• Peoples of South Asia must say
  NO to US interference in the region!

• Down with the anti-national program of the Vajpayee Government to tie up India to the war-chariots of US imperialism!

• No difference between freedom fighters and terrorists - Advani!!

• All foreign military forces, out of the region!

• Bush's war plans likely to violate international law

• Why are Indian and Arab working people being attacked in USA?

• State terrorism is no answer to terrorism

• Worldwide protests against imperialist war preparations

• Condemn the killings of people in Lucknow!
  Condemn the ban on SIMI!

• UN World Conference Against Racism:
  Thorough isolation of the US imperialists and the Israeli Zionists in a world forum

• Airlines begin massive retrenchment of employees

• Public protests against the US War plans mount

• Resolutions adopted at the Public Meeting called by the Lok Raj Sangathan, Delhi on September 25, 2001

• UN Secretary-General Urges General Assembly to Respond to September 11 Attacks by Reaffirming Rule of Law

Peoples of South Asia must say
NO to US interference in the region!

Statement of the Communist Ghadar Party of India, September 23, 2001

The peoples of India and Pakistan have been fighting consistently for peace and lasting friendship amongst them based on resolving all the outstanding problems between the two countries free from foreign interference. The lesson of history is that the Anglo-American imperialists have never wanted the unity of the peoples of the region and, beginning with the partition of the subcontinent over 5 decades ago, have pursued a policy of fomenting discord and animosity between the two countries and peoples. Just after the embers of the fratricidal Kargil war had died down and the Indian and Pakistani rulers, under the pressure of public opinion, had started preliminary negotiations to normalise relations, the latest acts of the US imperialists reveal that the US is upto its old game of inciting hostility and playing India and Pakistan against one another. By declaring their wholehearted support to US imperialism and pointing out potential targets in Pakistan for attack, the Vajpayee Government in India is acting as an enthusiastic warmonger in the service of imperialism. It shows the narrow-mindedness and opportunism of the Indian bourgeoisie, which wants to 'gain' from a US led war in the region, even though such a war endangers all the peoples of the region.

The US imperialists mounted immense pressure on the Government of Pakistan to ensure its support for the "war against terrorism". The Indian government’s offer to fully collaborate with US imperialism and its demand that Pakistan be declared a terrorist state added immensely to this pressure. Faced with the threat of being isolated and branded a rogue state by the US and all their allies, General Musharraf announced his decision to extend cooperation to the US.

The events in the past few days have been a setback to the efforts of the peoples of India and Pakistan for peace and harmony in the subcontinent. The deep anger and resentment that exist amongst the people of this region against the war mongering policies of the imperialists must be galvanised to build a strong anti-imperialist front among the peoples of South Asian. All those who are opposed to and affected by the military blackmail and aggression, economic pressures, racial and communal hatred being unleashed by the US imperialists and their allies and collaborators, can and must be mobilised to join the anti-imperialist front.

The decades old policy of "divide and rule" of the Anglo-American imperialists have proved to the peoples of the subcontinent in no uncertain terms that their progress is entirely dependent on making a clean break with this colonial legacy. South Asia can rise above the crisis only by the peoples uniting to keep the US and other imperialist powers out of this region, and by carrying forward the struggle to uproot the colonial vestiges.

History has repeatedly shown that the ruling classes of the region, the big bourgeoisie and big landed interests along with the military, bureaucracy and the political parties in power, cannot be relied on to defend national sovereignty or safeguard peace. Only the strengthening of the anti-imperialist front of the peoples of the region, with the working class at the head, can prevent imperialist war, affirm the sovereignty of all the nations and peoples and safeguard peace in this region.

Already, the broad masses of people in Pakistan have risen up in revolt against the decision of their government to collaborate with the US in its aggression against the Afghan people. Protests have broken out in India and Bangladesh as well. The working class and people of India must contribute their might to block the path of the imperialists and warmongers, demanding that India must not collaborate with the US in this unjust war against our brothers and sisters.

The freedom-loving and peace-loving peoples in this subcontinent respect the ancient people of Afghanistan, with whom we have fought shoulder to shoulder against external invaders and occupiers for many centuries. We have great regard for the patriotic fighting spirit of the Afghan people, who have a long history of epic battles to throw out external invaders and occupiers of their land. The stand of the Government of Afghanistan, questioning why anybody in their country should be "handed over" for having committed terrorist crimes without the US showing any proof or evidence of guilt, is a legitimate and principled stand. Like wise, the decision of the Afghan government to defend the sovereignty of Afghanistan from all external attacks is a just stand. It deserves to be supported by all the peoples and governments of South Asia.

US military intervention in Afghanistan will be a gross act of interference and violation of the sovereignty of Afghan people. It will set the stage for the permanent stationing of foreign troops in South Asia and extension of imperialist war in the name of a "prolonged campaign against terrorism".

The Communist Ghadar Party of India calls on all communists, patriots and peace-loving peoples and parties in South Asia to redouble their efforts to build solidarity among all peoples of South Asia against US imperialism and its unjust war.

US imperialists -- Hands off Afghanistan!

No to foreign troops in the soil of the Indian subcontinent!

Down with the Vajpayee Government’s decision to hitch India to the war-chariot of US imperialism!

An attack on one is an attack on all!

Build the unity of the peoples of South Asia against all foreign interference in the region!

