Even as the debate preceding the confidence motion was raging in Parliament, on July 21, activists of nearly 20 political parties and mass organisations staged a militant rally against the Indo-US strategic alliance, right in the vicinity of the Parliament. 

Holding aloft placards bearing slogans such as “Indo-US strategic alliance – an attack on our sovereignty!” and “No to strategic partnership with US imperialism!”, hundreds of activists gathered at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi to voice their protest against the growing dangerous partnership of the Indian ruling class with US imperialism; and the attempts of the government to deceive the masses of people on the Indo-US nuclear deal.

Members and activists of the Communist Ghadar Party of India, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Lok Raj Sangathan, Teesra Swadhinta Sangram Abhiyan, All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat, Indian Muslim League, Committee for Independent Foreign Policy, Lok Rajnitik Manch, NAPM, Yuva Bharat, Indian Muslim Political Council, Qaumi Party of India, Krantikari Yuva Sangathan, CPI(ML) New Democracy, IFTU, People’s Front, Movement for Peace and Justice, Delhi Media Centre, PDFI, Delhi Shramik Sangathan, UNI Employees Union, Rajasthan Shishak Sangh and other organisations participated in the rally.

“Down with the UPA government!, Down with the two timing politics of the Congress Party!, No to strategic alliance with the US!, Defeat the imperialist agenda of the Indian corporate houses!” – these were the slogans on the banners of Lok Raj Sangathan displayed at the rally. They fittingly summed up the sentiments echoed by the speakers of all the organisations.

Representatives of various participating organisations denounced the Manmohan Singh government for going ahead with the Indo-US partnership and nuclear deal, in spite of widespread opposition and divided opinion among of the Indian people. They exposed the lies being fed to the public by the UPA government, which was claiming that the Indo-US nuclear deal would provide electricity to the villages and to the urban poor. Less than 6-8% of our energy requirements would be met by nuclear energy over the next 20 years, by the government’s own admission, they pointed out, and this too would go to benefit the big corporate houses. They highlighted the dangers of undermining our self-reliance in energy by becoming obligated to the US, and emphasised the need for the government to pay more attention to developing our own vast energy resources.

Speakers from Lok Raj Sangathan and other organisations explained that the Indo-US nuclear deal is part of the larger Indo-US strategic alliance, including the Defence Framework Agreement of June 2005, which aims to tie up India militarily with the strategic imperialist interests of US in Asia and globally. With this alliance, there is going to be increasing pressure on the Indian government to align with US policy, or suffer various consequences. The big corporate houses in our country are very excited about the alliance as they see it as a means to advance their own imperialist aspirations. But our toiling masses have nothing to gain from such an imperialist alliance, directed against our friendly relations with other countries and against peace in this region.

The rally called upon all the Indian people to step up the struggle to expose the treachery of the Manmohan Singh government in this regard. All the participating organisations resolved to come together on a common platform to advance the struggle against the Indo-US strategic alliance and to organise actions opposing it in various parts of the country.