Sir,

I join the CC of the CGPI in its condemnation of the heinous acts of terror that consumed the lives of several innocent individuals on September 13, 2008 in Delhi. In the ensuing days, there have been numerous incidents consuming the lives of others in Mehrauli, Malegaon, Agartala, and I have no doubt that there will be others added to this list before this letter goes into press.

The main achievement of these acts of terror has been the driving of masses of the people once more into the arms of the state.  There have been calls from major political parties, sections of `civil society’, thinkers, do-gooders, talking heads on television, former Presidents and Prime Ministers, so-called policy makers, etc., for strengthening the state’s hand against terror, which has already found resonance in the masses.  While the main stream political parties, the UPA Government at the Centre, and State Governments led by main stream parties, stand totally discredited in the eyes of the masses vis a vis their activities in all other spheres, including the economy, they have now got a breather as the masses are looking to them in desperation for succour.  As a result, it will not be beyond anyone’s imagination to suspect the hands of such forces themselves, as being behind such events.

These events have come at a time when the UPA Government wants to cobble together a coalition with the hated imperialist power, the USA, which has no support at all among the masses.  The latter itself is embroiled in an un-winnable situation in Afghanistan, Iraq and the middle-east. It is at a terrible pass in its unqualified and unprincipled support of every single action of the state of Israel. Thus what better an excuse for these states to unite on the `war against terror’ whose fountain-head according to them is `Islamic terror’.  Thus, in India today, and elsewhere in the world, anyone who speaks up against the oppression of Muslim people is labelled as an abettor of terror or anti-national, or one of many such labels which can be generated at will.

In this scenario, CGPI's uncompromising and principled stand on the matter is commendable. All men and women of conscience must unite to expose the canard that is the `war against terror’ and seek a solution to all the problems faced by the people of India.

The war against terror is an important weapon in the armoury of the ruling circles to divide the masses and create suspicion in the minds of the latter against one another.  As the statement of the CC has pointed out, those that have committed crimes against the people, no matter under what circumstance or no matter what office they hold, should be brought to book.  The struggle for this is part and parcel of the struggle of the masses for their emancipation.  Communists must be at the forefront of this struggle.  The statement of the CC gives me hope that our comrades are indeed prepared to take on this momentous challenge.

Sincerely,
A. Narayan,
Bengaluru