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Down with the anti-national program of the Vajpayee Government to tie up India to the war-chariots of US imperialism!

Statement of the Communist Ghadar Party of India, 19 September 2001

The Communist Ghadar Party unreservedly condemns the plan of the Vajpayee government to hitch India to the war-chariot of the biggest imperialist and war-mongering power the world has ever known, the greatest enemy of freedom and peace—U.S. imperialism.

Taking the cue from US President George Bush, India's rulers are using the tragedy of September 11 to declare war. They are trying to seize the opportunity to take our country along a thoroughly anti-national course fraught with gravest dangers for the Indian people, for all the peoples of the neighbouring countries, in fact for the whole of humankind.

Both through the Prime Minister’s address to the nation, and through subsequent statements of his close colleagues, the Vajpayee government has made it clear that it not only wants to support "America's new war" but also wants India to be part of it. The NDA Government not only wants to offer Indian armed personnel as cannon fodder, it also wants to offer Indian territory as a base to launch attacks against Islamic countries in the neighbourhood of South Asia, especially Afghanistan. This means that India will be at war with any country that the US identifies as an enemy. This is a total and most shameless surrender of the sovereignty of India in international relations! Not only this, the BJP led government is calling for widening and deepening the scope of the "war against terrorism", promoting the jingoist, racist and communal propaganda of the most monstrous warmongers of imperialism.

The U.S. war plans, its interventions, threats and pressures on the states of South Asia and the enthusiastic response of the Indian state to the US pose very grave dangers to all the peoples of this region. The peoples of the region have expressed great anger and anxiety about these developments. The mood of the broad masses in India found its reflection also in the all-party meeting called on September 15, 2001.

At the all-party meeting, many political parties including the CPI, CPI(M), BSP and RJD, expressed their opposition to the government offering military bases to the U.S. to launch operations from Indian soil against our neighbours. Even some from within the ruling coalition, expressed their reservations about using Indian territory for the U.S. led war. According to news reports, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad is also opposed to India's participation in America's imperialist war plans. Many political forces have condemned the communalisation of international politics and the Indian state's collaboration in this offensive.

The Communist Ghadar Party of India declares that it will leave no stone unturned to rouse the Indian people, our workers and peasants, women and youth, our soldiers, airmen and sailors, against this anti-national course. We call on all the political forces interested in the fate and future of the peoples of South Asia to come out openly against the collaboration of India with the biggest imperialist and terrorist power on this earth, the greatest enemy of the world’s peoples, US imperialism.

Prime Minister Vajpayee did not consult the people of India about the decision to become charioteers and foot soldiers of the U.S. Moreover, he refused to share information with representatives of political parties having representation in the country's parliament, in the name of national security! He asked them to come to him separately for the specifics. Herewe have the spectacle of an Indian government, which kneels when it is not even asked to bend. The Prime Minister of India and his Cabinet members are willing to share all information, however sensitive, with the U.S. imperialists. They are saying 'this is our intelligence agency, this is our information, these are our army bases, this is our country, please take over'! It is clear that diabolical plans are being hatched behind the backs of the people by those who are screaming about the danger of "Islamic terrorism"!

The situation facing India, the region and the whole world is extremely grave. The imperialists and reactionaries have deliberately created a situation of war. The plan to redivide and reconquer Asia is being put into operation using the pretext of the massacres in the USA. The Indian big bourgeoisie itself nurtures imperialist ambitions. Today, it is dovetailing its own imperialist strategy with that of the US.

The Communist Ghadar Party of India calls upon India’s communists to unite the working and oppressed masses in the struggle against US imperialism and its unjust war, in the struggle for peace and for defence of national sovereignty. We must rouse all the people to demand a policy of non-interference of any outside power—militarily, politically, economically or in terms of intelligence—in the internal affairs of any country.

We, the Indian working class and people have known US imperialism over the decades as our sworn enemy and enemy of all the anti-imperialist, revolutionary and liberation struggles of the world's peoples. Those who are ruling us today want us to forget the lessons of our history. The times are calling on all thinking Indians to pick up the gauntlet and arouse all of Indian and world public opinion, against the treacherous, anti-national, war mongering military and political Indo-US alliance that is being scripted.

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No difference between freedom fighters and terrorists - Advani!!

What is the logic behind this statement that has come out of the blue and what is its significance?

Superficially, Advani was scoring points against Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, as if he was in a school debate. During the Agra summit, Musharraf, in response to the Indian government’s concern on Pakistan sponsored terrorism in Kashmir, had denied any such involvement and instead had preferred to call them freedom fighters of Kashmir". However, the real issue is something much more sinister. Indian government’s spokespersons were actually full of glee after the horrendous attack in New York on Sep 11, 2001, implying to all and sundry, "we told you so, but you did not listen". In that euphoria they let out a few cats out of the bag. One of them was their total agreement with the US and other imperialists, including British imperialists, that terrorists and fighters against national and social oppression are one and the same.

In their shameful enthusiasm to join the US imperialist bandwagon, these politicians are outdoing each other and besmirching the memories of our own glorious freedom struggle against British colonialism. Who does not know that the British imperialists called Shivaji a thief, Kanhoji Angre--a valiant admiral of Shivaji, who defeated British and Portuguese navies time and again--a pirate, and similarly called Vasudeo Balwant Phadke, the Chaphekar brothers, Veer Savarakar, Kartar Singh Sarabha, Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad, Hari Rajguru, Sukhdev and countless other freedom fighters, terrorists!"

