• On the anniversary of the Great October Revolution:
  Only revolution can prevent fascism and imperialist war

• POTO is a fascist attack on democratic rights and civil liberties!

• Vajpayee visits Russian President Putin:
  Indian and Russian rulers collaborate against the peoples of this region

• Birds of a feather

• Initiative for coalition against war and fascism in Mumba

• India likely to tone down opposition to WTO agreement at Doha meet

• Governments and leaders from various countries oppose US imperialist - led aggression on Afghanistan

• Fascist attacks on political forces in the US

• Increasing fascisation of the United States of America
  "Anti Terrorism Act" signed into law

• Anti-war protest:
  100,000 March in London against War in Afghanistan

• Resolutions of the meeting

On the anniversary of the Great October Revolution:

Only revolution can prevent fascism and imperialist war

On the occasion of the anniversary of the Great October Revolution, (November 7, 2001),the Delhi regional committee of the Communist Ghadar Party of India organised a meeting on the theme "Only revolution can prevent fascism and imperialist war". A large number of workers, women and youth, activists of various mass organisations, activists and supporters of the party attended the meeting and participated in the discussions.

Speaking on the occasion, the representative of the CGPI emphasised that today, when the US and other imperialists are bombarding Afghanistan and the threat of imperialist war in our region is very real, when the Indian rulers are unleashing the most barbaric fascist attacks on the working class and people and the various oppressed nationalities, all in the name if "fighting terrorism", the path of the Great October Revolution remains as valid as ever before.

Elaborating on the circumstances in which the Great October Revolution took place, the first imperialist World War and the efforts to redivide the world, the cruel violation of the sovereignty of nations and peoples the growing struggles of the proletariat and people in Russia and other parts of the world and the brutal repression they had to face, the speaker pointed out how in today’s context also, the imperialists and reactionaries are trying to create a similar situation; moreover they are trying to terrorise the people and crush all forms of dissent. They hope to smash the growing struggles in India and all over the world against the imperialist agenda of globalisation through liberalisation and privatisation. They want the proletariat and people to forget the lessons of history. But just as the October revolution had showed the way out of capitalist and imperialist crises, fascism and war, so also today, the proletariat has to get organised under the leadership of its communist party and lead the working masses of town and countryside to overthrow the rule of the bourgeoisie and establish its own dictatorship.

Several participants denounced the ongoing imperialist war of aggression against Afghanistan as well as the attempts of the Indian state to clamp down on all forms of dissent through black laws such as the newly proposed promulgated POTO. Many workers, who have been in the forefront of the struggle against privatisation, criticised the government for using the present situation to attack all forms of agitations and protests. The meeting concluded with the firm resolve that the urgent task facing the Indian communists is to build the revolutionary united front of the working class and all the oppressed masses and prepare for the revolution.

Back to Table of Contents

POTO is a fascist attack on democratic rights and civil liberties!

POTO aims at legalising the criminalisation of dissent!

POTO is an attack on the right to conscience!

Unite and fight for the repeal of POTO!

Statement of the Communist Ghadar Party of India, November 10, 200

The President of India has promulgated the Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance, 2001 (POTO). This has been done under the slogan of "waging war against terrorism" and "preventing terrorism". However, POTO itself constitutes the biggest act of state terrorism against all men and women of conscience in our country.

The target of POTO is not terrorism, as is claimed, but it is the mounting struggle of India’s workers, peasants, working people, intelligentsia and middle strata against the anti-social offensive of globalisation through privatisation and liberalisation, and against the imperialist war being waged against Afghanistan. The aim of POTO is to criminalise any form of dissent or opposition to the offensive of the ruling class.

The Communist Ghadar Party of India expresses its resolute opposition to POTO as an unbridled fascist attack on the Indian people. Voices of protest against POTO are gathering force from different quarters, including various parliamentary political parties, political, social and human rights activists, and men and women of conscience cutting across different ideological persuasions. The CGPI calls upon all those opposed to this draconian law to unite in resolute opposition to POTO in defence of the right to conscience and in defence of democratic rights and civil liberties. In particular, the CGPI calls upon all the communist members of parliament to lead the parliamentary struggle during the winter session to defeat POTO on the floor of the house.

