland, Iraq, and against their damned collaborators.
The
heroic Iraqi resistance, which is turning the Iraqi soil now daily into a
graveyard for the imperialist occupiers and all their dirty lackeys and is
now operating on regional and national level, is proving with its blood and
its martyrs, who are celebrating each victory in Paradise, that the struggle
against the imperialist occupation of our sacred Arab Iraq will continue,
until our holy homeland will be free again. Our heroic struggle develops
alongside and in solidarity with our heroic brothers in Palestine against
Zionist occupation, which is realized through American imperialist support.
Therefore, our struggle is a cornerstone of the rebirth of the Arab Nation,
its strength and glory, which means that all forms of imperialism and
Zionism will we wipe out. We, as Arab Liberation Fighters, feel strongest on
your side, in solidarity with all peoples around the world fighting for
independence and freedom against imperialism and Zionism.
We swear to Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful, that we will continue to sacrifice our lives and blood until our holy task is accomplished. As it is written in the Holy Book, the Koran : "And each soul is paid in full for what it did. And He is Bent Aware of what they do."
We therefore ask you to use your Convention to intensify the solidarity with the Iraqi Arab people and to start a campaign for the unconditional release from Yankee torture dungeons of Abu al Abbas, the heroic Palestinian resistance fighter, of Tarik Aziz and all political prisoners in Iraq.
Long live the holy martyrs of the Iraqi,
Palestinian and Arab liberation struggle !
Long live international solidarity !
Death to imperialism and Zionism
and all its collaborators !
Abu Majid
Commander
"National Liberation Army of Iraq"
Baghdad, Iraq
5.11.03
Jordanian Workers’ Communist Party
<>Dear Comrades,
On behalf of Jordanian Workers’ Communist Party, Jordanian people, we send our revolutionary greetings to your Convention for building a coordinated struggle against aggression by imperialist powers. We believe that this Convention will be a turning point in uniting efforts of anti-imperialist forces, anti-globalisation movements in their struggle against savage capitalism and its aggression all over the world.
Anti-Imperialist struggles play nowadays a good role in struggle against globalisation, local reactionary forces. We are challenged to move on to a genuinely united anti-imperialist position to bring down the pillar of global capitalism, that is the US imperialism, and its European collaborators. In our area we need support in opposing and condemning the military aggression carried out by Israeli ruling Zionist gang against Palestinian, Lebanese and Syrian people. Israel thinks that it can stop Palestinian struggle from establishing a democratic viable, peaceful sovereign state in Palestine on the basis of the 1967 border, with Jerusalem as its capital.
Using anti-terrorist arguments USA became more aggressive with escalation that might render the situation uncontrollable especially after their aggression on Irak. We thank you for your support, solidarity in denouncing imperialist attacks on our nations. We express our full solidarity with all anti-imperialist organisations. We consider every attack against any of us an attack on all of us.
Wish you all success in your meeting.
With revolutionary greetings
JWCP
Central Committee
Amman - Jordan
Nov. 15, 2003
Indo - Arab Leage
<>The General Secretary
All India Anti-Imperialist Forum
Dear Sir,
Thanks for your invitation dated 15th Oct. 2003 to participate in the "All India Convention" to express solidarity with Iraqi people’s struggle and to discuss ways and means of building up a movement against imperialist and Zionist forces. I fully endorse the movement and it would have been a privilege to attend this meeting on November 15 and 16, 2003.
But I am sorry to inform you that due to hard-pressed engagement I will not be able to attend this convention.
Wishing you success,
SYED VICARUDDIN
Chairman, Indo - Arab League
Hyderabad, India
Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists
<>Mr. President, Dear Comrades,
Before proceeding to the main subject, kindly let me express a personal account of my feelings that upsets me still while writing these lines. I am deeply aggrieved that I could not participate in such a substantial conference in person. However, I must admit that I would not be able to express the intensity of the sense of this deprivation due to overwhelming sentimental state of mind at present.
The reason is two-fold.