Will Mr Advani and his associates in this government come clean and say they agree with British imperialists who killed these valiant sons of India and justified it as war against terrorism? Obviously they cannot, because that would inflame crores of genuinely patriotic Indians. Then why this sophistry?

This is to hit at all those who are fighting against the capitalist and medieval system of exploitation in India and are facing direct terrorism of the police, paramilitary and security forces in various parts of India. Despite continuous propaganda by the state and even some sections of the media to paint all such forces as terrorists and extremists, thanks to the untiring work of democratic and progressive forces, and the human rights movement, the lies of Mr Advani and his predecessors stand exposed. The horrendous record of the Indian state in terms of police atrocities, custodial deaths, torture, false encounters has come under increasing scrutiny and criticism by national and international public opinion so much so that today any statement of the government of having killed so and so terrorist in Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir, Manipur, Nagaland, Andhra Pradesh or any other part of India is prima facie taken with a fistful of salt by informed public opinion. However, Mr Advani thought by piggybacking on George Bush’s "war against terrorism", he could wipe out all the crimes committed by the Indian state against people crying out for change in their inhuman condition, peacefully or otherwise. Unfortunately for him, men and women of conscience in India are not sleeping and will never tolerate his attempts to tar people fighting oppression with the same brush as that for criminals and terrorists.

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People's Voice has received a number of letters from India and abroad opposing the US war plans and the participation of India in these war plans in the region. Below we publish excerpts from some of these letters.

All foreign military forces, out of the region!

A dangerous situation is developing in the region of Afghanistan. U.S. Imperialism, using the pretext of the tragedy in New York has declared war on Afghanistan. This is made worse by the complete capitulation of the treacherous ruling classes of Pakistan. The ruling classes have always collaborated with Imperialists. They are willing to bring death and destruction to the peoples of the Indian sub-continent on the basis of the most fraudulent "defence of the motherland". Where is this "defense of the motherland" when criminal armed forces of the Anglo-American aggressor block are invited to attack a sovereign state of Afghanistan? This is because the treacherous ruling classes have always been lap dogs of foreign imperialism. This class is of the same treacherous kind as the ruling class in India because both were faithful servants of the British Imperialism.

An attack on Afghanistan will be a great tragedy for the peoples of the region. This country has already been destroyed by foreign imperialism and civil war. U.S. Imperialism is about to commit another crime against humanity under a bogus " war against International Terrorism', all with the full backing of the criminal rulers in Islamabad, and world reaction.

We must not forget the fact that it was under the colonial subjugation of India, that the British Imperialists launched their aggression into Afghanistan, Tibet and Burma with dire consequences for the peoples of these countries. Therefore the criminal armed forces of the Anglo-American Aggressor block must not be allowed on the soil of the Indian-subcontinent. Already there is news coming through the bourgeois press of mass opposition to the presence of foreign troops and any attack on Afghanistan will lead to civil war or even breakup of Pakistan. The struggle to oppose the presence of criminal U.S. troops and any aggression against the sovereign state of Afghanistan is gathering momentum in Pakistan. The Islamic clergy has declared its intention to wage a holy war if the USA attacks Afghanistan.

No foreign troops on the soil of the Indian-subcontinent!

Anglo-American aggressor block must be expelled from the region!

Down with the criminal rulers of India and Pakistan and their states!

Only the peoples of the region have the right to decide on what ever issue that concerns them!

Mohammed Iqbal, United Kingdom

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Bush's war plans likely to violate international law

On the pretext of wiping out terrorism, the US president Bush launched operation "Infinte Justice" right after the terrorist attacks in the US. Though it is too early to predict the shape of Operation Infinite Justice, the US is considering an attack on Afghanistan in violation of the international law and trying to line up other countries to support its plan. The Indian government has been shameless in promising full support to the US, without even a pretence of consulting the people. This has increased the prospect of conflict and a debelitating war in our subcontinent. Can the US plan be considered justifiable with regard to the International law? I would like to present some views on this issue.

Article 2(4) of the UN Charter prohibits the use of force except in two circumstances. The first, where the UN Security Council authorises the use of force under Chapter VII of the Charter; and the second, where a country resorts to self-defence in the face of an armed attack.

The UN Security Council has twice passed resolutions (1267 of 1998 and 1333 of 1999) calling on the Taliban to hand over Osama bin Laden to either a country where he has been indicted or to one where he will be brought to justice. Though these resolutions were passed under Chapter VII and sanctions imposed on the Taliban, they do not authorise the use of force against the regime by any country.

In the absence of a resolution specifically authorising force, the Taliban's refusal to hand over bin Laden cannot legally be construed as grounds for Washington to attack Afghanistan. Even if a UN mandate exists, it would be illegal to put civilians and civilian infrastructure in harm's way.

What about self-defence? Though Article 51 of the UN Charter allows a country to defend itself against an armed attack, the US would have to conform to the International Court of Justice's landmark ruling on the scope of Article 51 contained in its Nicaragua judgment of 1986. The ICJ defined an armed attack as either an event in which one State directly sends troops into another or "the sending by or on behalf of a State of armed bands...which carry out acts of armed force against another State...(amounting to) actual armed attack by regular forces".