Section 3 of POTO defines a "Terrorist Act" as acts done by using weapons and explosive substances or other methods in a manner as to cause or likely to cause death or injuries to any person or persons or loss or damage to property or disruption of essential supplies and services etc. with intent to threaten the unity or integrity of India or to strike terror in any section of the people. Such a definition has been made despite the recommendations of the Law Commission, which had recommended that any anti-terrorist act should explicitly exclude the actions of trade unions and political mass movements from its purview. The Law Commission had taken this stand in the face of widespread concern expressed from all quarters as to the manner in which TADA, the precursor of POTO, was primarily used against political opponents and the mass movement of various sections of the people. The promulgation of POTO shows that the NDA Government has completely disregarded the counsel of the Law Commission. For this count alone, POTO needs to be defeated.

POTO defines "terrorist organisations" as an organisation that indulges in "terrorist acts" and provides for their ban. The definition of a terrorist act includes anyone indulging in acts that threaten "national unity and territorial integrity of India". Twenty-three organisations have been banned under POTO in the first list with promises of more to come. The government does not have to justify why it has declared such and such organisation as "terrorist". The list of organisations banned includes various organisations, particularly from the North East, which have been waging an armed struggle for self-determination and can scarcely be termed "terrorist" except under the definition of terrorist provided by POTO, namely of being a threat to "national unity and territorial integrity of India". Successive governments at the centre have for a long time been raising the spectre of the threat to national unity and territorial integrity in order to justify armed repression of the popular mass movements in the border regions of India. They have failed to address the economic, social and political concerns of the people of these regions, fostering further alienation amongst the peoples. POTO marks an escalation in the violence of the Indian state against the alienated peoples of Kashmir and the North East. For this reason too, POTO must be opposed and repealed!

For long the main leaders of the NDA government including Home Minister Lal Kishan Advani have been calling for a ban on various communist parties, groups and organisations, citing acts of violence organised by some of these organisations in certain parts of the country. POTO as of now does not take on the banning of communist and workers organisations and groups, but it lays the ground for that. The government can at any moment declare any communist party or group to be a "terrorist organisation" as it can declare any other political or social organisation of the people as terrorist, and ban it under POTO. For this reason too, POTO must be opposed and repealed!

POTO allows the government and police forces to arrest and charge anyone with terrorism. The onus of proving that he or she is not a "terrorist", not a member of a "terrorist organisation", or not knowingly encouraging "terrorism" through various means, falls on the accused. Statements of the accused made before police officers in police custody are admissible as evidence against the accused. POTO allows use of tape recordings, video clippings, intercepted electronic messages, telephone calls as so-called evidence against the accused. In other words it allows the prosecution to "prove" its case against the accused by allowing it to manufacture evidence through tortures and other dubious means including doctoring of evidence electronically.

The accused cannot be released on personal bond or bail by the magistrate in the absence of approval of the prosecuting authority, the government. POTO allows a person to be locked up in police custody for a period of three months and in judicial custody for 6 months simply because the prosecution has not yet prepared a charge sheet. After the charge sheet is presented, POTO allows the government to send the accused to jail as a POTO detainee, unless the government as already stated approves of the release of the person on bail! POTO thus constitutes an outright fascist attack on the democratic rights and civil liberties and the right to conscience of Indians. For this reason, POTO must be repealed!

The government claims POTO has safeguards to prevent its "misuse", that it has drawn lessons from the infamous experience of TADA under which people like Justice Ajit Singh Bains and many others were incarcerated, including students fighting against milk price hike in Gujarat and workers fighting for their right to organise. In fact, what the Vajpayee Government has done is to re-enact TADA in a new form with greater sophistication. There can be no excuse, no justification, for locking up a person merely on the suspicion that he or she is a supporter of "terrorism". This is itself naked state terrorism, nothing else! It is clear that the aim of the government is to attack political opponents, terrorise them as well as ensure that ordinary people keep away from politics for fear of being labelled "terrorist". For this reason, POTO must be repealed!

The government is justifying POTO declaring that it is following the example of the US and UK. According to the Home Ministry, "countries like UK and USA who have faced the onslaught of International terrorism much less than India have put comprehensive anti-Terrorism Laws on their Statute Books…." It is truly pathetic that the upholders of "swadeshi" and the "Indian Way" are slavishly looking towards the Anglo-American imperialists as their role model in governance at a time when the working masses in these and other countries are coming out in powerful opposition to the fascisation of life, against the attacks on democratic rights and civil liberties, and on the right to conscience.