Firstly, I have idealized the intellectual and revolutionary movements led by great revolutionary Bengali thinkers since long. And Kolkata attracted me towards its lively world since my adolescence, when I started to read books about its political and cultural achievements. The land of Naitaji Sobhash Chander Bose and Robindranath Tagore inspired my vision to enhance my perception towards discovering the way to build a world where injustice and inequality could be buried deep down. In my eyes, Bengal has always been the center of the intellectual command for the sub-continent.
Secondly, I could have contributed my humble share by participating in the conference and narrating some facts about the magnitude of hatred against imperialism burning in the hearts of Pakistani journalists and leftist activists who have always been fighting valiantly against all rightist and reactionary forces in the country that played second fiddle to the Anglo-American imperialism.
Unfortunately, although I did get an opportunity, courtesy All India Anti-Imperialism Forum, but I cannot come to attend the conference due to my intensive engagement in the on-going struggle of the journalist community in Pakistan for their economic rights.
I am grateful to the All India Anti-Imperialism Forum that honored me by extending an invitation to participate in this conference. And, through this mail, I convey fraternal regards to all members of the forum and to all anti imperialists living in all nooks and corners of India. Wherever we are, our hearts sing the same song and our eyes nurture the same dream, a dream that illustrates the most glorious cause in this world.
Yes comrades, at this juncture of the history, is the greatest cause — to fight to defeat the barbaric global monsters who have been planning to extend their clutches around the globe, and who have been designing to enslave the poor and weaker nations to capture their resources for their benefit. Simultaneously, we must continue to fight vigourously against all rightist reactionary elements in our societies. They are natural allies of all sorts of exploiters and obscurantists and all sorts of exploiting systems. Without repulsing them we cannot attain victory in the war against imperialism. We must continue to learn from one another in the process of strengthening the genuine democratic movements so that we can get rid of all sorts of parasites who have been thriving at the cost of our blood. The savage, autocrat global power, the US imperialism, has spread a new net around us in the name of New World Order, WTO and Market Economy, and it is imperative for us to resolve our differences peacefully to fight hand in hand against these designs. They have captured Afghanistan and Iraq by using their monstrous war machinery savagely and barbarically against millions of innocent people. And they have been threatening many other countries in the same manner, under the disguise of the sole "peace loving" force in the world.
They aim to create a "New World" by giving blood -bath to this world, a new world that would have no teeth to show to them.
All India Anti-imperialism Forum deserves to be praised for organizing such an important event to raise voice against this beast. I congratulate them and salute them, on behalf of the journalistic community as well as all progressive forces in Pakistan. And I assure them of all possible assistance from us in their sacred mission.
Down with Anglo-American Imperialism !
Down with global capitalism !
Long live unity of oppressed people !
Long live All India Anti-imperialism Forum !
With best wishes,
Ahfaz ur Rahman,
President, Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists
9 November, 2003
All Union Communist Party of Bolseviks
<>Esteemed Secretary General of
All India Anti-Imperialist Forum
Esteemed comrades and friends-participants of
All India Convention in Kolkata
In the name of All Union Communist Party of Bolseviks we cordially greet All India Convention which is called to discuss ways and means of building up a movement against imperialism globally and against US imperialist occupation of Iraq in particular.
We on our part strongly condemn the direct aggression of US and British imperialism against Iraq and the continuing occupation of Iraq by colonialist forces as a flagrant violation of international law and a trampling on fundamental principles of the UN Charter. We express our firm solidarity with the armed resistance of the Iraqi people to the brutal imperialist occupation as well as with the struggle of Palestinian people for national liberation and establishing their own independent state.
We consider that the most urgent task of our time is the creating of a mighty All World Forum of the peoples to fight and to stop imperialism and we believe that the All India Convention will make a solid contribution to this end.
We are aware of the great international importance of the All India Convention in Kolkata and wish success in your work.
Long live All India Anti-imperialist Forum !
Down with imperialism and its accomplices and stooges !
Long live international solidarity of peoples in the struggle against
imperialism for peace and socialism !
Nina Andreeva
Secretary General of the AUCPB
Russia
November 5, 2003
The New Communist Party of The Netherlands
<>Respected Chairman of the Convention, dear friends and comrades,
The New Communist Party of the Netherlands (NCPN) was represented on both the earlier occasions of international convention in 1995 and 1997. However, due to practical barriers we are not able to attend the convention in November 2003 in Kolkata (Calcutta). We feel very sorry that we are not present and cannot take part this time.