The attacks in New York and Washington clearly constitute an act of armed force committed by armed bands. However, in order to justify attacking Afghanistan, the US would at the very least have to prove both that Bin Laden was responsible and that he acted "on or behalf of" the Taliban government of Afghanistan.

According to Prof Louis Henkin, one of the most distinguished US scholars of international law, the right of self-defence enshrined in Article 51 is "limited to cases of armed attack that are generally beyond doubt; a state's responsibility for acts of terrorism is rarely beyond doubt and difficult to prove...Article 51 gives a right...to defend against an armed attack. This right does not allow retaliation for armed attacks...or (force) to deter future attacks".

That is why the US has held it would be illegal for India to attack terrorist camps in Pakistan or for Milosevic's Yugoslavia to have gone after KLA bases in northern Albania.

Prof Henkin writes, "a state that has been the victim of an act of terrorism will have to pursue other remedies against states that it believes responsible and against the states that encourage, promote, condone, or tolerate terrorism or provide a haven to terrorists".

So far, the US has not pursued other remedies. It has not moved the UN, nor has it responded to the Taliban statement that they would extradite bin Laden given proof of his involvement in last week's terrorist attacks. The International law requires the US to seek peaceful resolution of the crisis and not resort to the unilateral use of force.
Sunita Vasudevan
legal expert

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Why are Indian and Arab working people being attacked in USA?

Following the terrorist attack on New York and Washington, Indian and Arab working people in USA are being attacked by racist thugs. It has already led to the death of a Sikh petrol pump owner in Texas who was shot near his pump. Physical attacks and abuse are being showered on many more creating an atmosphere of insecurity among immigrants.

The media and some organizations are saying that these attacks are due to ignorance in the American population, which is leading them to attack all turbaned men or men who look like Arabs. But the issue is, who spreads this bigotry and racism in the population?

It is the American State which has bombarded the population through electronic and print media against Islam and Arabs. No amount of sophistry by Bush that the war but only against terrorists can wipe out the hate campaign that they have engaged in.

The US State is notorious for this kind of targeting innocent immigrants of different nationalities depending on who the American government is fighting against at the moment. In the beginning of the twentieth century, Indian and Chinese immigrants were targeted for special attacks not only by racist gangs but by the government itself through its discriminatory policies. German Americans were harassed during the First World War and Japanese Americans were actually kept in segregated camps during World War II.

So clearly, the hate campaign of the American government against Arabs and Islam is what has created the current deplorable situation and not Sikhs wearing turbans.

Sukhanya Sundaram

student, New York, USA

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State terrorism is no answer to terrorism

I am happy to read the statement brought out by the Communist Ghadar Party on the recent terrorist attacks. It correctly points out that while the dastardly attacks by terrorists cannot have any justification whatsoever, the "war on terrorists" that the US Government has declared, has the ominous potential of becoming a greater act of state terrorism by retaliatory strikes, bombing and massacre of innocent people.

It is sickening to see that the whole bourgeois media is working overtime to prepare justification and support for the US adventures. The US Ambassador to Palestine, for example, has received literally tons of mail condemning the terrorist acts and has forwarded these to the major news networks. By selectively hiding public condemnation of terrorist attacks by the people of Palestine and other countries that have been labeled as "rogue countries", the imperialist media wants to create an impression that people of these countries do not condemn and "deserve to be bombed".

The truth that is evident from the experience of a similar attitude adopted by the Indian government is that State terrorism cannot solve the problem of terrorism. The root cause of terrorism lies in the situation where people are not allowed to solve k; their political problems through political means. In Punjab, Northeast and Kashmir, legitimate political demands of the people are being suppressed by the force of arms of the Indian State. It is well known that the Indian government encouraged dubious terrorist elements to subvert the political movements in these areas. Later, the Government used the pretext of fighting these terrorist elements themselves to unleash military terror on the general population. When people find no justice and no hope of justice, then a fertile ground is created for armed gangs who challenge the injustice of the State. The point is that state terrorism can only aggravate the already bad situation.

It is without doubt that the dastardly actions of the hijackers in the US are connected with the hated policies and interventions that US imperialism has carried out throughout the world. For example, the number of deaths of innocent people in the US raids in Sudan a few years ago, where more than ten thousand people were killed, far exceeds the deaths in the New York terrorist attack. Although, this does not make the crime committed by terrorists in New York any less, it certainly highlights the need to avert further aggravation of problems. People must demand punishment of the guilty and unequivocally say NO to US armed interventions.

Kailash Tripathi, Professor

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Worldwide protests against imperialist war preparations

It is difficult to hide the fact that these crusaders against terrorism have been committing the most heinous acts of terrorism themselves. Whether it was the bombing of Vietnam, Iraq or Sudan, the arming of fascist in different countries who terrorised their own populations or whether it was the flagrant violations of international law and public opinion, there is not a corner of the globe where people have not been victimised by Anglo-American imperialism. Today, US imperialism is trying to cover up its crimes with lies, following the terrorist attack on the World Trade Centre and desperately hoping that people will have mass amnesia.

However, people in their hundreds and thousands are coming out on the streets and declaring to the world that while their hearts are with the victims of terrorism, they are in no way supporting the slaughter of innocent people in any part of the globe. We have all heard about the massive protests taking place in major cities of Pakistan on a daily basis. In India also, protest meetings and marches have been held in different places including in Delhi. What is also heartening is that the American people themselves are coming out on the streets to protest against the war plans of their own government.