In promulgating POTO, the Vajpayee Government has declared that it is hell-bent on fascising the political life of the country in pursuit of the narrow agenda of the most reactionary chauvinist warmongering sections of the Indian bourgeoisie. It has joined the US led global war coalition and is desperately seeking a share of the spoils for itself in the reactionary redivision of Asia that has begun. Through militarisation, war and fascism, the most reactionary sections of the Indian big bourgeoisie are striving to drown the struggles of India’s people in blood. They want to use India’s workers, peasants and youth as cannon fodder in imperialist war. POTO is part of the fascist-imperialist strategy of the most reactionary circles of the Indian big bourgeoisie. POTO must be defeated by all forces that are concerned about the future and well being of our people and other peoples of the region.

Back to Table of Contents

Vajpayee visits Russian President Putin:

Indian and Russian rulers collaborate against the peoples of this region

On November 6 and 7 '01, Prime Minister Vajpayee visited the Russian President Putin in Moscow, before his trip to Washington. While the actual details of the talks and the deals worked out have been kept a closely guarded secret, Vajpayee and Putin are reported to have signed a declaration on international terrorism, reaffirming their resolve to work in close cooperation to meet the new challenges on this front. The declaration states that “in multi ethnic and democratic countries such as India and the Russian Federation, violent actions being perpetrated under the slogan of self determination in reality represent acts of terrorism. . ”.

Putin stated at a press conference that “no distinction should be made between good terrorists and bad terrorists, between our terrorists and their terrorists”. The declaration promises to deal ruthlessly to crush all “terrorist acts”, “whatever be the motive in their perpetration – political, ideological, philosophical, racial, ethnic, religious or any other”.

The significance of this declaration is only too clear. Both the Indian and Russian rulers have publicly declared that they do not respect the right to self-determination of nations and consider this as an act of terrorism, to be firmly crushed. The Indian rulers are undoubtedly delighted that Russia will has now openly supported them in their plans of stepping up their fascist attacks on the Indian people, the state organised terror against the people of Kashmir, in particular, all in the name of “combating our kind of terrorism”. Vajpayee’s government has recently passed the Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance (POTO), which arms the government with wide ranging powers to crush any form of dissent. In the face of stiff opposition from many sections of the people, it is now trying to create public opinion in favour of this ordinance and have it adopted as an Act, through statements by its various spokesmen in the government and in the media. At the same time, certain organised acts of terror in Kashmir and other places are being highlighted to generate a fear psychosis among the people and justify the imposition of this black law. Now, of course, they will receive political and military support from Russia also for this. Putin, in return, too will be happy to have the Vajpayee government’s support in crushing and massacring the people of Chechnya.

At the press conference following their meeting, Vajpayee also stated that Putin had endorsed the Indian government’s stand on Pakistan, particularly on the issue of “cross border terrorism” in Kashmir and the need to combat it. The Indian rulers had hoped that by supporting the US in the “war against terrorism” and offering support to the US aggression on Afghanistan, they would receive support from the US to bully and browbeat Pakistan. Statements of top government and military personnel suggest that the Indian state was even ready to launch a military offensive against Pakistan if it received the green signal from the US, but was disappointed when it didn’t. Now they can claim that at least the Russians support them on this.

Another diabolical aspect of the Vajpayee – Putin talks was to do with the involvement of the Indian State in the kind of government to be formed in Afghanistan in place of the Taliban. Vajpayee is reported to have requested Putin to push for India’s formal inclusion in the “6+2 mechanism” that has been devised by various imperialist powers to work out a government to replace the Taliban in Afghanistan. Putin assured Vajpayee that he would try to see that India should be “more actively” involved in this. The Indian rulers, clearly, have their own imperialist ambitions towards Afghanistan, as towards the other countries of this region. They wish to have a major role in the agenda that the imperialist powers are busy preparing for this region and are quite desperate not to be left out of it! 

“Important security decisions” are also reported to have been taken during this visit, including decisions on trade and military collaboration.

All this once again confirms the fact that the collaboration between the Indian and Russian rulers is a thoroughly anti people, reactionary collaboration. It is targeted against the sovereignty of nations and their right to self-determination, against the rights of the working and oppressed peoples and against peace and security in this region. This collaboration must be vigorously opposed.