We do realize the importance of the issue of the convention in the present international context. The attacks of the imperialists, headed by some groups in the USA, are becoming brutal every day more. We fully agree with the words of comrade Manik Mukherjee in one of his letters: "Like all peace loving people of the world we are deeply concerned with the aggressive designs of the imperialist powers, the USA-UK occupation of Iraq being the latest brazen example of trampling a nation’s sovereignty. The war against Iraq and its subsequent occupation are blatant violations of all international laws, the UN charter and natural justice. The brutality of the army of occupation has shocked the entire world."
The necessity of a worldwide coordinated anti- imperialist front is evident. However, our party came to learn that building up such front is very difficult and will take much time and energy.
In our part of the world you see a growing so-called anti-globalisation movement. Today there will be a big demonstration in Paris, France, organized by the European Social Forum (ESF). Although this movement is not political and ideologically united, many progressive and leftist people are involved. Communists have to be partner in this movement to strengthen the consciousness of the people and also to learn from their experiences.
Another question is the fact that there are several more efforts to build up an anti-imperialist world movement. We have to find ways to coordinate such initiatives. The NCPN strongly feels the necessity to concentrate on the possibilities in the Netherlands to build up an anti-imperialist movement to strengthen the international movement.
8 November our party organized an international meeting to free Slobodan Milosevic and close the illegal ‘Yugoslavia tribunal’ in the Hague. We had the opportunity to discuss the matter of building up a stronger anti-imperialist movement with comrades from the USA and Germany. This issue also is a subject of regular talks with the PTB in Belgium. Many theoretical and practical barriers are to overcome. In the western part of the world tactical and strategic questions are very much to consider too.
In the Netherlands, at this moment, the majority of the people support the presence of Dutch troops in Iraq and even the Dutch peace movement has no clear answer on this fact. So the problem is we are not one voice with people of the world as we denounce the naked aggression and occupation and demand immediate withdrawal of the Anglo-US and Dutch forces. At the moment however the number of people that is opposing the imperialists is growing. That is an important factor of the actual development. Just because of the growing brutality of imperialism, many people become aware of the real nature of capitalism. This gives us many new possibilities to fight back and organize new groups in the society.
The NCPN is sure that the convention organized by the All India Anti-imperialist Forum on 15th -17th November 2003 will be a further step in the process to overcome difficulties and find solutions to create a stronger resistance in India and also internationally. We are sure that the fraternal organizations in India and our friends and comrades from abroad will set new steps in coordination and cooperation. We do assure that we are willing to attend the next convention. For now we wish and are sure that this convention will be successful.
With fraternal greetings,
Wil van der Klift
International Secretary
New Communist Party of The Netherlands
Amsterdm
14 November, 2003
C P Alliance
<
>Dear Sushil Kumar Mukherjee,Thank you for the announcement and the appeal.
The American-British occupation of Iraq is not a "war against terrorism". The motive forces behind the aggressive US policy are American political, economic and commercial interests. The US has seized on Iraq to advance its strategic agenda. The US is engaged in a massive expansionist drive around the world.
The US armed and backed Saddam Hussein right through his worst atrocities, including the gassing of the Kurds. US complicity in Iraq’s "weapons of mass destruction" programmes is well attested.
The British "Labour" Government is shamelessly supporting the US in its war-drive. These events have once again unmasked the true face of bourgeois politicians and the Labour Party.
In Britain, we have the responsibility not only to oppose the war, but also to replace our own war-mongering imperialist ruling class. Only a single, unified party of the working class can take on such a task.
We welcome your initiative in building up a worldwide anti-imperialist movement and wish you every success at the All India Anti-imperialist Convention in Kolkata.
With fraternal greetings,
John Green.
CP Alliance
UK
29 October, 2003
"Offensiv", Germany
<>Dear Comrades !
We wish you a very successful meeting on November 15 and 16, where you are going to express the solidarity with the Iraqi people’s struggle against US imperialism. We hope that it will be possible for you to realise the building of a movement against it. Those steps are very neccessary for the anti-imperialist and communist movement all over the world. Please let us know the results !