Right in New York people have been demonstrating against retaliatory attack by the US. At Ground Zero (where the WTC once stood) in New York, protesters have pronounced the US operation code name "Infinite Justice" as "Infinite Mistake". Protestors in San Francisco, California have declared "War and Racism are not the Answer". They are standing up for the rights of the Arab, Muslim and Indian communities and they won't let their government take away their civil liberties. In Sioux Falls, South Dakota, activists held a rally on 29 September challenging any military response, including action against Afghanistan. On the same day, a rally against war and racism was called in the southern US City of Austin, Texas. They have given a standing call to protest on every day in which the US takes any military action. In Kansas City Missouri a "Rally for Peaceful Solutions Not More War in the Middle East" has been organised by the Nurses and other working people on October 3. On the East Coast, a Rally for Justice and Restraint has been called for on Sunday, 30 September. One more protest rally has been announced on 13th October in Hartford, Connecticut to oppose the Weapons program of the US. Dozens of such rallies have already taken place in the weeks since the terrorist attack and the calendar of protest events is full for weeks to come.

There are protests taking place in North and South America, Europe and other places including New Zealand and Australia. On September 28 a rally was organised in Mexico to protest against Bush's imperialist war plans. On the same day an Anti-war rally was held in Dunedin, New Zealand. In Barcelona, Spain, a novel protest demonstration was held on the same day. Beating drums, the demonstrators called for the trial of criminals of the terrorist attacks in the international court of law and against military reprisals and acts of vengeance contrary to international law. They protested against all forms of terrorism, including state terrorism. They called for summoning a World Conference for negotiated resolution of all armed conflicts. In the capital of Greece, Athens a large anti-imperialist, anti-war demonstration has been planned for September 29th, in which a call is to be given to the Greek government not to give any political or technical support to the US war effort. On October 1 a Rally against Racism and War has been planned in Toronto, Canada. London has been witnessing a series of peace vigils with the slogans "No to Military Retaliation!" "End the Cycle of Violence!" "Justice Not vengeance!"

In addition to activists and democratic people in different countries protesting against the Anglo-American imperialist plans, governments of several countries have also taken a stand against these plans. Prominent among these countries are Cuba, Iran and Indonesia. The US government has been putting a lot of pressure on the Indonesian president Megawati; however, Indonesia has not bowed to these pressures and has refused to join the US led coalition.

The public opinion in Europe is clearly showing that a majority of the people are against the "war against terrorism". After the terrorist attacks in New York on 11th September, within a week a Gallup poll was conducted in Europe and several other countries. This poll showed that barring Israel and US in all other countries the majority of respondents were against any military retaliation. A more recent survey conducted towards the end of September is even clearer on this issue. It shows that an overwhelming majority of Europeans, i.e., five out of six, are against the military option. The mounting protests worldwide are becoming a roadblock to the Anglo-American imperialist plans in Asia. It is extremely important that this struggle is developed without let up, exercising the greatest vigilance, in the direction of putting an end to the imperialist system, which is the source of terrorism, state terrorism and war.

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Condemn the killings of people in Lucknow!
Condemn the ban on SIMI!

According to the government, it has "proof" that SIMI is "linked" in some way with Osama bin Laden. This "proof"has not been provided to the public at large or even to the political parties in parliament. Instead, what has been offered as "proof" is that there were some posters put up in Uttar Pradesh praising Bin Laden and denouncing the US. SIMI leaders have also committed the "anti-national" act of condemning the Indian government’s collaboration with the US in its war against Afghanistan! Various other vague allegations have been made by the Union Home Ministry of SIMI’s alleged links with some militant groups in Kashmir. However, the heads of police of Jammu & Kashmir, of Srinagar as well as Jammu, have declared in so many words that they knew nothing about this organisation’s alleged activities in Kashmir until the announcement of its ban!

The Vajpayee government is doing what all reactionary governments are doing the world over. That is, to use the excuse of the terrorist attacks in the US to restrict the democratic rights and freedoms of people, to attack the people of the Muslim faith in particular and all those fighting for the rights of the people in general. Part of the specific agenda of the Indian government is also to turn the war against terrorism into a communal and fascist attack on people of the Muslim faith. This is what the ban on SIMI reveals.

The Vajpayee government has been trying for a long time to get back the notorious TADA in a new form enacted in parliament. So far, it has failed, as the bitter experience of the Indian people with this and other so-called anti-terrorist laws has confirmed that they are mere tools to completely attack the rights of people who raise their voices against injustices. They have also bee tools to target specific communities as they give powers to the state to arbitrarily arrest and detain without trial for indefinite periods. The ban on SIMI is a clear indication that the Vajpayee government is planning to use the September 11 terrorist attacks on the US to push through fascist laws to delegitimise all protest, all struggles of the toiling people. It is therefore extremely important for democratic public opinion to oppose the ban on SIMI, denounce the killings in Lucknow, and oppose all moves of the government to delegitmise protests.

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UN World Conference Against Racism:

Thorough isolation of the US imperialists and the Israeli Zionists in a world forum

The severe strictures against the horrific policies of the Zionist Israeli state leading to the massacre of thousands of Palestinians over the years and the open moral and material support given by US imperialism to this despicable crime revealed that the people of the world are no longer willing to tolerate the blatant terrorism practised by the two countries.