Back to Table of Contents

Birds of a feather

Former MISA and National Security Act Detainee (please check the act which was employed during the emergency days with mama, dear editor!!) Arun Jaitly in his latest avatar as Union Law Minister declares pompously in a meeting in Mumbai on November 7— “Do the opponents of POTO wish to support terrorism by demanding the dilution certain provisions?” Earlier, his guru and comrade in arms in Tihar jail during the days of the infamous Internal Emergency of Mrs. Indira Gandhi in the 1977-1977 period, Shri Lal Kishan Advani, declared in Amritsar — those opposing POTO were supporting “terrorism”. Shri Advani paraphrased a one-liner made famous by the President George Bush while browbeating other countries to join his international coalition for “war against terrorism” that “those who are not with us are against us”. Shri Advani and Shri Jaitly are obviously whipping the reluctant political fraternity in the ruling NDA and the opposition to join in the home-grown version of the international coalition “against terrorism” in Bush’s inimical style. In Moscow recently, another member of the Tihar fraternity who claimed status as victim of Mrs. Indira Gandhi’s emergency, who is the current Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee made bold to say in the company of Russian president Vladimir Putin that “double standards” on defining “terrorism” must not be allowed. Further, that one mans “terrorist” cannot be another man’s “freedom-fighter”.

I do not want to go into the legal niceties or otherwise of POTO as compared with TADA, MISA, NSA and earlier provisions in the rule book from the days of Ambedkar and Nehru and Patel to the present day except to remark one thing. Each government in power has promulgated acts of a draconian nature to allegedly “defend the unity and territorial integrity of India”, to “prevent extremism and terrorism”, and other allegedly noble objectives warning of “dire consequences” so much that the citizens are supposed to say long live the government, long live our rakshak. But invariably, as far as history shows, the rakshak has revealed itself as the bhakshak before very long. The “threat to the unity and integrity of India”, the threat “from extremism and terrorism” seems to have increased over the decades despite all these laws and all the great battles waged by succeeding warriors in government.  None of these governments, Shri Vajpayee’s included, have clearly stated why this “threat” has kept increasing, despite all these "valiant efforts". Probably they should ask Shri George Bush for the answer, or follow his answer that various people are very jealous of “the biggest democracy in the world” with its mass famines, and mass poverty and other such “minor aberrations” that they want to hurt this “greatest democracy”.

Late Prime Minister Mrs. Gandhi was not as nice as Arun Jaitly and Advani to ask them whether they were with MISA or against MISA—she just ordered them locked up. They (the present government) have been more courteous by including her eager-beaver daughter in law as a permanent feature in the Union Ministry. The RSS was banned as an anti-national organization even though it is today portrayed as extremely patriotic to be associated with it. Our esteemed Defence Minister was accused of terrorism, of organizing dynamite blasts to overthrow the unity and integrity of India and even won elections after the Emergency flaunting his “revolutionary” or “terrorist” credentials or simply charlatanism depending on ones point of view. He was supposed to have received funds from foreign sources for his alleged terrorist activities, and this is not my allegation, but that of the powers that be at that time. Much earlier, in the first laws that were promulgated in the forties, veteran communist leaders like late Shri A K Gopalan were locked up behind bars, apart from many others. One of the “hawks” in the present cabinet, Omar Abdulah had his grandfather and then Chief Minister, incarcerated for many years ….as an anti-national…. Later many of these people transformed themselves into “super patriots” without ever publicly repudiating their past.

It is but natural therefore that despite the earnestness of the likes of Shri Jaitly and Shri Advani, the public is pretty cynical and wary about accepting the definitions of these illustrious people as to who is a patriot and who is an anti-national, who is a terrorist and who is an freedom fighter and so on. It is but natural that there could conceivably be as many different perceptions as there are people perceiving.

The reality of the Indian state seems to be that for those in power, everyone else seems to be “anti-national”, carrying on activities prejudicial to the “unity and territorial integrity”, or indulging in subversive or terrorist acts, or supporting such elements. This has been the case from 1947 to date. The actors may change places, but not the essence of the act or the thinking behind the act.

It is important that Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee and all his comrades-in-arms in the NDA government and coalition, particularly the “heroes” of “the movement for democracy of 1974-1978 vintage”, more particularly the cell-mates of Tihar during those heady or not so “heady” days—again depending on ones point of view—take time off and answer in front of the public—were they anti-nationals then or anti-nationals now or yet again a third point of view that they were anti-nationals then and anti-nationals now despite what they label themselves.