With fraternal greetings!
Frank Flegel
Editor, "Offensiv"
Hannover, Germany
27 October, 2003
Embassy of Cuba
New Delhi
<>Manik Mukherjee
Vice-President, All India Anti-Imperialist Forum
Dear Comrades
Unfortunately, due to the increased politics of blockade and hostility of the Bush Government against Cuba, one delegation from Havana could not attend the Convention of the All India Anti-imperialist Forum. Neither could our Embassy be physically present at your event due to some non-postponable activities coinciding with your dates.
Nevertheless we do have your programme uppermost in our minds and we are deeply thankful for all the gestures of solidarity from the All India Anti-imperialist Forum with the Cuban Revolution and its fight against the North American blockade.
Neither can we forget the solidarity of the All India Anti-imperialist Forum, and its President, the brilliant jurist V.R. Krishna Iyer, in favour of the freedom of the five Cuban prisoners in the United States, imprisoned because of their fight against terrorist activities against Cuba which have been taking place for more than 40 years with absolute impunity from US soil.
We are completely sure that the All India Convention of the All India Anti-imperialist Forum will be a very important moment for all the forces who are struggling against imperialism and in favour of peace and solidarity all over the world.
We wish you all the best in your work and we reiterate to you our feelings of friendship.
Yours truely,
Abelardo Cueto Sosa
Counsellor and Deputy Head of Mission
Embassy of Cuba
New Delhi
6 November, 2003
Justice V. R. Krishna Iyer
President, All India Anti-imperialist Forum
<
>Humanity the world over is facing a crisis of survival and sovereignty on account of the globally ambitious, politically imperialistic and militarily chauvinist Super-Power, the United States of America. Country after country is being intimidated or invaded and their natural resources robbed by multi-national corporations whose market hunger is strongly supported by the yankee hegemony. No country is truly free, no people enjoy real sovereignty because of the arrogant, intoxicated menacing moves of the Bush regime. Indeed, the United States, dominated by the Bush obsession, infiltrates into every country’s economy with a view to recolonisation. Vietnam was invaded and vast numbers massacred. Afghanistan has been attacked and has lost its independence. Iraq, under Saddam Hussain, has fallen to the military conquest by Bush and Pentagon. Cuba is under U.S. embargo and threat. Today people everywhere are worried because of global terrorism launched by the U.S. ignoring the U.N. Alas! The U.N. has been rendered impotent and the U.S. goes to war by-passing the U.N. In short, the minatory problem confronting the nations on the earth is how to make militarist America safe for the peace-loving world. The Bush-Blair Axis has destroyed Iraq’s independence, but the valiant patriots of Iraq, though fallen militarily, are fighting back for their freedom, inflicting immense casualties on the occupation armies.We cannot view the traumatic situation as a matter confined to Iraq, or Iran, or Syria, or North Korea, or Cuba. The world is shaken and, therefore, an "insurrection" against the dominant super-power has become a necessity of planetary liberation from America’s, aggressive postures. India and the Indian people are victims of American pressure, economic and political. The magnitude of the process has generated globophobia essentially anti-American. The international integration and capture of markets by MNCs, mainly of the U.S, for goods, services and capital is pressuring societies worldwide to alter their native economy and swaraj. We have to stand by the people of Iraq in their struggle for regaining their independence. We have to support the people of Afghanistan in winning back their lost sovereignty and ending their servitude. Stooge governments are no substitute for free democracy. A time has come for beating back the sole super power, winning once more the global stature and independent character of the United Nations and securing for the Third World, why, for the whole world, a fair deal free from subjugation. The American iron curtain shall not divide or keep destitute the free people. The hour of anti-imperialism is close at hand and everyone everywhere knowing the planetary peril must rise to battle for victory, victory in spite of all terror, victory however long and hard the road may be; for, without victory there is no survival. Not all the armies of Bush-Blair and company can keep humanity under their exploitative heels since the hour of deliverance from imperialism is not distant.
V. R. Krishna Iyer
November 7, 2003
Documents
Delegates Speech