Among those who sharply criticised the US withdrawal was the Cuban leader, Fidel Castro, who described the Israeli actions against Palestinians as genocide and condemned the US for seeking to hobble the debate on the issue at the Conference. "Nobody has the right to set preconditions to the Conference or urge it to avoid discussion... of the way we decide to rate the dreadful Genocide perpetrated at this very moment against our Palestinian brothers", Mr Castro said.

While the 15-member European Union said that it remained united "on the substance as well as the format" of the Conference, it brought pressure on the Conference participants to make compromises and whittle down the tone of the final declaration.

Thousands of non-governmental organisations participated in the Conference. The final declaration of the NGO Forum, which took place alongside the WCAR, was adopted by nearly 6000 NGOs. The document denounced Zionism as racism and stated that Israel was a racist, apartheid state. Among its demands, the Forum called for an end to the "ongoing Israeli systematic perpetration of racist crimes, including war crimes, acts of genocide and ethnic cleansing". The declaration was a strong blow to the attempts by the US imperialists, the Israeli state and their supporters to portray the widespread opposition to Zionism and the past and present crimes of the Israeli state as the work of "extremists" using the WCAR to wage a "propaganda campaign".

A positive aspect of the final compromise declaration arrived at, was that it expressed concern about the plight of the Palestinian people under foreign occupation and recognised the "inalienable right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and to the establishment of an independent state".

The unilateral withdrawal of US imperialism yet another time from a world forum of nations brings out in sharp relief the arrogant stand of the world's most ferocious power. The US imperialists have been arrogantly declaring to the entire world that they are a power unto themselves, unaccountable to the world's people. According to their perverted logic, any just demands raised against racism and xenophobia is a challenge to their authority.

The walkout by the US delegation also underlined the US opposition to a very crucial question, which dominated the Conference -- the question of reparations by the colonial powers for the heinous practice of slavery by them in the past. Most of the African and Asian countries demanded a formal apology for slavery as well as appropriate reparations to be put on the agenda of the Conference. All the erstwhile colonial powers were opposed to any substantive progress on this issue.

After protracted negotiations, the declaration acknowledged and recorded the massive human sufferings and the tragic plight of millions of men, women and children "as a result of slavery, slave trade, trans-Atlantic slave trade, apartheid, colonialism and genocide". However, the final document recognised slavery as a notional but unjusticiable crime against humanity, insulating the western nations from possible legal claims for reparation. On this issue, the clever manipulations of the European countries led to the Conference substituting reparations with "the need for programmes for economic assistance to Africa and to deal with the problems of debt relief and poverty reduction". Along with this, the erstwhile colonial powers recommended "the promotion of foreign direct investment and market access". In short, the colonial powers recommended that exploitation and oppression of these countries should be further stepped up to allegedly set right the historical injustices perpetrated on them!

The low-level official Indian delegation led by Omar Abdullah, Minister of State for External Affairs, played the role of an apologist for racism and caste-based discrimination. Firstly, the Indian government refused to condemn in unequivocal terms, Zionism and the genocide of the Palestinian people by the Israeli state. In a reversal of India's long-standing opposition to Zionism, the official delegation took the position that India is now committed to repealing the UN resolution terming Zionism as racism. This reactionary stand of the Indian delegation reflected the increasing nexus between the Indian state and Israel under the overall tutelage of US imperialism. The Indian delegation was also content with making some feeble noises in support of the demand for reparations for slavery and the slave trade.

But the most unpardonable act of the official Indian delegation was to oppose the inclusion of any reference to caste oppression within the framework of the theme of the Conference. The Minister portrayed the campaign by several hundred Dalit activists from India at Durban against caste oppression "highly exaggerated and misleading propaganda" which was often based on "anecdotal evidence regarding caste based discrimination in India".

The WCAR comes at a time when the heroic struggle of the Palestinian people and the criminal acts of terrorism by the Israeli state are encouraging more and more peoples and governments the world over to come forward to denounce Zionism, US imperialism and the crimes against the people of Palestine. Delegations from 163 countries, including 16 heads of states, participated in the Conference. The Conference represents a limited but important step forward in the worldwide struggle to combat racism and the related discrimination manifested in various forms. The Declaration and Programme of Action adopted at this UN-sponsored Conference commits member states to undertake a range of measures to combat racism and discrimination at the international, regional and national levels.

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Airlines begin massive retrenchment of employees

The axe has fallen on 12,000 workers at Continental Airlines and 20,000 each at American Airlines and United Airlines. British Airways has thrown out over 5000 employees. The world's largest manufacturer of planes, Boeing, has thrown out 30,000 workers. Other global airlines are cutting frequency and are likely to layoff employees in the near future.

The downturn in the US economy had already crated a situation wherein airlines were looking to cut costs and services by retrenchments. In this situation, the terrorist attacks of September 11 have set off a chain of events. Firstly, on an immediate basis, following the use of passenger planes for the suicide missions and following the US declaration of "war against terrorism", there has been a sharp decline in passengers traveling as compared to the previous period. Secondly, all the airlines have had to get insurance cover for terrorist attacks, which has increased the cost of operations. The US government has announced a $15 billion package to bail out the beleaguered airlines. Other countries, notably Germany, Britain, Korea, Australia, Kuwait, Hong Kong etc. have also pledged to help out their own airline companies. However, all this is not being passed on to the hapless workers who have lost or are going to lost their jobs. Most of the US companies have used a special clause to fire the workers, violating union agreements which if implemented would have meant paying compensation to the employees. In effect, they are making cynical use of the terrorist attacks on WTC to implement a carefully prepared plan to carry out massive retrenchment and restructuring of the airline industry.