It is assumed and widely quoted that people have a small memory. However, Indian peoples’ memory, as befitting an ancient civilization like ours, is not that small. It is also well worth remembering that the final judgment on a person is made only after that person has finished his or her work on earth, and that judgment of history is pretty ruthless. The heroes of the NDA government seem to be drunk with power and short on history, even the history of their own ascent to power—they seem to think like the Mughals and other emperors of old who used to have court poets singing to their greatness and thinking they were making history.

Sandhya, Mumbai

Back to Table of Contents

Initiative for coalition against war and fascism in Mumbai

At the initiative of the Lok Raj Sangathan (LRS), Mumbai, a broad coalition against war and fascism for peace and democracy was launched on November 10, '01.

Members and activists of LRS, Ladaku Garment Kamgar Union, Socialist Unity Centre of India (SUCI), Sarva Shramik Sangh, Hind Naujawan Ekta Sabha (HNES), students from the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), and a young activist making a film on anti-war movement in Mumbai participated in the meeting.

As preparation for the meeting, over 75 activists of non- government organisations, trade unions, political parties, women's organizations, academics, retired jurists, journalists and film stars were contacted. The overwhelming response was that the situation demanded that all progressive forces get together in a broad coalition against war and fascism and organize common programs.

It was decided to form a Preparatory Committee against fascism and war for peace and democracy, and to circulate the resolution of the November 10 meeting to all those who supported the initiative but could not attend the meeting. It was also decided that a public meeting against POTO would be organized on Sunday 18 November '01, a day before parliament opens, and coinciding with the nationwide pro POTO campaign of the BJP slated for the same day. Another meeting is also to be organised after November 18 to chalk out further programs.

People's Voice hails this initiative to form a broad coalition against war and fascism. Building the solid united front of the working people is indeed a most important task today.

Back to Table of Contents

India likely to tone down opposition to WTO agreement at Doha meet

According to a report in the Times of India, official sources have revealed that the Indian government is likely to tone down its earlier “rhetoric against WTO and developed countries”. At the Doha meeting scheduled to begin from the 9th  of November, the Indian delegation will accept a consensus on WTO’s negotiation agenda, together with 142 WTO member states.

 Despite Commerce Minister Murasoli Maran’s claims of adopting a “tough” stand at the Doha meting, government spokespersons are now busy justifying this toning down of the government’s stand by saying that India cannot risk “isolation”. According to them, although there is much opposition by the Indian people to the WTO, “people are aware that the future of jobs and livelihoods of so many is linked to the strengthening of a rule based multilateral trading system”.

This justification of the Indian government does not hold water. Why are millions of peasants, small producers and other working people opposing India’s membership of the WTO? Because they are facing large scale destruction of their livelihood and are being completely ruined as a result of the opening up of the Indian market to imports from abroad. Because they are being thrown out of their jobs in large numbers as a result of the prescriptions of globalisation through liberalisation and privatisation that are being imposed by the WTO. Because the utterly unequal character of the WTO, the fact that its prescriptions will only allow for even more brutal exploitation of the poorer countries by the big imperialist powers are becoming clearer every day. The Indian working class and people cannot  really believe that they will benefit from such globalisation, despite all the attempts of the government to make them do so.

However, the big monopoly capitalists of India are very interested in India’s joining the WTO and in going ahead with the globalisation prescriptions of the WTO. This is because the Indian big bourgeoisie has imperialist ambitions and hopes that it can emerge as a big global power by utilising the vast material and human resources of our country. To achieve this, it is ready to sell off the vital interests of the nation and people to the imperialists. That is why, the present stand of the government towards the WTO is hardly surprising, since it defends the interests of big monopoly capitalists, to the detriment of the working class and people. In fact, even while the negotiations at Doha are going on, Vajpayee is visiting some of the major imperialist powers and the Indian government is entering into various kinds of deals and collaborations with them.

The working class and people of India would certainly benefit from bilateral and multilateral trade relations with other countries, but only such relations that are based on equality and mutual benefit, respect for each other’s political and economic sovereignty. But for this to be a reality, the capitalist and imperialist system has to be overthrown.

Back to Table of Contents

Governments and  leaders from various countries oppose US imperialist - led aggression on Afghanistan

Several hundred demonstrations, meetings and other actions have been organised all over the world in which thousands upon thousands of people have participated, condemning the US imperialist - led military aggression of Afghanistan and demanding its immediate cessation. A few governments and leaders of various countries have also taken stands opposing the aggression, such as those from Cuba, Iran, Venezuela and others.

Cuba :

In a speech made on November 2, 2001, President Fidel Castro Ruz pointed out that the world capitalist economy was on the decline for the last two years and presented a series of facts and figures in support. “The economic crisis is not a consequence of the September 11 attacks and the war against Afghanistan… The crisis is a consequence of the resounding and irreversible failure of an  economic and political conception imposed on the world: neoliberalism and neoliberal  globalization…. The terrorist attacks and the war did not give rise to the crisis, but they have considerably  aggravated it. What had already been rapidly advancing was abruptly and untimely boosted even  further. Humanity must now confront three extremely serious problems, which feed off of one  another: terrorism, the war and the economic crisis.

“On September 11, just hours after the events, and having expressed our  total condemnation of the brutal attack and our sincere and selfless solidarity with the people of  the United States -- since we never asked for nor expected anything in return -- we expressed a  conviction that we continue to hold today, with more strength and certainty than ever: "None of  the present problems of the world can be solved by force. [...] The international community  should build a world conscience against terrorism. [...] Only the intelligent policy of seeking  strength through consensus and the international public opinion can decidedly uproot this problem  [...] this unimaginable event should serve to launch an international struggle against terrorism. [...]  The world cannot be saved unless a path of international peace and cooperation is pursued." “

An editorial in Granma, the official newspaper of the Cuban Communist Party, published on October 8,   just hours after the war had been unleashed, stated: "It is not a war against terrorism; [...] it is a   war in favour of terrorism, since the military operations will make it more complicated and difficult   to eradicate it. It is like pouring oil on the flame”.

President Fidel Castro continued..” We insisted that it was necessary to fight against terrorism and against the war. A spirit of revenge  or hatred against America never led us… Everybody knows the estimates made by NATO during the war against Yugoslavia. The idea  was that the objectives would be accomplished in 5 days, but almost 80 days passed and it had  not happened. It is also a known fact that despite the extraordinary display of technology and  means, the Serbian army was practically intact…. Military actions in Afghanistan are fraught with dangers. That is an extremely troubled area where  two large countries have fought several wars. …It is clear by now that America's friends fear it but do not appreciate it. Cuba is not in the  least fearful of the enormous power of that nation, but it can appreciate its people.”

Iran

According to the Iranian IRNA news agency, Iranian leader Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani in Teheran on Saturday described the US-led strikes on Afghanistan as "unsuccessful, uncertain and futile" to solve any crisis, and said the US is not entitled to have the exclusive right to anti-terrorism campaigns. He stressed that the attacks on the war-ravaged country would lead to worsening of the crisis as well as growing insecurity and instability. He pointed to the international consensus on the need to launch an all-out fight against terrorism, and called on the United Nations to supervise coordinated efforts in uprooting terrorism at the global level.

Rafsanjani also pointed to Israel’s misuse of the current crisis in Afghanistan to curb Palestinians, and called for the destiny of Palestinians to be determined.

Venezuela

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez recently condemned the US military campaign     against Afghanistan.

In a televised national address broadcast on October 29, '01 after he returned from a      three-week international tour, Chávez held up photos of dead and wounded Afghan      children and said the bombing was leaving a trail of atrocities. "Do you see this child? What was he guilty of?" asked Chávez, complaining that the US bombing was claiming innocent victims. "This has no justification, just like the  (September 11) attacks on New York didn't either," he stated. "The killing in Afghanistan must stop," said Chávez.

Chávez stated that he supported "the fight against terrorism, and no one should      doubt that". But, he added, "we have also said from the start that you cannot respond to terror with more terror."

In the past, Caracas and Washington have clashed over the multi-billion dollar Plan Colombia anti-drug programme, Venezuela's refusal to allow US military planes to overfly its territory on anti-drug missions, and Chávez's visits to Libya and Iraq. Other sources of tension have been Venezuela's alleged support for indigenous movements in Ecuador and Bolivia, and Chávez's close ties to Cuban President  Fidel Castro. The Venezuelan president, who has been pushing a "social revolution"  since he came to power, has defended his government's "independent international agenda" aimed at "contributing to the construction of a multipolar world order."