According to news reports, the unions of airline employees in the US are regrouping themselves in the new conditions to fight in defence of their livelihood.

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Public protests against the US War plans mount

In Delhi numerous protests and peace marches have taken place. On September 25, political and social activists of the city carried out a march from Feroze Shah Kotla to Lal Quila in protest against the war plans of the US and the Indian government’s decision to hitch our country to the US war chariot.

The Delhi Committee of the Lok Raj Sangathan organised a public meting the same day to discuss the grave dangers posed to the peoples of South Asia and the world by the actions of the US imperialists and other imperialist powers including the Indian state. The meeting discussed the great importance of building the anti-imperialist front of all forces in India and South Asia against the turning of the region into a zone of war. We reprint, alongside, the resolutions adopted by the LRS meeting on Sepember 25, 2001.

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Resolutions adopted at the Public Meeting called by the Lok Raj Sangathan, Delhi on September 25, 2001

this meeting of the LRS

¨ Condemns the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington as crimes against humanity and

¨ Conveys the deep sympathy of the Indian people to the families and friends of the victims.

2. Whereas the US government has used the opportunity provided by the terrible terrorist acts to launch its military operation called " INFINITE JUSTICE" to advance its imperialist post-cold war agenda of conquering Asia and the world, and towards this end is building a global coalition of imperialist and reactionary powers under the signboard of "global war against terrorism"

this meeting of the LRS

¨ Condemns unequivocably the "global war agianst terrorism" and Operation "INFINITE JUSTICE" as the greatest attack on the peoples of Asia and the world's peoples, on the very concept of sovereignty of nations,

¨ Calls on all the peoples of the world who are concerned with the fate and future of humankind to come out in resolute opposition to the US war plans

¨ Hails the growing opposition of thinking and justice loving American people to these war plans and

¨ Supports the American people's efforts to stay the hands of the imperialist warmongers and prevent bloodshed and the outbreak of a third world war.

3. Whereas with the act of declaring war against Afghanistan and demanding unquestioning support to this war from all the states in the name of fighting terrorism, US imperialism has launched a devastating attack on the peoples of South Asia
Whereas tremendous pressure is being applied on the peoples, to incite brother against brother and neighbouring peoples against one another, so as to turn this region into a war zone

this meeting of the LRS

¨ Opposes the Indian government's decision to provide military facilities to the US in the war against the fraternal Afghan people and its decision to join the US led global coalition against the peoples of Asia and the world

¨ Calls on the Indian people to oppose all foreign military troops in India or South Asia

¨ Calls on all the peoples of South Asia to raise their voices in unison against any form of US armed intervention in this region.

¨ Supports the struggle of the people of Afghanistan to defend their sovereignty

¨ Demands that the government of India abandon the US-led global "anti-terrorist alliance"

4. Whereas the big power ambitions of the Indian rulers to convert South Asia into their sphere of influence are vitiating the atmosphere in the region and

Whereas, arising out of this, the atmosphere of disillusion and distrust among the rulers of South Asia have created possibilities for the US to intervene in the region

this meeting of the LRS

¨ resolves to fight for the renewal of international relations on a modern democratic basis and work towards cementing the age old ties of the peoples of the South Asian region on the basis of opposing all foreign imperialist interference in South Asia.

5. Whereas the struggle of the world's peoples against the anti-social offensive of capital has been growing from strength to strength

this meeting of the LRS

¨ Notes that one of the aims of the global coalition of capitalist and imperialist powers against "terrorism" being forged by the US under its whip is to disorient and crush this movement of the peoples against the anti-social offensive and

¨ Calls upon the peoples throughout the world who are fighting for a pro-social program and opposing the anti-social offensive to safeguard their unity, step up their struggle against world capital, and direct the cutting edge of their struggle today against the "global war against terrorism" unleashed by the US.

6. Whereas the US President has repeatedly declared that all those who do not support the US War against terrorism are to be treated as enemies of the US and supporters of terrorism

this meeting of the LRS

¨ Rejects the right of the US to declare who is a terrorist and who is not

¨ Condemns the US as the biggest terrorist power the world has ever known

¨ Condemns the US declaration as a call for World War

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UN Secretary-General Urges General Assembly to Respond to September 11 Attacks by
Reaffirming Rule of Law

– Address by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, September 24, 2001 –

Two weeks ago, as you will all remember, we were looking forward to this day, as the day when we would begin our General Debate. Many of you expected to be represented here by your head of State or government, or by your foreign minister. I had, myself, hoped to set out for you what I see as the main priorities for the work of the Organization over the next five years. But alas, Mr. President, that was two weeks ago.

Thirteen days ago—on a day none of us is likely to forget—our host country, and our beloved host city, were struck by a blow so deliberate, so heartless, malicious and destructive, that we are all still struggling to grasp its enormity. In truth, this was a blow not against one city or one country, but against all of us. It was not only an attack on our innocent fellow citizens—well over. 60 Member States are affected, including, I am sad to say, my own country—but an attack on our shared values.