Back to Table of Contents

Fascist attacks on political forces in the US

Shocking news revealed that in the context of the "war on terrorism" and "anti-terrorism" legislation in the United States, (see article on US “Anti – Terrorism” Act below) the officially sanctioned persecution of political  forces has begun, revealing the grave dangers facing the society and all political opponents of the  regime.

Armed government agents grabbed Nancy Oden, Green Party USA coordinating committee  member, on November 1, 2001 at Bangor International Airport in Bangor Maine, as she attempted to board  an American Airlines flight to Chicago.  "An official told me that my name had been flagged in the computer," Oden said. "I was  targeted because the Green Party USA opposes the bombing of innocent civilians in Afghanistan." Oden, a longtime organic farmer and peace activist in northern Maine, was ordered away from  the plane. Military personnel with automatic weapons surrounded Oden and instructed all airlines  to deny her passage on ANY flight.  "I was told that the airport was closed  to me until further notice and that my ticket would not be refunded," Oden said.

Oden was scheduled to speak in Chicago on the evening of Friday,  November 2, 2001 on a panel concerning pesticides as weapons of war. She had helped to coordinate  the Green Party USA's antiwar efforts these past few months, and was to report on these to The  Greens national committee.  "Not only did they stop me at the airport but some mysterious party had called the hotel and  cancelled my reservation," Oden said. The National Committee of the American Green Party is said to have met in Chicago November 2-4, ‘01 "to  hammer out the details of national campaigns against biochemical warfare, the spraying of toxic  pesticides, genetic engineering, and the Party's involvement in the burgeoning peace movement".

The incident shows how anyone can be assaulted at any time and  they have no remedy whatsoever. The onus is put on them to "prove their innocence" without  even being confronted with any charges, let alone charges that can be justified in a court of law. Government agencies are permitted to put persecute individuals on the basis of  political affiliation and opinion. Government officials of all kinds are permitted to criminalise individuals carrying out normal, daily lawful  activity, without  mechanisms available to the citizens to protect  themselves.

Back to Table of Contents

Increasing fascisation of the United States of America

“Anti Terrorism Act” signed into law

On October 26, 2001, U.S. imperialist chieftain George W. Bush signed into law the U.S. "anti-terrorism" legislation called the Uniting and Strengthening America Act (USA Act). This legislation gives the US imperialists sweeping powers to attack anyone they claim is linked to terrorist organisations, and has many provisions which allow it to act summarily  and without the need to provide any legitimate proof linking those accused under it to actual crimes. In the context of the aggression on Afghanistan and the widespread opposition to this unjust and extremely barbaric belligerence on the part of the US imperialists, this legislation provides means to the imperialists to criminalise and devastate dissidence from all quarters. It is perhaps the most wide ranging piece of legislation passed by any state to this day, giving the US imperialist establishment extremely sweeping powers (see box for Act provisions).

Major legislation such as the USA Act often takes several months if not years to be approved. This bill, however, underwent almost no debate. In fact, the House offices were closed thanks to an “anthrax” scare and staff could not even access their papers to fully prepare members of Congress for voting on this important legislation. The legislation, which was introduced less than six weeks ago, was passed by the House of Representatives 357-66 on October 24 and the Senate 49-1 on October 25.

This wide-ranging law amongst other things increases the overall number of crimes considered terrorist acts, expands the powers of the Attorney General and police and intelligence agencies and limits judicial review and supervision of law enforcement authorities. The law for the first time permits law enforcement agencies and prosecutors to distribute information on any criminal investigation to the CIA, Secret Service and other military intelligence, with no judicial review on how the information can be used. The law gives the government expanded powers to invade privacy, imprison people without due process and punish dissent. Senator Russ Feingold (Democrat-Wisconsin), the only Senator to vote against the bill, said that it did not "strike the right balance between empowering law enforcement and civil liberties."

Upon the bill getting passed, US imperialist chieftain Bush said, "This government will enforce this law with all the urgency of a nation at war." News reports said that U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft directed all federal prosecutors and FBI agents to immediately begin using their expanded powers to tap phones, share intelligence information, track Internet usage and investigate“money-laundering”. 

Within days of the Act being passed, it became obvious that the purpose was in fact to the officially sanction persecution of political  forces. (See article above on persecution of Green Party leader). It is imperative that all those who value democracy, all those who cherish human values, should unite as one to smash the fascist onslaught of the bourgeoisie led by the US imperialists.                   

Back to Table of Contents

Anti-war protest:

100,000 March in London against War in  Afghanistan

(From the Report by Stop the War Coalition & Media Workers Against the War – Sunday 18 November 2001)

Some 100,000 anti-war protesters marched in London today, doubling last month’s turnout of 50,000, and reflecting the full breadth, depth and diversity of anti-war feeling in Britain. After a week in which sections of the media indulged in misplaced triumphalism in relation to the war in Afghanistan and subjected anti-war dissenters to misrepresentation and calumny, the huge numbers were particularly significant.

Despite all the government’s advantages in the propaganda war, more and more     people are asking hard questions about this military action - and they are increasingly      unsatisfied with the spin-doctors’ answers. Among the marchers were a wide range of people from trades unions, Muslim organisations, community and anti-racist groups, colleges, schools and universities, human rights, peace and anti-globalisation organisations, and political parties. Protesters came by the coach-load from across the country, including Newcastle, Manchester, Plymouth, across Scotland & Wales. Forty coaches came from Birmingham. As the head of the march reached Trafalgar Square, the tail was still leaving Hyde Park.

“After today’s demonstration, no-one can doubt both the scale and the diversity of      anti-war feeling in this country,” said Suresh Grover of the National Civil Rights      Movement and the Stop the War Coalition steering committee. “This is a ground-breaking event, a massive display of opposition to the military action. This protest is also against the attack on human rights in Britain. The government is slipping in the suspension of habeas corpus and the introduction of internment and detention without trial. We are also seeing a proliferation of racist assaults.

“This huge turnout represents the tip of the iceberg of disquiet running through      British society. Despite the media attacks, we’ve doubled our numbers in a month.

The message of the demonstration is that we are not going away. This movement will only get bigger.”

 Among the speakers were John Pilger, Bianca Jagger, Tony Benn, Caroline Lucas MEP (Green Party), Tariq Ali, Yvonne Ridley, New York City trade unionist Michael Letwin, Dr Jonathan Farley (a Tennessee-born American scholar currently at Oxford), MPs Jeremy Corbyn, Paul Marsden, Alan Simpson, George Galloway, and Adam Price, Asad Rehman (Newham Monitoring Project), Germaine Greer, George Monbiot, Morning Star editor John Haylett, Socialist Alliance chair Dave Nellist, human rights lawyers Louise Christian and Mike Mansfield, NATFHE general secretary Paul Mackney, NUT Executive member Bernard Regan and people from Palestine, Kurdistan and Afghanistan itself.

 The march was organised by the Stop the War Coalition and was supported by a wide range of peace and political organisations, community groups, trades unions and individuals (including CND, Labour MPs, RMT, ASLEF, the Muslim Parliament, the National Civil Rights Movement, the Newham Monitoring Project, the London Council of Mosques, Labour Against the War, Media Workers Against the War, Lawyers Against the War, and Artists Against the War).

 At sunset, demonstrators - Muslim and non-Muslim - joined in iftar, the evening fast-breaking ritual of the month of Ramadan. The crowd revelled in its own diversity, and in the unity that so many found in calling for peace and justice - for Afghanistan, and people everywhere.

Back to Table of Contents

Resolutions of the meeting

This public meeting of citizens of Mumbai on 18th November 2001, held at Tilak Bhavan, resolves that:

• The Vajpayee government should withdraw the fascist POTO, which tries to label all dissent as criminal.
• This assembly demands that any attempt to smuggle in POTO in a different form at the central or state levels should be stopped immediately
• The assembly notes with satisfaction that despite very short notice a large number of organizations and individuals representing thousands of working people have participated in this meeting and we propose that a broad Coalition Against Fascism and War Mongering and for Democracy and Peace be formed to take this struggle forward.
• It proposes that the preparatory committee for today’s meeting, which was formed on 10th November be expanded to include all those who want to work for this coalition
• It also proposes that as a first united action of this coalition, on Monday, December the 10th—International Human Rights Day, a much larger mass action be held at an appropriate venue to defend democratic and human rights against Black laws, to defend trade union rights which are under attack with labour law reforms in the offing and defend minority rights who are being targeted by communal and fascist elements.

(Signed by over 75 individuals and representatives of organizations.)