It struck at everything this Organization stands for: peace, freedom, tolerance, human rights, and the very idea of a united human family. It struck at all our efforts to create a true international society, based on the rule of law. Let us respond by reaffirming, with all our strength, our common humanity and the values that we share. We shall not allow them to be overthrown.

On the very day after the onslaught, the Security Council rightly identified it as a threat to international peace and security. Let us therefore respond to it in a way that strengthens international peace and security—by cementing the ties among nations, and not subjecting them to new strains.

This Organization is the natural forum in which to build such a universal coalition. It alone can give global legitimacy to the long-term struggle against terrorism. On that same day—12 September—your own Assembly called for "urgent action to enhance international cooperation to prevent and eradicate acts of terrorism." I welcome that resolution, as well as the Assembly's decision to address the scourge of terrorism in greater detail next week. Among other things, this will be an occasion to stress the urgency of ratifying, and above all implementing, the existing conventions on international terrorism, and to consider agreeing on new instruments to combat this heinous crime.

The need for a vigorous response to terrorism, and for a sustained, comprehensive strategy to defeat it, is not in doubt. But we also need to give greater urgency to our humanitarian task of relieving the victims of conflict and starvation—especially, at this time, those displaced from their homes in Afghanistan.

The attack of 11 September was also an attack on the freedom of human beings to travel, to exchange goods and services—everything a World Trade Centre stands for—and to exchange ideas. Some commentators have rushed to assert that this confirms the dismal thesis of an inevitable "clash of civilizations," according to which we face a century of conflict between people of different faiths and cultures. Let us affirm the opposite. Let us recall that your Assembly has proclaimed this the Year of Dialogue among Civilizations. Let us reassert the freedom of people from every faith and culture to meet, and mingle, and to exchange ideas and knowledge, in mutual respect and tolerance—to their mutual benefit and the benefit of all mankind.

Finally, the attack of 11 September was an attack on the rule of law—that is, on the very principle that enables nations and individuals to live together in peace, by following agreed rules and settling their disputes through agreed procedures. So let us respond by reaffirming the rule of law, on the international as well as the national levels. No effort should be spared in bringing the perpetrators to justice, in a clear and transparent process that all can understand and accept. Let us uphold our own principles and standards, so that we can make the difference unmistakable, for all the world to see, between those who resort to terrorism and those who fight against it.

Responding appropriately to this vicious onslaught is indeed a vital task. But we must not let it distract us from the rest of the work we have to do. In no way do these tragic events make the broader mission of the United Nations less relevant. On the contrary—and especially if we allow them to succeed in tipping the world economy into recession—these events will make that mission even more urgent.

Let us not respond to economic uncertainty in a way that is sure to make it worse, by seeking to protect national markets against free exchange. Instead, as we prepare for the meeting of the World Trade Organization in Doha, let us strengthen our international trading system, and make sure that its benefits are available to all, especially the developing countries.International co-operation is needed now, more than ever, in managing the world economy—and in ensuring that the costs of adjustment do not, once again, fall most heavily on developing countries.

We must not allow these events to set us back in our fulfilment of the pledges given, one year ago, by our heads of State and government in their Millennium Declaration—such as the promise to halve, by 2015, the proportion of the world's people whose income is less than one dollar a day; to ensure universal primary education for girls and boys alike; to halt and begin reversing the spread of HIV/AIDS; and to preserve the planet for future generations by adopting a new ethic of conservation and stewardship. Those tasks remain as urgent as they ever were—if anything more so; and this Organization's work to advance them—which is described in detail in the report you have before you—remains as important as ever.

These longer-term issues of development can and must be addressed during this session of the Assembly. Our under-standable preoccupation with the fight against terrorism must not lead us to neglect them. The social and economic evils in our world are all too real—as is the need to make globalization work for all the peoples of the world, by embedding the new global economy in a global society, based on shared global values of solidarity, social justice, and human rights. But these things cannot be achieved by violence.

On the contrary, the hope of relieving world poverty will only diminish, if the world is polarized into mutually hostile camps of rich and poor, or North and South. The only route that offers any hope of a better future for all humanity is that of cooperation and partnership, in which all social forces—States, the private sector, institutions of learning and research, and civil society in all its forms—unite their efforts in the pursuit of specific, attainable goals.

And at the centre of all these partnerships must stand this Organization—which, one year ago, your heads of State and government undertook to strengthen and make more effective, because they considered it the "indispensable common house of our human family." The United Nations must listen to all these different partners. It must guide them. It must urge them on. The United Nations must provide a framework of shared values and understanding, within which their free and voluntary efforts can interact, and reinforce each other, instead of getting in each other's way. And—to quote the Millennium Declaration once more—it is through the United Nations that the peoples of the world must seek to realize their "universal aspirations of peace, cooperation and development".

Excellencies, that is the path traced for us by our heads of State and government one year ago. Let us not be shaken, even by the unspeakable horror that we witnessed 13 days ago, in our determination to proceed along it. Let us reject the path of violence, which is the product of nihilism and despair. Let us prove by our actions that there is no need to despair; that the political and economic problems of our time can be solved peacefully; and that no human life should be sacrificed, because every human being has cause to hope.

That, I believe, Mr. Presi-dent, is the true business of this Assembly, and the true mission of this Organization.

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